• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.319-342
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• 2008

Identification of the nonlinear hysteretic behavior of a reinforced concrete (RC) bridge pier subjected to earthquake loads is carried out based on acceleration measurements of the earthquake motion and bridge responses. The modified Takeda model is used to describe the hysteretic behavior of the RC pier with a small number of parameters, in which the nonlinear behavior is described in logical forms rather than analytical expressions. Hence, the modified extended Kalman filter is employed to construct the state transition matrix using a finite difference scheme. The sequential modified extended Kalman filter algorithm is proposed to identify the unknown parameters and the state vector separately in two steps, so that the size of the problem for each identification procedure may be reduced and possible numerical problems may be avoided. Mode superposition with a modal sorting technique is also proposed to reduce the size of the identification problem for the nonlinear dynamic system with multi-degrees of freedom. Example analysis is carried out for a continuous bridge with a RC pier subjected to earthquake loads in the longitudinal and transverse directions.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.5 s.51
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• pp.73-83
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete pier walls under cyclic out-of-plane loading and to develop improved seismic design criteria. The accuracy and objectivity of the assessment process can be enhanced by using a sophisticated nonlinear finite element analysis program. A computer program, named RCAHEST (Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology), for the analysis of reinforced concrete structures was used. A 4-node flat shell element with drilling rotational stiffness is used for spatial discretization. The layered approach is used to discretize the behavior of concrete and reinforcement through the thickness. Material nonlinearity is taken into account by comprising tensile, compressive and shear models of cracked concrete and a model of reinforcing steel. The method is verified a useful tool to assess the seismic performance of reinforced concrete pier walls subjected to cyclic out-of-plane load through comparing with reliable experimental results.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.1519-1525
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• 2011

Construction of the coping of reinforced concrete piers is very complicated due to heavy density of rebars and usually exposed to negligent accident. To correct these problems, coping is pre-assembled at the ground in pier coping pre-assembly method and recently a new method of rebar assembling has proposed in this study. For safety assessment of proposed method, small scale model test of railway bridge(PSC U-GIRDER T-shaped pier) was carried out and it was verified that crack pattern, failure mechanism and load resistance capacity are similar between existing method and proposed method. And using analytical approach, linear and non-linear finite element analysis was performed. As a result, it was checked that proposed method has an acceptable structural safety.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.99-112
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• 2004

It is known that lap splices in the longitudinal reinforcement of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns are not desirable for seismic performance, but it is sometimes unavoidable. Lap splices were practically located in the potential plastic hinge region of most bridge columns that were constructed before the 1992 seismic design provisions of the Korea Bridge Design Specification. The objective of this research is to evaluate the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge piers with lap splicing of longitudinal reinforcement in the plastic hinge region, to develop an enhancement scheme for their seismic capacity by retrofitting with glassfiber sheets, and to assess a damage of bridge columns subjected to seismic loadings for the development of rational seismic design provisions in low or moderate seismicity region. Nine (9) test specimens with an aspect ratio of 4 were made with three confinement ratios and three types of lap splice. Quasi-static tests were conducted in a displacement-controlled way under three different axial loads. A significant reduction of displacement ductility was observed for test columns with lap splices of longitudinal reinforcements, whose displacement ductility could be greatly improved by externally wrapping with glassfiber sheets in the plastic hinge region. A damage of the limited ductile specimen was assessed to be relatively small.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.203-206
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• 2005

Reinforced concrete(RC) column-bent piers represent one of the popular piers used in highway bridges of Korea. Seismic performance of RC column-bent piers under bi-directional seismic loadings was experimentally investigated. Six column bent piers were constructed with two circular supporting columns which were made in 400 mm diameter and 2,000 mm height. Test parameters are different transverse reinforcement ratio and loading pattern. Three specimens were loaded with bi-directional lateral forces which were main cyclic loads in the longitudinal direction and sub-cyclic loads in the transverse direction. Other three specimens were loaded in the opposite way. Test results indicated that lateral strength and ductility of the latter specimens were bigger than those of the former specimens. Plastic hinge was formed with the spall of cover concrete and the fracture of the longitudinal reinforcing steels in the bottom part of two supporting columns for the former three specimens. Similar behavior was observed in the top and bottom parts of two supporting columns for the latter three specimens.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.17 no.4 s.88
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• pp.603-611
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• 2005

