• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.213-223
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• 2017

Bridges are lifeline and integral components of transportation system that are susceptible to seismic actions, their vulnerability assessment is essential for seismic risk assessment and mitigation. The vulnerability assessment of bridges common in Pakistan is very important as it is seismically very active region and the available code for the seismic design of bridges is obsolete. This research presents seismic vulnerability assessment of three real case simply supported multi-span reinforced concrete bridges commonly found in northern Pakistan, having one, two and three bents with circular piers. The vulnerability assessment is carried through the non-linear dynamic time history analyses for the derivation of fragility curves. Finite element based numerical models of the bridges were developed in MIDAS CIVIL (2015) and analyzed through with non-linear dynamic and incremental dynamic analyses, using a suite of bridge-specific natural spectrum compatible ground motion records. Seismic responses of shear key, bearing pad, expansion joint and pier components of each bridges were recorded during analysis and retrieved for performance based analysis. Fragility curves were developed for the bearing pads, shear key, expansion joint and pier of the bridges that first reach ultimate limit state. Dynamic analysis and the derived fragility curves show that ultimate limit state of bearing pads, shear keys and expansion joints of the bridges exceed first, followed by the piers ultimate limit state for all the three bridges. Mean collapse capacities computed for all the components indicated that bearing pads, expansion joints, and shear keys exceed the ultimate limit state at lowest seismic intensities.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.127-145
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• 2012

One of the most important and challenging steps in seismic vulnerability and performance assessment of highway bridges is the determination of the bridge component damage parameters and their corresponding limit states. These parameters are very essential for defining bridge damage state as well as determining the performance of highway bridges under a seismic event. Therefore, realistic damage limit states are required in the development of reliable fragility curves, which are employed in the seismic risk assessment packages for mitigation purposes. In this article, qualitative damage assessment criteria for ordinary highway bridges are taken into account considering the critical bridge components in terms of proper engineering demand parameters (EDPs). Seismic damage of bridges is strongly related to the deformation of bridge components as well as member internal forces imposed due to seismic actions. A simple approach is proposed for determining the acceptance criteria and damage limit states for use in seismic performance and vulnerability assessment of ordinary highway bridges in Turkey constructed after the 1990s. Physical damage of bridge components is represented by three damage limit states: serviceability, damage control, and collapse prevention. Inelastic deformation and shear force demand of the bent components (column and cap beam), and superstructure displacement are the most common causes for the seismic damage of the highway bridges. Each damage limit state is quantified with respect to the EDPs: i.e. curvature and shear force demand of RC bent components and superstructure relative displacement.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.141-161
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• 2016

In seismic fragility and risk analysis, the definition of structural limit state (LS) capacities is of crucial importance. Traditionally, LS capacities are defined according to design code provisions or using deterministic pushover analysis without considering the inherent randomness of structural parameters. To assess the effects of structural randomness on LS capacities, ten structural parameters that include material strengths and gravity loads are considered as random variables, and a probabilistic pushover method based on a correlation-controlled Latin hypercube sampling technique is used to estimate the uncertainties in LS capacities for four typical reinforced concrete frame buildings. A series of ten LSs are identified from the pushover curves based on the design-code-given thresholds and the available damage-controlled criteria. The obtained LS capacities are further represented by a lognormal model with the median $m_C$ and the dispersion ${\beta}_C$. The results show that structural uncertainties have limited influence on $m_C$ for the LSs other than that near collapse. The commonly used assumption of ${\beta}_C$ between 0.25 and 0.30 overestimates the uncertainties in LS capacities for each individual building, but they are suitable for a building group with moderate damages. A low uncertainty as ${\beta}_C=0.1{\sim}0.15$ is adequate for the LSs associated with slight damages of structures, while a large uncertainty as ${\beta}_C=0.40{\sim}0.45$ is suggested for the LSs near collapse.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.445-460
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• 2021

This study experimentally explored the behaviour of 12 concrete filled steel tube (CFST) and steel tube columns subjected to lateral cyclic loading. The L/D ratio was 12.3 while D/t ratios were 45.4, 37.8 and 32.4, classifying these 12 specimens into 3 groups. Each group included 3 CFST and 1 steel tube columns and were tested to failure. The experimental results indicated that CFST specimens reached the state of 'collapse prevention' (drift 4%) prior to the occurrence of local buckling. Strength degradation of CFST specimens did not occur up to the failure by buckling. This showed the favourable characteristic of CFST columns in preventing collapse of structures subjected to earthquakes. The high energy absorption capability in the post collapse limit state was appropriate for dissipating energy in structures. Compared to steel tube columns, CFST columns delayed local buckling and prevented inward buckling. Consequently, CFST columns exhibited their outstanding seismic performance in terms of the increased ultimate resistance, capacity to sustain 2-3 additional load cycles and significantly higher drift. A simple and reasonably accurate model was proposed to predict the ultimate strength of CFST columns under lateral cyclic loading.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.89-94
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• 2004

