• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.273-282
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• 2020

A new seismic design methodology for precast concrete diaphragms has been developed and incorporated into the current American seismic design code. This design methodology recognizes that diaphragm inertial forces during earthquakes are highly influenced by higher dynamic vibration modes and incorporates the higher mode effect into the diaphragm seismic design acceleration determination using a first mode reduced method, which applies the response modification coefficient only to the first mode response but keeps the higher mode response unreduced. However the first mode reduced method does not consider effects of diaphragm flexibility, which plays an important role on the diaphragm seismic response especially for the precast concrete diaphragm. Therefore this paper investigated the effect of diaphragm flexibility on the diaphragm seismic design acceleration for precast concrete shear wall structures through parametric studies. Several design parameters were considered including number of stories, diaphragm geometries and stiffness. It was found that the diaphragm flexibility can change the structural dynamic properties and amplify the diaphragm acceleration during earthquakes. Design equations for mode contribution factors considering the diaphragm flexibility were first established through modal analyses to modify the first mode reduced method in the current code. The modified first mode reduced method has then been verified through nonlinear time history analyses.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.4
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• pp.463-472
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• 2021

Fully rigid floor diaphragm is one of the main assumptions that are widely used in common practices due to its simple application. However, determining the exact degree of diaphragms flexibility cannot be easily accomplished without finite element modeling, which is an expensive and time-consuming procedure. Therefore, it is always possible that apparently rigid diaphragms, based on prescriptive limitations of seismic codes, experience some degrees of flexibility during the earthquakes. Since diaphragm flexibility has more uncertainties in asymmetric-plan structures, this study focuses on errors resulting from probable floor diaphragm flexibility of torsionally restrained structures. The analytical models used in this study were single-story buildings with asymmetric plan and RC shear walls. Although floor system is not considered explicitly, a wide range of considered diaphragm flexibility, from fully rigid to quite flexible, allows the results to be generalizable to a lot of lateral load resisting systems as well as floor systems. It has been shown that in addition to previously known effects of diaphragm flexibility, presence of orthogonal side elements during design procedure with rigid diaphragm assumption and rapid reduction in their absorbed forces can also be an important source to increase errors due to flexibility. Accordingly, from the obtained results the authors suggest designers to consider the possibility of diaphragm flexibility and its adverse effects, especially in torsionally restrained systems in their common designs.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.273-278
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• 2021

Here, we studied the change in the mechanical stiffness of a diaphragm according to the corrugation pattern. The diaphragm consists of a silicon oxide and nitride double layer; a corrugation pattern was formed by dry etching, and the diaphragm was released by wet etching. The fabrication of the thin film was verified using focused ion beam and scanning electron microscopy images. The mechanical stiffness of the diaphragm was obtained by measuring the surface vibration using a laser Doppler vibrometer while applying external sound pressure. Flat squares, diaphragms with square corrugations, and circular corrugation patterns were measured and compared. The stiffness of the diaphragm with a corrugation structure was found to be smaller than that without a corrugation structure; in particular, circular corrugation showed a better effect because of the high symmetry. Furthermore, the effect of corrugation was theoretically predicted. The proposed corrugated diaphragm showed comparable flexibility with the state-of-the-art MEMS microphone diaphragm.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.35-54
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• 2020

One of the prevailing structural systems in high-rise buildings is the core-wall system. On the other hand, the existence of one or more underground stories causes the perimeter below-grade walls with the diaphragm of grade level to constitute of a very stiff box. In this case or a similar situation, during the lateral response of a tall building, underground perimeter walls and diaphragms that provide an increased lateral resistance relative to the core wall may introduce a prying action in the core that is called backstay effect. In this case, a rather great force is generated at the diaphragm of the grade-level, acting in a reverse direction to the lateral force on the core-wall system, and thus typically causes a reverse internal shear. In this research, in addition to review of the results of the preceding studies, an improved relationship is proposed for prediction of backstay force. The new proposed relationship takes into account the effect of foundation flexibility and is presented in a non-dimensional form. Furthermore, a specific range of the backstay force to lateral load ratio has been determined. And finally, it is shown that although all suggested formulas are valid in the elastic domain, yet with some changes in the initial considerations, they can be applied to some certain non-linear problems as well.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.93-115
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• 2013

