• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.389-403
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• 2021

Skewed bridges, being irregular structures with complicated dynamic behavior, are more susceptible to earthquake damage. Reliable seismic-resistant design of skewed bridges can be achieved by accurate determination of nonlinear seismic demands. However, the effect of geometric characteristics on the response modification factor (R-factor) is not accounted for in bridge design practices. This study attempts to investigate the effects of changes in the number of spans, skew angle and bearing stiffness on R-factor values and to assess the seismic fragility of skewed bridges. Results indicated that changes in the skew angle had no significant effect on R-factor values which were in consonance with code-prescribed R values. Also, unlike the increase in the number of spans that resulted in a decrease in the R-factor, the increase in bearing stiffness led to higher R-factor values. Findings of the fragility analysis implied that although the increase in the number of spans, as well as the increase in the skew angle, led to a higher failure probability, greater values of bearing stiffness reduced the collapse probability. For practicing design engineers, it is recommended that maximum demands on substructure elements to be calculated when the excitation angle is applied along the principal axes of skewed bridges.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.617-628
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• 2019

As an extremely destructive accident, progressive collapse is defined as the spread of an initial local failure from element to element, resulting eventually in the collapse of an entire structure or disproportionately large of it. To prevent the occurrence of it and evaluate the ability of structure resisting progressive collapse, the nonlinear static procedure is usually adopted in the whole structure design process, which considered dynamic effect by utilizing Dynamic Increase Factor (DIF). In current researches, the determining of DIF is performed in full-rigid frame, however, the performance of beam-column connection in the majority of existing frame structures is not full-rigid. In this study, based on the component method proposed by EC3 guideline, the expression of extended endplate connection performance is further derived, and the connection performance is taken into consideration when evaluated the performance of structure resisting progressive collapse by applying the revised plastic P-M hinge. The DIF for structures with extended endplate beam-column connection have been determined and compared with the DIF permitted in current GSA guideline, the necessity of considering connection stiffness in determining the DIF have been proved.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.265-279
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• 2019

The self-centering capacity and energy dissipation performance have been recognized critically for increasing the seismic performance of structures. This paper presents an innovative steel moment frame with self-centering steel reinforced concrete (SRC) wall panel incorporating replaceable energy dissipation devices (SF-SCWD). The self-centering mechanism and energy dissipation mechanism of the structure were validated by cyclic tests. The earthquake resilience of wall panel has the ability to limit structural damage and residual drift, while the energy dissipation devices located at wall toes are used to dissipate energy and reduce the seismic response. The oriented post-tensioned strands provide additional overturning force resistance and help to reduce residual drift. The main parameters were studied by numerical analysis to understand the complex structural behavior of this new system, such as initial stress of post-tensioning strands, yield strength of damper plates and height-width ratio of the wall panel. The static push-over analysis was conducted to investigate the failure process of the SF-SCWD. Moreover, nonlinear time history analysis of the 6-story frame was carried out, which confirmed the availability of the proposed structures in permanent drift mitigation.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.178-201
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• 2019

The appropriate design of a mooring system to maintain the position of an offshore structure in deep sea under various environmental loads is important. Fatigue design of the mooring line considering OPB/IPB(out-of-plane bending/in-plane bending) became an essential factor after the incident of premature fatigue failure of the mooring chain due to OPB/IPB in the Girassol region in West Africa. In this study, mooring line fatigue analysis was performed considering the OPB/IPB of a spread moored FPSO in deep sea. The tension of the mooring line was derived by hydrodynamic analysis using the de-coupled analysis method. The floater motion time histories were calculated under the assumption that the mooring line behaves in quasi-static manner. Additional time domain analysis was carried out by prescribing the obtained motions on top of the selected critical mooring line, which was determined based on spectral fatigue analysis. In addition, nonlinear finite element analysis was performed considering the material nonlinearities, and both the interlink stiffness and stress concentration factors were derived. The fatigue damage to the chain surface was estimated by combining both the hydrodynamic and stress analysis results.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.103-124
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• 2019

Present study concerns the safety evaluation of SefidRud dam's block No. 18 regarding probable crack propagation in the foundation gallery under a MCE record. Accordingly, a 3D finite element model of the block in companion with the reservoir and the foundation is modeled. All the associated thermal and structural parameters are derived via calibration with the records of thermometers and pendulums installed inside the dam body. The origination of the cracks and their whereabouts are determined by primary thermal and static analyses and through a linear dynamic analysis the potential failure zone and their extent and level are studied. The foundation gallery is the most probable zone among the other intensive tensile stress area to compromise the dam stability. Therefore, the nonlinear analysis of this risky region is inevitable. The results depict the permissible expansion of the cracks inside the gallery even under another future earthquake in MCE level. As a consequence, the general dam performance is assessed safe in spite of the seepage flow rate growth from the gallery fractures.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-54
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• 2019

