• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.875-890
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• 2016

A new structural damage index for seismic fragility analysis of reinforced concrete columns is developed based on a local tensile damage variable of the Lee and Fenves plastic-damage model. The proposed damage index is formulated from the nonlinear regression of experimental column test data. In contrast to the response-based damage index, the proposed damage index is well-defined in the form of a single monotonically-increasing function of the volume weighted average of local damage distribution, and provides the necessary computability and objectivity. It is shown that the present damage index can be appropriately zoned to be used in seismic fragility analysis. An application example in the computational seismic fragility evaluation of reinforced concrete columns validates the effectiveness of the proposed damage index.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.357-377
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• 2013

In order to study the degradation and damage behaviors of steel frame welded connections, two series of tests in references with different connection constructions were carried out subjected to various cyclic loading patterns. Hysteretic curves, degradation and damage behaviours and fatigue properties of specimens were firstly studied. Typical failure modes and probable damage reasons were discussed. Then, various damage index models with variables of dissipative energy, cumulative displacement and combined energy and displacement were summarized and applied for all experimental specimens. The damage developing curves of ten damage index models for each connection were obtained. Finally, the predicted and evaluated capacities of damage index models were compared in order to describe the degraded performance and failure modes. The characteristics of each damage index model were discussed in depth, and then their distributive laws were summarized. The tests and analysis results showed that the loading histories significantly affected the distributive shapes of damage index models. Different models had their own ranges of application. The selected parameters of damage index models had great effect on the developing trends of damage curves. The model with only displacement variable was recommended because of a more simple form and no integral calculation, which was easier to be formulated and embedded in application programs.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.75-90
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• 2013

In order to identify damage of highway bridges rapidly, a method for damage identification using dynamic response of bridge induced by moving vehicle and static test data is proposed. To locate damage of the structure, displacement energy damage index defined from the energy of the displacement response time history is adopted as the indicator. The displacement response time histories of bridge structure are obtained from simulation of vehicle-bridge coupled vibration analysis. The vehicle model is considered as a four-degree-of-freedom system, and the vibration equations of the vehicle model are deduced based on the D'Alembert principle. Finite element method is used to discretize bridge and finite element model is set up. According to the condition of displacement and force compatibility between vehicle and bridge, the vibration equations of the vehicle and bridge models are coupled. A Newmark-${\beta}$ algorithm based professional procedure VBAP is developed in MATLAB, and used to analyze the vehicle-bridge system coupled vibration. After damage is located by employing the displacement energy damage index, the damage extent is estimated through the least-square-method based model updating using static test data. At last, taking one simply supported bridge as an illustrative example, some damage scenarios are identified using the proposed damage identification methodology. The results indicate that the proposed method is efficient for damage localization and damage extent estimation.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.283-294
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• 2001

In the present work a constitutive model is developed which permits the assessment of the structural performance through a criterion based on cumulative damage. For it, a damage index is defined and is evaluated through the application of the Miner's rule in low-cycle fatigue. However, the damage index is not considered as a posteriori variable since is incorporated explicitly as an internal variable in the constitutive equations which produces a direct coupling between the damage and the structural mechanical behaviour allowing the possibility of considering as a whole different coupled phenomena. For the elaboration of this damage model, the concepts of the mechanics of continuum medium are applied on lumped dissipative models in order to obtain a coupled simplified model. As a result an elastoplastic model coupled with damage and fatigue damage is obtained.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.337-362
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• 2015

This paper presents a feasibility study on structural damage alarming and localization of long-span cable-supported bridges using multi-novelty indices formulated by monitoring-derived modal parameters. The proposed method which requires neither structural model nor damage model is applicable to structures of arbitrary complexity. With the intention to enhance the tolerance to measurement noise/uncertainty and the sensitivity to structural damage, an improved novelty index is formulated in terms of auto-associative neural networks (ANNs) where the output vector is designated to differ from the input vector while the training of the ANNs needs only the measured modal properties of the intact structure under in-service conditions. After validating the enhanced capability of the improved novelty index for structural damage alarming over the commonly configured novelty index, the performance of the improved novelty index for damage occurrence detection of large-scale bridges is examined through numerical simulation studies of the suspension Tsing Ma Bridge (TMB) and the cable-stayed Ting Kau Bridge (TKB) incurred with different types of structural damage. Then the improved novelty index is extended to formulate multi-novelty indices in terms of the measured modal frequencies and incomplete modeshape components for damage region identification. The capability of the formulated multi-novelty indices for damage region identification is also examined through numerical simulations of the TMB and TKB.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.741-748
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• 2018

