• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.663-672
• /
• 2014

Recently, modular structural systems have been applicable to building construction since they can significantly reduce building construction time. They consists of several unit modular frames of which each beam-column joint employs an access hole for connecting unit modular frames. Their structural design is usually carried out under the assumption that their load-carrying mechanism is similar to that of a traditional steel moment-resisting system. In order to obtain the validation of this assumption, the cyclic characteristics of beam-column joints in a unit modular frame should be investigate. This study carried out finite element analyses(FEM) of unit modular frames to investigate the cyclic behavior of beam-column joints with the structural influence of access holes. Analysis results show that the unit modular frames present stable cyclic response with large deformation capacities and their joints are classified into partial moment connections. Also, this study develops a simple spring model for earthquake nonlinear analyses and suggests the Ramberg-Osgood hysteretic rule to capture the cyclic response of unit modular frames.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.191-199
• /
• 2003

The inelastic response of many structural steel and reinforced concrete structures subject to extreme loadings can be characterized by elastoplastic behaviors. Although excursion beyond the elastic range is usually not permitted under normal conditions of service, the extent of permanent damage a structure may sustain when subjected to extreme conditions, such as severe blast or earthquake loading, is frequently of interest to the engineer. A blast is usually the result of an explosion defined as a "sudden expansion". This paper discusses the basic concept that defines blast loadings on structures and corresponding elastoplastic structural response (displacement, velocity, and acceleration) and try to explain a crack propagation of concrete in sudden expansion. According to nonlinear finite element analysis, the crack forms of static and dynamic states displayed different in RC structural members. This paper also provides useful data for the dynamic fracture analysis of RC frame structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.66 no.3
• /
• pp.411-421
• /
• 2018

Although a rubber isolation cushion can reduce the dynamic response of a structure itself, it has little influence on the height of a sloshing wave and even may induce magnification action. Vertical baffles are set into a base-isolated Concrete Rectangular Liquid Storage Structure (CRLSS), and baffles are opened as holes to increase the energy dissipation of the damping. Problems of liquid nonlinear motion caused by baffles are described using the Navier-Stokes equation, and the space model of CRLSS is established considering the Fluid-Solid Interaction (FSI) based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). The dynamic response of an isolated CRLSS with various baffles under an earthquake is analyzed, and the results are compared. The results show that when the baffle number is certain, the greater the number of holes in baffles, the worse the damping effects; when a single baffle with holes is set in juxtaposition and double baffles with holes are formed, although some of the dynamic response will slightly increase, the wallboard strain and the height of the sloshing wave evidently decrease. A configuration with fewer holes in the baffles and a greater number of baffles is more helpful to prevent the occurrence of two failure modes: wallboard leakage and excessive sloshing height.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.89-118
• /
• 2015

The geometric nonlinearity of off-diagonal bracing system (ODBS) could be a complementary system to covering and extending the nonlinearity of reinforced concrete material. Finite element modeling is performed for flexural frame, x-braced frame and the ODBS braced frame system at the initial phase. Then the different models are investigated along various analyses. According to the experimental results of flexural and x-braced frame, the verification is done. Analytical assessments are performed in according to three dimensional finite element modeling. Nonlinear static analysis is considered to obtain performance level and seismic behaviour, and then the response modification factors calculated from each model's pushover curve. In the next phase, the evaluation of cracks observed in the finite element models, especially for RC members of all three systems is performed. The finite element assessment is performed on engendered cracks in ODBS braced frame for various time steps. The nonlinear dynamic time history analysis accomplished in different stories models for three records of Elcentro, Naghan and Tabas earthquake accelerograms. Dynamic analysis is performed after scaling accelerogram on each type of flexural frame, x-braced frame and ODBS braced frame one by one. The base-point on RC frame is considered to investigate proportional displacement under each record. Hysteresis curves are assessed along continuing this study. The equivalent viscous damping for ODBS system is estimated in according to references. Results in each section show the ODBS system has an acceptable seismic behaviour and their conclusions have been converged when the ODBS system is utilized in reinforced concrete frame.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.487-497
• /
• 2017

Semi-active devices use the building's own motion to produce resistive forces and are thus strictly dissipative and require little power. Devices that independently control the binary open/closed valve state can enable novel device hysteresis loops that were not previously possible. However, some device hysteresis loops cannot be obtained without active analog valve control allowing slower, controlled release of stored energy, and is presents an ongoing limitation in obtaining the full range of possibilities offered by these devices. This in silico study develops a proportional-derivative feedback control law using a validated nonlinear device model to track an ideal diamond-shaped force-displacement response profile using active analog valve control. It is validated by comparison to the ideal shape for both sinusoidal and random seismic input motions. Structural application specific spectral analysis compares the performance for the non-linear, actively controlled case to those obtained with an ideal, linear model to validate that the potential performance will be retained when considering realistic nonlinear behaviour and the designed valve control approach. Results show tracking of the device force-displacement loop to within 3-5% of the desired ideal curve. Valve delay, rather than control law design, is the primary limiting factor, and analysis indicates a ratio of valve delay to structural period must be 1/10 or smaller to ensure adequate tracking, relating valve performance to structural period and overall device performance under control. Overall, the results show that active analog feedback control of energy release in these devices can significantly increase the range of resetable, valve-controlled semi-active device performance and hysteresis loops, in turn increasing their performance envelop and application space.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.273-286
• /
• 2020

