• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.1-23
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• 2016

Numerous buildings have been damaged or destroyed in previous earthquakes by developing soft storey. Almost all the seismic codes have provisions to prevent soft storey in structures, most of them have recommended the ratio of stiffness between adjacent storeys, but none of them has proposed the method to calculate the storey stiffness. On the other hand a great number of previous researches on stiffness have been focused on approximate methods and accurate methods by using analytical softwares have been almost neglected. In this study, six accurate methods for calculating the storey stiffness have been studied on 246 two-bay reinforced concrete frames. It is shown with the results of the statistical study and structural analysis that method 3 in which there is no modification of the original model and the forces with triangular distribution similar to seismic forces are applied to the center of mass of all storeys has acceptable accuracy and desirable efficiency for designing and controlling structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제54권4호
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• pp.741-754
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• 2015

This study evaluates prediction models for three EDPs (engineering demand parameters) using data from three symmetrical structures with RC walls designed according to the currently enforced Romanian seismic design code P100-1/2013. The three analyzed EDPs are: the maximum interstorey drift, the maximum top displacement and the maximum shear force at the base of the RC walls. The strong ground motions used in this study consist of three pairs of recordings from the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes of 1977, 1986 and 1990, as well as two other pairs of recordings from significant earthquakes in Turkey and Greece (Erzincan and Aigion). The five pairs of recordings are rotated in a clockwise direction and the values of the EDPs are recorded. Finally, the relation between various IMs (intensity measures) of the strong ground motion records and the EDPs is studied and two prediction models for EDPs are also evaluated using the analysis of residuals.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.9-15
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• 2017

In this paper, the influence of the rotational component, about a vertical axis, of earthquake ground motion on the response of building structures subjected to seismic action is considered. The torsional component of ground motion is generated from the records of translational components. Torsional component of ground motion is then, together with translational components, applied in numerical linear dynamic analysis of different reinforced concrete framed structure of three stories buildings. In total, more than 40 numerical models were created and analyzed. The obtained results show clearly the dependence of the effects of the torsional seismic component on structural system and soil properties. Thus, the current approach in seismic codes of accounting for the effects of accidental torsion due to the torsional ground motion, by shifting the center of mass, should be reevaluated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.533-547
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• 2013

"Reciprocal Frame" refers to a self-supporting grid structure used both for floor and roof. Using Finite Element Methods for non-linear solid mechanics and frictional-contact, this paper intends to analytically and numerically investigate the collapse behaviour of a reciprocal frame structure made of fibre-reinforced concrete. Considering a simple 3-beam structure, it has been investigated using a solid finite element model. Once defined the collapse behaviour of the simple structure, the analysis has been generalized using a concentrated plasticity finite element method. Results provided will be useful for studying generic reciprocal frame structures with several beams.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제77권2호
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• pp.273-291
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• 2021

The strut-and-tie method (STM) has been widely accepted and used as a rational approach for the design of disturbed regions ('D' regions) of reinforced concrete members such as in corbels and deep beams, where traditional flexure theory does not apply. This paper evaluates the applicability of the equilibrium based STM in strength predictions of deep beams (with rectangular and circular cross-section) and corbels using the available experiments in literature. STM is found to give fairly good results for corbel and deep beams. The failure modes of these deep members are also studied, and an optimum amount of distribution reinforcement is suggested to eliminate the premature diagonal splitting failure. A comparison with existing empirical and semi empirical methods also show that STM gives more reliable results. The nonlinear finite element analysis (NLFEA) of 50 deep beams and 20 corbels could capture the complete behaviour of deep members including crack pattern, failure load and failure load accurately.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제78권5호
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• pp.573-583
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• 2021

