• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.69 no.6
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• pp.677-691
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• 2019

In recent years, interest is growing in the engineering community on the experimental assessment and the theoretical prediction of the out-of-plane (OOP) seismic response of unreinforced masonry (URM) infills, which are widespread in Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings in Europe and in the Mediterranean area. In the literature, some mechanical-based models for the prediction of the entire OOP force-displacement response have been formulated and proposed. However, the small number of experimental tests currently available has not allowed, up to current times, a robust and reliable evaluation of the predictive capacity of such response models. To enrich the currently available experimental database, six pure OOP tests on URM infills in RC frames were carried out at the Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture of the University of Naples Federico II. Test specimens were built with the same materials and were different only for the thickness of the infill walls and for the number of their edges mortared to the confining elements of the RC frames. In this paper, the results of these experimental tests are briefly recalled. The main aim of this study is comparing the experimental response of test specimens with the prediction of mechanical models presented in the literature, in order to assess their effectiveness and contribute to the definition of a robust and reliable model for the evaluation of the OOP seismic response of URM infill walls.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.6
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• pp.811-824
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• 2022

Despite its disadvantages, soft story can reduce the damage to the upper floors by concentrating drift in that specific story provided that large drifts are avoided. Gapped-Inclined Brace (GIB) with reduced P-delta effects and the control of soft story stiffness makes it possible to take advantage of the soft story in buildings and increase their capacity for energy dissipation. OpenSees software is used in this study to validate and modify the GIB model's shortcomings. Also, the analysis method for this element is changed for design. The modified element is evaluated in 3D analysis. Finally, to retrofit an existing building, this element is used. Based on the Iranian seismic code, a six-story reinforced concrete building is modelled and studied with 3D analysis. In this building, the construction shortcomings and elimination of infills on the ground floor cause the formation of a soft story. Results of nonlinear static analysis, nonlinear dynamic, and incremental dynamic analysis using both components of seismic acceleration applied to the structure at different angles and the fragility curves indicate the improvement of the retrofitted structure's performance using the modified element to reach the required performance level following the retrofit code.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.69-88
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• 2008

A number of construction practices, implemented during the design process of a reinforced concrete (RC) structural system, may have significant consequences on the behaviour of the structural system in the case of earthquake loading. Although a number of provisions are imposed by the contemporary Greek national design codes for the seismic design of RC structures, in order to reduce the consequences, the influence of the construction practices on the seismic behaviour of the structural system remains significant. The objective of this work is to perform a comparative study in order to examine the influence of three, often encountered, construction practices namely weak ground storey, short and floating columns and two combinations on the seismic performance of the structural system with respect to the structural capacity and the maximum interstorey drifts in three earthquake hazard levels.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.101-112
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• 2000

In many structures, the masonry infill panels have been used for architectural reasons and their influence on the structure is often ignored by engineers. However, it has been recognized that the presence of masonry infills may debates. Recently, the pushover analysis technique is used for the prediction of the inelastic behaviors of structures in the seismic evaluation of existing buildings. However, the reliability of this analysis method has not been fully checked with the test results, particularly in the case of masonry-infilled frames. The objective of this study is to verify the correlation between the experimental and analytical reponses of a high-rise masonry-infilled reinforced concrete frame using DRAIN-2DX program and the test results performed previously. It is concluded from this comparison that the strength and stiffness of members can be predicted with quite high reliability while the ductility capacity of members can not be described reasonably.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.469-494
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• 2005

In order to consider the modified seismic response of framed structures in the presence of masonry infills, proper models have to be formulated. Because of the complexity of the problem, a careful definition of an equivalent diagonal pin-jointed strut, able to represent the horizontal force-interstorey displacement cyclic law of the actual infill, may be a solution. In this connection the present paper, continuing a previous work in which a generalised criterion for the determination of the ideal cross-section of the equivalent strut was formulated, analizes some models known in literature for the prediction of the lateral cyclic behaviour discussing their field of validity. As a support of the discussion, the results of an experimental investigation involving single story-single bay infilled reinforced concrete. Frames under vertical and lateral loads with different kind of infill (actually not yet so much investigated) are presented. Finally, an improvement of a model known in the literature is proposed, taking the results of the experimental tests before mentioned into account.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.557-566
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• 2017