For the establishment of rational seismic design code for RC (reinforced concrete) bridge pier, this paper has analyzed the seismic code of RC bridge pier specified in )veil-known codes such as KHBDS (Korea Highway Bridge Design Specification), AASHTO Standard, ATC-32, Eurocode 8, NZS 3101, etc. So as to secure aseismic ductility of RC pier, transverse confinement steel ratios of those codes have been examined together with other design parameters such as strength of concrete and reinforcing steel, axial force ratio, aspect ratio, longitudinal steel ratio, etc. However, there has been arisen a doubt for the validity of those parameters. Thus, the objective of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the validity of design parameter of each code on the experimental seismic ductility for about 80 test specimens. It was concluded from this study that the axial force ratio is a dominant factor for the seismic displacement ductility. Therefore, it Is desirable that the axial force ratio be further taken into account in the corresponding seismic design formula of RC bridge pier in current KHBDS.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.1 s.41
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• pp.17-24
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• 2005

Response of reinforced concrete (RC) column-bent piers subjected to bidirectional seismic loadings was experimentally investigated. RC column-bent piers represent one of the most popular shapes of piers used in Korea highway bridges. Four column-bent piers were constructed in 400 mm diameter and 2,000 mm height. Each pier has two circular supporting columns. These piers were tested under bidirectional lateral load reversals with an axial load of $0.1f_{ck}A_g$. The test parameters included : different transverse reinforcement contents and lap-spliced longitudinal reinforcing steels. Test results indicate that the lap splice of longitudinal reinforcing steels have significantly influenced on hysteretic response of column-bent piers similar to previous test results for single columns with corresponding test parameters. Column capacity was changed with the level of transverse confinement. From the comparison of test result for single column under unidirectional loading, the damage of single column was concentrated on lower plastic hinge region but the damage of column-bent piers was scattered to upper and lower plastic hinge region.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.692-695
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• 2004

Seismic performance of reinforced concrete(RC) column bent piers to bidirectional seismic loadings was investigated experimentally. RC column bent piers represent one of the most popular forms of piers used in highway bridges. Further to series of previous experimental researches for the performance of single bridge columns subjected to seismic loadings, four column bent piers were constructed in 400 mm diameter and 2,000 mm height. Each pier has two circular supporting columns. These piers were tested under lateral load reversals with axial load of $0.1f_{ck}A_g$. Bidirectional lateral loadings were applied. The test parameters included: different transverse reinforcement contents and lap-spliced longitudinal reinforcing steels. Test results indicate that lap-splices of longitudinal reinforcing steels have significantly influence on hysteretic response of column bent piers. Column capacity changed with the level of transverse confinement, and bidirectional repeated loadings induced more strength and stiffness degradation than unidirectional repeated loading.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.85-88
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• 2008

Performance evaluation of RC bridge piers repaired by CFRP has been investigated. For this purpose, simplified CFRP stress-strain relationship has been proposed and use is made of inelastic time-dependent element developed by authors. Static time-history analysis has been carried out for a RC bridge pier repaired with CFRP. Analytical predictions shows a relatively good correlation with experimental results. In addition, in case of dynamic time-history analysis, effect of the CFRP repair intervention on shear has been evaluated. Comparative analysis reveals that a repaired member produces increased characteristics due to the repair intervention and may affect the overall response of a whole structure. Moreover, effect of shear significantly affect strength, stiffness and displacement response of the pier. In all, It is believed that the present analytical model and scheme enable a healthy evaluation of strength, stiffness and displacement capacities of a RC bridge pier being damaged and repaired.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.17 no.5 s.89
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• pp.775-784
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• 2005

In this research, major design factors have been evaluated for the establishment of the rational seismic design code of circular RC(reinforced concrete) bridge pier Previous experimental researches have drawn a conclusion that transverse confinement reinforcements have been excessively used for RC bridge piers in Korea. Thus, the objective of this study is to propose a rational design equation for transverse reinforcements of RC bridge piers in Korea which would be classified as a low or moderate seismic region. Newly proposed equation further considers the effect of the axial force ratio and the longitudinal steel ratio. Minimum transverse confinement steel ratio is also proposed to avoid probable buckling of the longitudinal reinforcing steels subjected to relatively low axial force. It is thought that these new codes seem to alleviate the rebar congestion in the plastic hinge region of RC bridge piers which contribute to the enhancement of constructibility and economization for RC bridge construction.