Reinforced Concrete (RC) shear walls are widely used in Nuclear power plants as effective lateral force resisting elements of the structure and these may experience nonlinear behavior for higher earthquake demand. Short shear walls of aspect ratio less than 1.5 generally experience combined shear flexure interaction. This paper presents the results of the displacement-controlled experiments performed on six RC short shear walls with varying aspect ratios (1, 1.25 and 1.5) for monotonic and reversed quasi-static cyclic loading. Simulation of the shear walls is then carried out by Finite element modeling and also by macro modeling considering the coupled shear and flexure behaviour. The shear response is estimated by softened truss theory using the concrete model given by Vecchio and Collins (1994) with a modification in softening part of the model and flexure response is estimated using moment curvature relationship. The accuracy of modeling is validated by comparing the simulated response with experimental one. Moreover, based on the experimental work a multi-linear hysteretic model is proposed for short shear walls. Finally ultimate load, drift, ductility, stiffness reduction and failure pattern of the shear walls are studied in details and hysteretic energy dissipation along with damage index are evaluated.

• International journal of steel structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1684-1698
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• 2018

Fragility functions are determined for braced steel moment frames (SMFs) with plans such as square-, T-, L-, U-, trapezoidal-, and semicircular-shaped, subjected to blast. The frames are designed for gravity and seismic loads, but not necessarily for the blast loads. The blast load is computed for a wide range of scenarios involving different parameters, viz. charge weight, standoff distance, and blast location relative to plan of the structure followed by nonlinear dynamic analysis of the frames. The members failing in rotation lead to partial collapse due to plastic mechanism formation. The probabilities of partial collapse of the SMFs, with and without bracing system, due to the blast loading are computed to plot fragility curves. The charge weight and standoff distance are taken as Gaussian random input variables. The extent of propagation of the uncertainties in the input parameters onto the response quantities and fragility of the SMFs is assessed by computing Sobol sensitivity indices. The probabilistic analysis is conducted using Monte Carlo simulations. The frames have least failure probability for blasts occurring in front of their corners or convex face. Further, the unbraced frames are observed to have higher fragility as compared to counterpart braced frames for far-off detonations.

• International journal of steel structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1666-1683
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• 2018

To explore seismic behavior of blind bolted concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) frames infilled with precast sandwich composite wall panels (SCWPs), a series tests of blind bolted square CFST frames with precast SCWPs under lateral low-cyclic loading were conducted. The influence of the type of wall concrete, wall-to-frame connection and steel brace setting, etc. on the hysteretic curves and failure modes of the type of composite structure was investigated. The seismic behavior of the blind bolted CFST frames with precast SCWPs was evaluated in terms of lateral load-displacement relation curves, strength and stiffness degradation, crack patterns of SCWPs, energy dissipation capacity and ductility. Then, a finite element (FE) analysis modeling using ABAQUS software was developed in considering the nonlinear material properties and complex components interaction. Comparison indicated that the FE analytical results coincided well with the test results. Both the experimental and numerical results indicated that setting the external precast SCWPs could heighten the load carrying capacities and rigidities of the blind bolted CFST frames by using reasonable connectors between frame and SCWPs. These experimental studies and FE analysis would enable improvement in the practical design of the SCWPs in fabricated CFST structure buildings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.2
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• pp.179-193
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• 2022

The shear behaviour of reinforced concrete members has been studied over the past decades by various researchers, and it can be simulated by analysing shear panel elements which has been regarded as a basic element of reinforced concrete members subjected to in-plane biaxial stresses. Despite various experimental studies on shear panel element which have been conducted so far, there are still a lot of uncertainties related to what influencing factors govern the shear behaviour and affect failure mechanism in reinforced concrete members. To identify the uncertainties, a finite element analysis can be used, which enables to investigate the impact of specific variables such as the reinforcement ratio, the shear retention factor, and the material characteristics including aggregate interlock, tension stiffening, compressive softening, and shear behaviour at the crack surface. In this study, a non-linear probabilistic analysis was conducted on reinforced concrete panels using a finite element method optimized for reinforced concrete members and advanced sampling techniques so that probabilistic analysis can be performed effectively. Consequently, this study figures out what analysis methodology and input parameters have the most influence on shear behaviour of reinforced concrete panels.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.431-445
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• 2022

A double-skinned composite tubular (DSCT) column, which is an internally confined concrete-filled tubular column with a hollow section, has been developed for efficient use of materials that reduce self-weight and enhance seismic performance. It exhibits excellent material behavior with ductility owing to the confinement induced by outer and inner steel tubes. This study conducted axial compression tests considering the effects of steel tube thickness and hollow diameter ratios of DSCT columns on the material behavior of confined concrete under pure axial compression on concrete cores. From the axial compression tests, various combinations of outer and inner tube thicknesses and two different hollow section ratios were considered. Additionally, confined concrete material behavior, axial strength, failure modes, and ductility of DSCT columns were evaluated. Based on this study, it was concluded that the tests show a good correlation with peak strength and shapes of nonlinear stress-strain curves presented in literature; however, the thinner outer and inner steel tubes may reduce the ductility of DSCT columns when using thinner outer and inner tubes and higher confined stress levels. Finally, the minimum thickness requirements of the steel tubes for DSCT columns were discussed in terms of strength and ductility of test specimens.