• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.695-710
• /
• 2014

This paper presents a theoretical and computational approach to solve inelastic structures subjected to overloads. Current practice in structural design is based on elastic analysis followed by limit strength design. Whereas this approach typically results in safe strength design, it does not always guarantee satisfactory performance at the service level because the internal stiffness distribution of the structure changes from the service to the ultimate strength state. A significant variation of relative stiffnesses between the two states may result in unwanted cracking at the service level with expensive repairs, while, under certain circumstances, early failure may occur due to unexpected internal moment reversals. To address these concerns, a new inelastic model is presented here that is based on the nonlinear material response and the interaction relation between axial forces and bending moments of a beam-column element. The model is simple, reasonably accurate, and computationally efficient. It is easy to implement in standard structural analysis codes, and avoids the complexities of expensive alternative analyses based on 2D and 3D finite-element computations using solid elements.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to propose a design procedure for a damped structure with a friction damper for an existing structure. The target displacement of the damped structure was determined using the maximum displacement of the existing structure. The displacement of the damped structures was predicted using a proposed equation for the inelastic displacement ratio. For this study, we conducted a nonlinear response history analysis using 80 earthquake ground motions to verify the validity of the proposed design procedure by comparing the responses of the damped and undamped structures. Based on the dynamic analysis results, it was concluded that the predicted displacement of the damped structure using the proposed design procedure matched well with the analysis results.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.12 no.5
• /
• pp.543-557
• /
• 2017

Results of an extensive study aiming to properly extend the well known pushover analysis into 3-D problems of asymmetric buildings are presented in this paper. The proposed procedure uses simple, 3 DOF, one-story models with shear-beam type elements in order to quantify the effects of inelastic torsional response of such buildings. Correction coefficients for the response quantities at the "stiff" and "flexible" sides are calculated using results from non-linear time history analyses of the simple models. Their values are then applied to the results of a simple, plane pushover analysis of the detailed building models. Results from the application of the new method for a set of three, conventionally designed, five-story buildings with high values of uniaxial eccentricities are compared with those obtained from multiple non-linear dynamic time history analyses, as well as from similar pushover methods addressing the same problem. This initial evaluation indicates that the proposed procedure is a clear improvement over the simple (conventional) pushover method and, in most cases, more accurate and reliable than the other methods considered. The accuracy, however, of all these methods is reduced substantially when they are applied to torsionally flexible buildings. Thus, for such challenging problems, use of inelastic dynamic analyses for a set of two component earthquake motions appears to be the preferable solution.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.3 no.3_4
• /
• pp.611-628
• /
• 2012

The inelastic earthquake response of existing, reinforced concrete buildings with an open ground story, designed according to the old Greek codes, is investigated before and after their seismic strengthening with steel braces restricted to the open ground stories. The seismic performance evaluation is based on Part 3 of Eurocode 8 for assessment and retrofitting of buildings. Three and five-story, symmetric and non-symmetric buildings are subjected to a set of seven pairs of synthetic accelerograms, compatible with the design spectrum, and conclusions are drawn regarding the effectiveness of the strengthening solutions. Seismic behavior of the selected models confirms results of previous work regarding the insufficient capacity of the open ground stories for design level earthquakes. It is also shown that strengthening only the weak ground story, a choice having the substantial advantage of low cost and continued usage of the building during its seismic retrofitting, can remove the inherent weakness without shifting the problem to the stories above and thus making such buildings at least as strong as those without a weak first story. This partial strengthening is possible for symmetric as well as eccentric buildings, in which torsion plays a further detrimental role.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.339-355
• /
• 2006

A procedure to retrofit existing essential facilities subjected to seismic excitation is proposed. The main features of this procedure are to reduce maximum acceleration and associated forces in buildings subjected to seismic excitation by reducing their strength (weakening). The weakening retrofit, which is an opposite strategy to strengthening, is particularly suitable for buildings having overstressed components and foundation supports or having weak brittle components. However, by weakening the structure large deformations are expected. Supplementaldamping devices however can control the deformations within desirable limits. The structure retrofitted with this strategy will have, therefore, a reduction in the acceleration response and a reduction in the deformations, depending on the amount of additional damping introduced in the structure. An illustration of the above strategy is presented here through an evaluation of the inelastic response of the structure through a nonlinear dynamic analysis. The results are compared with different retrofit techniques. A parametric analysis has also been carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the retrofitting method using different combination of the performance thresholds in accelerations and displacements through fragility analysis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.9 no.1 s.30
• /
• pp.95-105
• /
• 1997

