• Magazine of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.180-189
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• 1994

An approximate method of normal coordinate idealization for use in nonlinear R /C frames has been developed. Normal coordinate apporaches have been used for nonlinear problems in the past, but they are not recerved wide acceptance because of the need for eigenvector computation in each time step. The proposed method circumvents the eigenvector recalculation problem by evaluating a limited number of sets of mode shapes in performing the dynamic analysis. Then some of the predetermined sets of eigenvectors are used in the nonlinear dynamic repeatedly. The method is applied to frame structures with ductile R /C elements. The plastic hinge zones are modeled with hysteres~s loops which evince degrading stiffness and pinching effects. Effxiencies and accuracies of the method for this application are presented.