This paper describes a study of the influence of a dynamically flexible building structure on pressures inside and net pressures on the roof of low-rise buildings with a dominant opening. It is shown that dynamic interaction between the flexible roof and the internal pressure results in a coupled system that is similar to a two-degree-of-freedom mechanical system consisting of two mass-spring-damper systems with excitation forces acting on both the masses. Two resonant modes are present, the natural frequencies of which can readily be obtained from the model. As observed with quasi-static building flexibility, the effect of increased dynamic flexibility is to reduce the first natural frequency as well as the corresponding peak value of the admittance, the latter being the result of increased damping effects. Consequently, it is found that the internal and net roof pressure fluctuations (RMS coefficients) are also reduced with dynamic flexibility. This model has been validated from experiments conducted using a cylindrical model with a leeward end flexible diaphragm, whereby good match between predicted and measured natural frequencies, and trends in peak admittances and RMS responses with flexibility, were obtained. Furthermore, since significant differences exist between internal and net roof pressure responses obtained from the dynamic flexibility model and those obtained from the quasi-static flexibility model, it is concluded that the quasi-static flexibility assumption may not be applicable to dynamically flexible buildings. Additionally, since sensitivity analyses reveal that the responses are sensitive to both the opening loss coefficient and the roof damping ratio, careful estimates should therefore be made to these parameters first, if predictions from such models are to have significance to real buildings.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.289-299
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of semi-igid behavior of the steel tubular column to H-beam connection reinforced with exterior square-plate diaphragms and to check the main parameters that affect this behavior. Steel tube connections without interior diaphragm and/or complicated exterior diaphragm show the considerable flexibility due to out of-plane deformation of tube flange. For the exact analysis well-reflected the effect of this flexibility on the overall frame performance. it need to find out the moment-rotation curve function that well trace the result of experiment in the whole region and the function should be simply transformed into an adequate form for the nonlinear analysis program. After collecting several test data same to the connection type considered. we carried out FEM analysis using ANSYS for the assumed beam-to-column connection developed from the simple tension test and the results are compared with experimental values. Based on the parametric study. we proposed the moment-relation curve function and performed the multiple-regression analysis procedure for three parameters consisting of this function with the main geometric parameter of this connection type.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.38-43
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• 2012

Using a fiber laser heat source, an oil pressure sensor was fabricated to measure the pressure in commercial vehicles. A stepping motor was used for the rotational and translational motion in the diaphragms and hardware joining. Laser welding process algorism including shielding gas control and vision system was integrated by using LabVIEW software for the high quality welding and in-line monitoring purpose. For the maximum flexibility in pressure transmission to the pressure sensor, thin sheet metal diaphragm, $25{\sim}50{\mu}m$(SUS-316L), was used and the diaphragms were optimally designed with FEM analysis. The welded samples were cross-sectioned the observation showed that the maximum depth ratio was more than seven times of diaphragms. The maximum welding speed was measured to be as high as 50in/mm by the developed automation mechanism. The fabricated prototypes were tested for the proof pressure, spring constant and sealing. The FEM results of spring constant measurement was as accurate as up to 80% of the design value and the sensor was safely operated up to the nominal pressure of 10bars.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2024

Due to the recent increase in domestic seismic activity and the proliferation of PC structure buildings, there is a pressing need for a fundamental study to develop and revise the design criteria for Half-PC slabs. In this study, we propose criteria for determining the rigid diaphragm based on the aspect ratio of Half-PC slabs and investigate the structural effects based on the presence of chord element installation. This study concluded that Half-PC slabs with an aspect ratio of 3.0 or lower can be designed as rigid diaphragms. When chord elements are installed, it is possible to design Half-PC slabs with an aspect ratio of 4.0 or lower as rigid diaphragms. In addition, the increase in the aspect ratio of the Half-PC slab leads to a decrease in the in-plane stiffness of the structure, confirming that the reduction effect of the maximum displacement in force direction (𝜟_max ) due to the increase in wall stiffness is predominantly influenced by flexibility.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 1989

An efficient model for three-dimensional analysis of multistory structures with flexible floor diaphrgms is proposed in this paper. Three-dimensional analysis of a building structure using a finite element model requires tedious input data preparation, longer computation time, and larger computer memory. The model proposed in this study is developed by assembling a series of two-dimensional resisting systems and is considered to overcome the shortcomings of a three-dimensional finite element model without deteriorating the accuracy of analysis results. Static and dynamic analysis results obtained using the proposed model are in excellent agreement with those obtained using three-dimensional finite element models in terms of displacement, periods, and mode shapes. Effects of floor diaphragm flexibility on seismic response of multistory building structures are investigated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.17 no.3_4
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• pp.527-537
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• 2004

Consequence-Based Engineering (CBE) is a new paradigm proposed by the Mid-America Earthquake Center (MAE) to guide evaluation and rehabilitation of building structures and networks in areas of low probability - high consequence earthquakes such as the central region of the U.S. The principal objective of CBE is to minimize consequences by prescribing appropriate intervention procedures for a broad range of structures and systems, in consultation with key decision makers. One possible intervention option for rehabilitating unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, widely used for essential facilities in Mid-America, is passive energy dissipation (PED). After the CBE process is described, its application in the rehabilitation of vulnerable URM building construction in Mid-America is illustrated through the use of PED devices attached to flexible timber floor diaphragms. It is shown that PED's can be applied to URM buildings in situations where floor diaphragm flexibility can be controlled to reduce both out-of-plane and in-plane wall responses and damage. Reductions as high as 48% in roof displacement and acceleration can be achieved as demonstrated in studies reported below.