Structures subjected to strong seismic excitation may undergo inelastic deformation cycles. The resulting cumulative fatigue damage process reduces the ability of structures and components to withstand seismic loads. Yet, the present earthquake resistance design methods focus mainly on the maximum displacement ductility, ignoring the effect of the cyclic responses. The damage parameters closely related to the cumulative damage need to be properly reflected on the aseismic design methods. In this study, two cumulative damage assessment methods derived from the plastic fatigue theory are investigated. The one is based on the hysteretic ductility amplitude, and the other is based on the dissipated hysteretic energy. Both methods can consider the maximum ductility and the cyclic behavior of structural response. The validity of two damage methods has been examined for single degree of freedom structures with various natural frequencies against two different earthquake excitations.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.97-104
• /
• 2005

The seismic behavior of framed structure with Chevron-type bucking restrained braces were investigated and their behavior factors were evaluated following the procedure proposed in ATC-19 & ATC-34. Two types of structures, building frame systems and dual systems, with 4, 8, 12, and 16 stories were designed per the IBC 2000, the AISC LRFD and the AISC/SEAOC Recommended Provisions for BRBF. Nonlinear static pushover analyses were carried out to observe the plastic hinge formation and to identify the loads and the displacements at the yield and the ultimate states. Time history analyses were also carried out to compute the permanent displacement md the dissipated hysteretic energy. According to the analysis results, the response modification factors of model structures fumed out to be larger than what is proposed in the provision in low story structures, and a little smaller in medium-story structures. The dual systems, even though designed with smaller seismic load, showed superior static and dynamic performances.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
• /
• 2004.05a
• /
• pp.482-485
• /
• 2004

A Performance Based Design procedure for retrofitting the RC frame with friction dampers is described. The Capacity Diagram Method procedure is used to estimate the inelastic response of the example model. The example models were retrofitted using SBC dampers and the retrofitted example models were computation ally modeled. The results show that the performance of the retrofitted frame satisfies the target objective.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
• /
• 2007.04a
• /
• pp.205-210
• /
• 2007

The existing capacity spectrum method (CSM) is based on the displacement based approach for seismic performance and evaluation. Currently, in the domestic and overseas standard concerning seismic design, the CSM to obtain capacity spectrum from capacity curve and demand spectrum from elastic response spectrum is presented. In the multistory building, collapse is affected more by drift than by displacement, but the existing CSM does not work for story drift. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved CSM to estimate story drift of structures through seismic performance and evaluation. It uses the ductility factor in the A-T domain to obtain constant-ductility response spectrum from earthquake response of inelastic system using the drift and capacity curve from capacity analysis of structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.25-35
• /
• 1996

This paper describes a continuum variational formulation for design optimization of nonlinear structures in the elastic-plastic domain, where unloading and reloading of the structures are allowed to occur. The Total Lagrangian procedure is used for the description of the structural deformation. The direct differentiation approach is used to derive the sensitivities of the various structural response measures with respect to the design parameters. Since the material goes into the inelastic range and unloading and reloading of the structure are allowed to occur, the structural response is path dependent and an additional step is needed to integrate the constitutive equations. It can be shown, consequently, that design sensitivity analysis is also path-dependent. The theory has been discretized by the finite element technique and implemented in a structural analysis code. Mathematical programming approach is used for the optimization process. Numerical applications on trusses are performed, where cross-sectional areas and nodal point coordinates are treated as design variables. Optimal designs have been obtained and compared by using two different strategies: a two level strategy where the levels are defined accordingly the type of design variables, cross sectional areas or node coordinates, and optimizing simultaneously with respect to both types of design variables.