A steel plated is typically composed of plate panels. The overall failure of the structure is certainly affected and can be governed by the bulking and plastic collapse of these individual members. In the ultimate limit state design, therefore, a primary task is to accurately calculate the buckling and plastic collapse strength of such structural members. Structural elements making up steel palated structures do not work separately, resulting in high degree of redundancy and complexity in contrast to those of steel framed structures. To enable the behavior of such structures to be analyzed, simplifications or idealizations must essentially be made considering the accuracy need and degree of complexity of the analysis to be used. Generally the more complex the analysis the greater is the accuracy that may be obtained. The aim of this study is the investigation of the effect of the tripping behaviour including section characteristic for a plate under uniaxial compression. For this purpose of study, in used elasto-plasticity deformation FEA method are used for this study.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.122-129
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• 2020

To conduct probabilistic seismic fragility analysis for nuclear power plants, it is very important to define the failure modes and criteria that can represent actual serious accidents. The seismic design criteria for piping systems, however, cannot fully reflect serious accidents because they are based on plastic collapse and cannot express leakage, which is the actual limit state. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly define the limit state for reliable probabilistic seismic fragility analysis. Therefore, in this study, the limit state of the SCH80 3-inch steel pipe elbow, the vulnerable part of piping systems, was defined as leakage, and the in-plane cyclic loading test was conducted. Moreover, an attempt was made to quantify the failure criteria for the steel pipe elbow using the damage index, which was based on the dissipated energy that used the moment-deformation angle relationship.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.105-123
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• 2016

In this paper, using the probabilistic methods, the seismic demand of buckling restrained braced frames subjected to earthquake was evaluated. In this regards, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14-storybuildings with different buckling restrained brace configuration (including diagonal, split X, chevron V and Inverted V bracings) were designed. Because of the inherent uncertainties in the earthquake records, incremental dynamical analysis was used to evaluate seismic performance of the structures. Using the results of incremental dynamical analysis, the "capacity of a structure in terms of first mode spectral acceleration", "fragility curve" and "mean annual frequency of exceeding a limit state" was determined. "Mean annual frequency of exceeding a limit state" has been estimated for immediate occupancy (IO) and collapse prevention (CP) limit states using both Probabilistic Seismic Demand Analysis (PSDA) and solution "based on displacement" in the Demand and Capacity Factor Design (DCFD) form. Based on analysis results, the inverted chevron (${\Lambda}$) buckling restrained braced frame has the largest capacity among the considered buckling restrained braces. Moreover, it has the best performance among the considered buckling restrained braces. Also, from fragility curves, it was observed that the fragility probability has increased with the height.

• International Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology Speciallssue:Selected Papers
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2002

This paper presents a mechanical design of the deepwater pipeline wall thickness using the recent design rules. Characteristics and limitations of the new codes were identified through a case study design in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to the ASME, API, and DVD codes, the code of federal regulations (CFR) was also utilized in the design. It was found that conservatism still exists within the collapse prediction for water depth greater than 1500 m. Comparision of the results from DNV and API codes were presented.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.288-295
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• 2004

Concentrically braced steel frames are considered as being quite pone to soft-story response due to the degradation in brace compressive resistance after buckling under severe ground motions. When combined with the system P-Delta effects, collapse of the concentrically brsced frames by dynamic instability becomes highly probable. In this stidy, a new, relatively simple dynamic instability coefficient was proposed for diagonally braced steel flames by explicitly considering the strength degradation of the brace after buckling. Nonlinear dynamic analysis results showed that the dynamic instability coefficient proposed in this study predicted collapse limit state more consistently than the conventional one which ignores the strength degradation of the brace.

• Architectural research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2001

The proposed building upgrading technique employs prestressing cables to function as bracing to improve the seismic performance during future events. A four-story reinforced concrete moment resisting frame damaged from an ultimate limit state earthquake is assessed and upgraded using the proposed technique. Both existing and upgraded buildings are evaluated in regard of seismic performance parameters performing static lateral load to collapse analysis and dynamic nonlinear time history analysis as well. To obtain realistic comparison of seismic performance between existing and upgraded frames, each frame is subjected to its critical ground motion that has strength demand exceeding the building strength supply. Furthermore, reliability of static lateral load to collapse analysis as a substitute to time history analysis is evaluated. The results reveal that the proposed upgrading technique improves the stiffness distribution compared to the ideal distribution that gives equal inter-story drift. As a result, the upgraded building retains more stories that contribute to energy dissipation. The overall behavior of upgraded building beyond yield is also enhanced due to the gradual change of building stiffness as the lateral load increases.