This paper presents a theoretical approach of the structures reinforced with bonded FRP composites, taking into account loading model, shear lag effect and the thermal effect. These composites are used, in particular, for rehabilitation of structures by stopping the propagation of the cracks. They improve rigidity and resistance, and prolong their lifespan. In this paper, an original model is presented to predict and to determine the stresses concentration at the FRP end, with the new theory analysis approach. The model is based on equilibrium and deformations compatibility requirements in and all parts of the strengthened beam, i.e., the concrete beam, the FRP plate and the adhesive layer. The theoretical predictions are compared with other existing solutions. The numerical resolution was finalized by taking into account the physical and geometric properties of materials that may play an important role in reducing the stress values. This solution is general in nature and may be applicable to all kinds of materials.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제86권2호
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• pp.157-165
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• 2023

In the present work, the vibration characteristics of sandwich nanocomposite shells, fortified with graphene platelets (GPLs) have been researched. The shell has been considered as the stadium roof shape with double curvatures under vibration due to earthquake. The nanocomposite has the matrix of concrete which is fortified with uniform or linear dispersions of GPLs. Also, the core possesses cellular type square architecture for which the effective elastic modulus has been defined in the context of relative density based relations. Based upon the classic shell strains containing two identical curvatures, the governing equations have been established and solved through differential quadrature approach. It will be seen that the vibrational frequencies rely on the core relative density, height of layers, the amount and dispersions of GPLs and even shell geometric parameters.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

This article discusses the issue of optimizing controller design issues, in which the artificial intelligence (AI) evolutionary bat (EB) optimization algorithm is combined with the fuzzy controller in the practical application of the building. The controller of the system design includes different sub-parts such as system initial condition parameters, EB optimal algorithm, fuzzy controller, stability analysis and sensor actuator. The advantage of the design is that for continuous systems with polytypic uncertainties, the integrated H2/H∞ robust output strategy with modified criterion is derived by asymptotically adjusting design parameters. Numerical verification of the time domain and the frequency domain shows that the novel system design provides precise prediction and control of the structural displacement response, which is necessary for the active control structure in the fuzzy model. Due to genetic algorithm (GA), we use a hierarchical conditions of the Hurwitz matrix test technique and the limits of average performance, Hierarchical Fitness Function Structure (HFFS). The dynamic fuzzy controller proposed in this paper is used to find the optimal control force required for active nonlinear control of building structures. This method has achieved successful results in closed system design from the example.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제81권1호
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• pp.69-79
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• 2022

The dynamic responses of a pier-pile-soil system subjected to a barge/flotilla collision are analyzed. A coupled high-speed train and bridge system with a damaged pier after barge/flotilla collision is established by taking the additional unevenness of the track induced by the damaged pier as the self-excitation of the system. The whole process of a CRH2 high-speed train running on the 6×32 m simply-supported PC (prestressed concrete) box-girder bridge with a damaged pier is simulated as a case study. The results show that the lateral displacements and accelerations of the bridge with a damaged pier are much greater than the ones before the collision. The running safety indices of the train increase with the train speed as well as with the number of barges in the flotilla. In flotilla collision, the lateral wheel/rail forces of the train exceed the allowable values at a certain speed, which influences the running safety of the trains.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제90권1호
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• pp.51-70
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• 2024

Poorly designed reinforced concrete (RC) columns of actual moment-resisting frame (MRF) buildings can undergo Axial Compression Ratios (ACR) so high as their demand exceeds their capacity, even for serviceability gravity load combinations, this lack commonly leads to insufficient seismic strength. Nonetheless, many seismic design codes do not specify limits for ACR. The main contribution of this research is to investigate the need to limit the ACR in seismic design. For this purpose, three prototype 6 and 11-story RC MRF buildings are analyzed in this paper, these buildings have columns undergoing excessive ACR, according to the limits prescribed by standards. To better that situation, three types of alterations are performed: retrofitting the abovementioned overloaded columns by steel jacketing, increasing the concrete strength, and reducing the number of stories. Several finite element analyses are conducted using the well-known software SAP2000 and the results are used for further calculations. Code-type and pushover analyses are performed on the original and retrofitted buildings, the suitability of the other modified buildings is checked by code-type analyses only. The obtained results suggest that ACR is a rather reliable indicator of the final building strength, hence, apparently, limiting the ACR in the standards (for early stages of design) might avoid unnecessary verifications.