The pile group foundation is widely used for gravity pier of high-speed railway bridges in China. If a moderate or strong earthquake occurs, the pile-surrounding soil will exhibit obvious nonlinearity and significant pile group effect. In this study, an improved pushover analysis model for the pile group foundation with consideration of pile group effect is presented and validated by the quasi-static test. The improved model uses simplified springs to simulate the soil lateral resistance, side friction and tip resistance. PM (axial load-bending moment) plastic hinge model is introduced to simulate the impact of the axial force changing of pile group on their elastic-plastic characteristics. The pile group effect is considered in stress-stain relations of the lateral soil resistance with a reduction factor. The influence factors on nonlinear characteristics and plastic hinge distribution of the pile group foundation are discussed, including the pier height, longitudinal reinforcement ratio and stirrup ratio of the pile, and soil mechanical parameters. Furthermore, the displacement ductility factor, resistance increase factor and yielding stiffness ratio are provided to evaluate the seismic performance of soil-pile system. A case study for the pile group foundation of a railway simply supported beam bridge with a 32 m-span is conducted by numerical analysis. It is shown that the ultimate lateral force of pile group is not determined by the yielding force of the single one in these piles. Therefore, the pile group effect is essential for the seismic performance evaluation of the railway bridge with pile group foundation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.132-138
• /
• 2003

The use of long rails in high-speed railway bridges causes additional stresses due to nonlinear behaviours between the rail and bridge decks in the neighbourhood of the deck joints. In the seismic response analysis of high-speed railway bridges, since structural response is highly sensitive to properties of the ground motion, spatial variation of the ground excitation affects responses of the bridges, which in turn affect stresses in the rails. In addition, it is shown that high-speed trains need very long distances to stop when braking under seismic occurrence corresponding to operational earthquake performance level so that verification of the safe stoppage of the train is also required. In view of such additional stresses due to long rails, sensibility of structural response to the properties of the ground motion and braking distance needed by the train to stop safely, this paper proposes and establishes a time domain nonlinear dynamic analysis method that accounts for braking loads, spatial variation of the ground motion and material nonlinearities of rails to analyze long rail stresses in high-speed railway bridges subjected to seismic event. The accuracy of the proposed method is demonstrated through an application on a typical site of the Korean high-speed railway.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.513-528
• /
• 2018

A typical viable technique to decrease the seismic response of liquid storage tanks is to isolate them at the base. Base-isolation systems are an efficient and feasible solution to reduce the vulnerability of structures in high seismic risk zones. Nevertheless, when liquid storage tanks are under long-period shaking, the base-isolation systems could have different impacts. These kinds of earthquakes can damage the tanks readily. Hence, the seismic behaviour and vibration of cylindrical liquid storage tanks, subjected to earthquakes, is of paramount importance, and it is investigated in this paper. The Finite Element Method is used to evaluate seismic response in addition to the reduction of excessive liquid sloshing in the tank when subjected to the long-period ground motion. The non-linear stress-strain behaviour pertaining to polymers and rubbers is implemented while non-linear contact elements are employed to describe the 3-D surface-to-surface contact. Therefore, Nonlinear Procedures are used to investigate the fluid-structure interactions (FSI) between liquid and the tank wall while there is incompressible liquid. Part I, examines the effect of the flexibility of the isolation system and the tank aspect ratio (height to radius) on the tank wall radial displacements of the tank wall and the liquid sloshing heights. Maximum stress and base shear force for various aspect ratios and different base-isolators, which are subjected to three seismic conditions, will be discussed in Part II. It is shown that the composite-base isolator is much more effective than other isolators due to its high flexibility and strength combined. Moreover, the base isolators may decrease the maximum level pertaining to radial displacement.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.45-54
• /
• 2011

A simple model for reinforced concrete shear walls with boundary elements is proposed, which is a macro-model composed of spring elements representing flexure and shear behaviors. The flexural behaviour is represented by vertical springs at the wall ends, where the moment strength and rotational capacity of the wall are based on section analysis. The shear behaviour is represented by a horizontal spring at the wall center, where the key parameters for the shear behavior are based on the flexural behaviour since the shear walls with boundary elements are governed by the flexure. The proposed model was prepared with the results of hysteretic tests of the shear walls, and then the reliability of the hysteretic rule and variables was investigated by nonlinear dynamic analyses. Using parametric study with nonlinear dynamic analyses, the effect of the variables on demand and capacity, which are major parameters in seismic performance evaluation, are investigated. Results show that the measured and calculated shear forces versus the shear distortion relationships are slightly different, but the global response is well simulated. Furthermore, the demand and capacity are also changed in a similar way to the change in the major parameters so that the proposed model may be appropriate for reinforced concrete shear walls with boundary elements.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.55-62
• /
• 2002

The upper wall-lower frame structures(mixed building structures) are usually composed of shear wall structure in the upper part of structure which is used as residential space and frame structure in the lower part of structure which is used as commercial space centering around the transfer system in the lower part of structure. These structures are characteristics of stiffness irregularity, mass irregularity, and vertical geometric irregularity. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nonlinear response characteristics and the seismic capacity of mixed building structures when the number of stories in the lower frame is varied. The conclusions of this study are following. 1) As the result of push-over analysis of structure such as roof drift(i.e. roof displacement/structural height) and base shear coefficient, when the stories of lower frame system are increased, base shear coefficient is decreased, but roof drift is increased. 2) According to an increase in stories of the lower fame, story drift and ductility ratio of upper wall system are decreased and behavior of upper wall system is closed to elastic. 3) When the stories of lower frame system are increased, the excessive story drift is concentrated on the lower frame system.