• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.33-41
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• 2023

The application of seismic separation joints that can improve the deformation capacity of piping is an effective way to improve seismic performance. Seismic separation joints capable of axial expansion and bending deformation are installed where deformation is expected and used for the purpose of safely protecting the piping. Bellows are flexible and have low stiffness, so they can be used as seismic separation joints because they have excellent ability to respond to relatively large deformation. In this study, the seismic performance and limit state for bending deformation of 2-ply and 3-ply bellows specimens were evaluated. Seismic performance was evaluated by applying an increasing cyclic load to consider low-cycle fatigue due to seismic load. In order to confirm the margin for the limit state of the evaluated seismic performance, an experiment was conducted in which a cyclic loading of constant amplitude was applied. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that the bellows specimen was made of stainless steel and had a high elongation, so that the 2-ply bellows specimen had the limit performance of resisting within 3 cycles even at the maximum forced displacement of the 3-ply bellows specimen.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.91-99
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• 2024

Piping systems are crucial facilities used in various industries, particularly in areas related to daily life and safety. Piping systems are fixed to the main structures of buildings and facilities but do not support external loads and serve as non-structural elements performing specific functions. Piping systems are affected by relative displacements owing to phase differences arising from different behaviors between two support points under seismic loads; this can cause damage owing to the displacement-dominant cyclic behavior. Fittings and joints in piping systems are representative elements that are vulnerable to seismic loads. To evaluate the seismic performance and limit states of fittings and joints in piping systems, a high-stroke actuator is required to simulate relative displacements. However, this is challenging because only few facilities can conduct these experiments. Therefore, element-level experiments are required to evaluate the seismic performance and limit states of piping systems connected by fittings and joints. This study proposed a method to evaluate the seismic performance of an elbow specimen that includes fittings and joints that are vulnerable to seismic loads in vertical piping systems. The elbow specimen was created by connecting straight pipes to both ends of a 90° pipe elbow using flexible groove joints. The seismic performance of the elbow specimen was evaluated using a cyclic loading protocol based on deformation angles. To determine the margin of the evaluated seismic performance, the limit states were assessed by applying cyclic loading with a constant amplitude.