In this paper, the sensitivity of a plastic-damage-based structural damage index on mesh density is studied. Multiple finite element meshes with increasing density are used to investigate their effect on the damage index values calculated from nonlinear finite element simulations for a reinforced concrete column subjected to cyclic loading. With the simulation results, this paper suggests a correction method for the objective damage index based on nonlinear regression of volumetric tensile damage ratio data. The modified damage index values are presented in the quasi-static cyclic simulation to show the efficacy of the suggested correction method.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.609-623
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• 2022

To study the empirical seismic fragility of a reinforced concrete girder bridge, based on the theory of numerical analysis and probability modelling, a regression fragility method of a rapid fragility prediction model (Gaussian first-order regression probability model) considering empirical seismic damage is proposed. A total of 1,069 reinforced concrete girder bridges of 22 highways were used to verify the model, and the vulnerability function, plane, surface and curve model of reinforced concrete girder bridges (simple supported girder bridges and continuous girder bridges) considering the number of samples in multiple intensity regions were established. The new empirical seismic damage probability matrix and curve models of observation frequency and damage exceeding probability are developed in multiple intensity regions. A comparative vulnerability analysis between simple supported girder bridges and continuous girder bridges is provided. Depending on the theory of the regional mean seismic damage index matrix model, the empirical seismic damage prediction probability matrix is embedded in the multidimensional mean seismic damage index matrix model, and the regional rapid prediction matrix and curve of reinforced concrete girder bridges, simple supported girder bridges and continuous girder bridges in multiple intensity regions based on mean seismic damage index parameters are developed. The established multidimensional group bridge vulnerability model can be used to quantify and predict the fragility of bridges in multiple intensity regions and the fragility assessment of regional group reinforced concrete girder bridges in the future.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.315-334
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• 2015

A main goal of this study is to propose a damage detection technique to detect and localize damages of a top-tensioned riser. In this paper, the top-tensioned finite element (FE) model is considered as an analytical model of the riser, and a vibration-based damage detection method is proposed. The present method consists of a FE model updating and damage index method. In order to accomplish the goal of this study, first, a sensitivity-based FE model updating method using natural frequencies and zero frequencies is introduced. Second, natural frequencies and zero frequencies of the axial mode on the top-tensioned riser are estimated by eigenvalue analysis. Finally, the locations and severities of the damages are estimated from the damage index method. Three numerical examples are considered to verify the performance of the proposed method.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.10 no.2 s.35
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• pp.279-290
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• 1998

An existing Damage Index Method is verified to demonstrate its feasibility for detecting structural damage in truss bridges (1) for which modal parameters are available for a few modes of vibration and (2) for which baseline modal information is not available from its as-built state. The theory of approach to detect locations of damage and to identify baseline modal model is summarized on the basis of system identification theory and modal sensitivity theory. The feasibility of the Damage Index Method is demonstrated using a numerical example of a truss bridge with 11 subsystems of 211 members and for which only two modes of vibration were recorded for post-damaged state.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.429-442
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• 2023

To study the seismic vulnerability of the composite material structure of adobe and timber, we collected and statistically analysed empirical observation samples of 542,214,937 m² and 467,177 buildings that were significantly impacted during the 179 earthquakes that occurred in mainland China from 1976 to 2010. In multi-intensity regions, combined with numerical analysis and a probability model, a non-linear continuous regression model of the vulnerability, considering the empirical seismic damage area (number of buildings) and the ratio of seismic damage, was established. Moreover, a probability matrix model of the empirical seismic damage mean value was provided. Considering the coupling effect of the annual and seismic fortification factors, an empirical seismic vulnerability curve model was constructed in the multiple-intensity regions. A probability matrix model of the mean vulnerability index (MVI) was proposed, and was validated through the above-mentioned reconnaissance sample data. A matrix model of the MVI of the regions (19 provinces in mainland China) based on the parameter (MVI) was established.