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets are the most efficient structural materials in terms of strength to weight ratio and its application in strengthening and retrofitting of a structure or structural elements are inevitable. The performance enhancement of structural elements without increasing the cross sectional area and flexible nature are the major advantages of FRP in retrofitting/strengthening work. This research article presents a detailed study on the inelastic response of conventional and retrofitted Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) subjected to quasi-static loading. The hysteretic behaviour, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation and damage index are the parameters employed to analyse the efficacy of FRP strengthening of brick in-filled RC frames. Repair and retrofitting of brick infilled RC frame shows an improved load carrying and damage tolerance capacity than control frame.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.597-606
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• 2019

Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) techniques are useful methods for non-destructive evaluation of fracture characteristics. This study focuses on the reliability and accuracy of ultrasonic diffraction methods to estimate the depth of rock fractures. The study material includes three different rock types; andesite, basalt and ignimbrite. Four different ultrasonic techniques were performed on these intact rocks. Artificial near-surface fracture depths were created in the laboratory by sawing. The reliability and accuracy of each technique was assessed by comparison of the repeated measurements at different path lengths along the rock surface. The standard error associated with the predictive equations is very small and their reliability and accuracy seem to be high enough to be utilized in estimating the depth of rock fractures. The performances of these techniques were re-evaluated after filling the artificial fractures with another material to simulate natural infills.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.791-818
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• 2013

The seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures with irregularities leading to soft first floor is studied using capacity assessment procedures. The soft first story effect is investigated for the cases: (i) slab-column connections without beams at the first floor, (ii) tall first story height and (iii) pilotis type building (open ground story). The effects of the first floor irregularity on the RC frame structure performance stages at global and local level (limit states) are investigated. Assessment based on the Capacity Spectrum Method (ATC-40) and on the Coefficient Method (FEMA 356) is also examined. Results in terms of failure modes, capacity curves, interstory drifts, ductility requirements and infills behaviour are presented. From the results it can be deduced that the global capacity of the structures is decreased due to the considered first floor morphology irregularities in comparison to the capacities of the regular structure. An increase of the demands for interstory drift is observed at the first floor level due to the considered irregularities while the open ground floor structure (pilotis type) led to even higher values of interstory drift demands at the first story. In the cases of tall first story and slab-column connections without beams soft-story mechanisms have also been observed at the first floor. Rotational criteria (EC8-part3) showed that the structure with slab-column connections without beams exhibited the most critical response.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.437-449
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• 2020

It is quite apparent that engineering concerns related to the influence of masonry infills on seismic behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is likely to remain relevant in the long term, as infill walls maintain their functionalities in construction practice. Within this framework, the present paper mainly deals with the issue in terms of modal expansion of effective earthquake forces and the resultant modal responses. An adequate determination of spatial distribution of effective earthquake forces over the height of the building is highly essential for both seismic analysis and design. The possible influence of infill walls is investigated by means of modal analyses of two-, three-, and four-bay RC frames with a number of stories ranging from 3 to 8. Both uniformly and non-uniformly infilled frames are considered in numerical analyses, where infill walls are simulated by adopting the model of equivalent compression strut. Consequently, spatial distribution of effective earthquake forces, modal static base shear force response of frames, modal responses of story shears from external excitation vector and lateral floor displacements are obtained. It is found that, infill walls and their arrangement over the height of the frame structure affect the spatial distribution of modal inertia forces, as well as the considered response quantities. Moreover, the amount of influence varies in stories, but is not very dependent to bay number of frames.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.499-520
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• 2011

The effectiveness of a technique for the repair of reinforced concrete members in combination with a technique for the repair of masonry walls of infilled frames, damaged due to cyclic loading, is experimentally investigated. Three single - story, one - bay, 1/3 - scale frame specimens are tested under cyclic horizontal loading, up to a drift level of 4%. One bare frame and two infilled frames with weak and strong infills, respectively, have been tasted. Specimens have spirals as shear reinforcement. The applied repair technique is mainly based on the use of thin epoxy resin infused under pressure into the crack system of the damaged RC joint bodies, the use of a polymer modified cement mortar with or without a fiberglass reinforcing mesh for the damaged infill masonry walls and the use of CFRP plates to the surfaces of the damaged structural RC members, as external reinforcement. Specimens after repair, were retested in the same way. Conclusions concerning the effectiveness of the applied repair technique, based on maximum cycles load, loading stiffness, and hysteretic energy absorption capabilities of the tested specimens, are drawn and commented upon.