• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.35-42
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• 2012

We propose a probabilistic method to evaluate the uniform hazard spectra (UHS) of the soil of nuclear power plant(NPP) sites corresponding to that of a bedrock site. To do this, amplification factors on the surface of soil sites were estimated through site response analysis while considering the uncertainty in the earthquake ground motion and soil deposit characteristics. The amplification factors were calculated by regression analysis with spectral acceleration because these two factors are mostly correlated. The proposed method was applied to the evaluation of UHS for the KNGR (Korean Next Generation Reactor) and the APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor 1400) nuclear power plant sites of B1, B4, C1 and C3. The most dominant frequency range with respect to the annual frequency of earthquakes was evaluated from the UHS analysis. It can be expected that the proposed method will improve the results of integrated risk assessments of NPPs rationally. We expect also that the proposed method will be applied to the evaluation of the UHS and of many other kinds of soil sites.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.359-379
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• 2020

Due to susceptibility of bridges in the past earthquakes, vulnerability assessment and strengthening of bridges has gained a particular significance. The objective of the present study is to employ an analytical method for the development of fragility curves, as well as to investigate the effect of strengthening on the RC box-girder bridges. Since fragility curves are used for pre-and post-earthquake planning, this paper has attempted to adopt the most reliable modeling assumptions in order to increase the reliability. Furthermore, to acknowledge the interaction of soil, abutment and pile, the effect of different strengthening methods, such as using steel jacketing and FRP layers, the effect of increase in the bridge pier diameter, and the effect of vertical component of earthquake on the vulnerability of bridges in this study, a three-span RC box-girder bridge was modeled in 9 different cases. Nonlinear dynamic analyses were carried out on the studied bridges subjected to 100 ground motion records via OpenSEES platform. Therefore, the fragility curves were plotted and compared in the four damage states. The results revealed that once the interaction of soil and abutment and the vertical component of the earthquake are accounted for in the calculations, the median fragility is reduced, implying that the bridge becomes more vulnerable. It was also confirmed that steel jackets and FRP layers are suitable methods for pier strengthening which reduces the vulnerability of the bridge.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.223-234
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• 2016

To investigate earthquake responses of structures with basements affected by soil deposits, centrifuge tests were performed using an in-flight earthquake simulator. The test specimen was composed of a single-degree-of-freedom structure model, a basement and sub-soil deposits in a centrifuge container. The test parameters were the dynamic period of the structure model, boundary conditions of the basement, existence of soil deposits, centrifugal acceleration level, and type and level of input earthquake accelerations. When soil deposits did not exist, the earthquake responses of the structures with fixed basement were significantly greater than those of the structure without basement. Also, the earthquake responses of the structures with the fixed basement surrounded by soil deposits were amplified, but the amplifications were smaller than those of the structures without basement. The earthquake responses of the structures with the half-embedded basement in the soil deposits were greater than those estimated by the fixed base model using the measured free-field ground motion. The test showed that the basement and the soil deposit should be simultaneously considered in the numerical analysis model, and the stiffness of the half-embedded was not effective.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2010

Recently, Performance Based Design (PBD) method has been studied as a next generation structural design method, which enables a designed structure to satisfy the required performance during its service life. One method of deciding whether the required performance has been satisfied is Bayesian method, which has been commonly used in seismic analysis. Generally, it is presented as a conditional probability of exceeding some limit state (i.e., collapse) for a given ground motion. In PBD of concrete mixture design, the same methodology can be applied to assess concrete material performance based on some conditional parameters (i.e. strength, workability, carbonation, etc). In this paper, a detailed explanation of the procedure of drawing satisfaction curve by using Bayesian method based on various material parameters is shown. Also, a discussion of using the developed satisfaction curves for PBD for concrete mixture design is presented.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.905-912
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• 2009

1-g shaking table test is conducted to evaluate the dynamic behavior of a soil-structure system under seismic loading condition. A consistent similitude law between the model and prototype is needed to predict the behavior of the prototype structure, quantitatively. The natural frequency of geomaterial decreases with the increase of shaking intensity because of the non-linear property of the geomaterial. This phenomenon affects the applicability of similitude laws in 1-g shaking table tests. In this study, a simple method is suggested to determine the frequency of the input motions in 1-g tests in order to enhance the applicability of similitude laws. Modified input frequency is calculated using the frequency ratio with consideration of the variation of the natural frequency according to the intensity of input ground acceleration. To verify the applicability of the suggested method, a series of 1-g shaking table tests were performed for three different sizes of model piles having an overburden mass on their heads by varying the acceleration and the frequency of input motion. The acceleration amplification ratio on the overburden mass, the lateral displacement at the pile head and the maximum bending moment along the pile depth were measured. The projected behaviors of the virtual prototype based on the measured values of the model tests, where the input frequencies were calculated by the new method, showed good consistency, verifying the applicability of the suggested method.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.25-36
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• 2018

Soil liquefaction is one of the types of major seismic damage. Soil liquefaction is a phenomenon that can cause enormous human and economic damages, and it must be examined before designing geotechnical structures. In this study, we proposed a practical method of developing a multi-hazard fragility surface for liquefaction of levee considering earthquake magnitude and water level. Limit state for liquefaction of levee was defined by liquefaction potential index (LPI), which is frequently used to assess the liquefaction susceptibility of soils. In order to consider the uncertainty of soil properties, Monte Carlo Simulation based probabilistic analysis was performed. Based on the analysis results, a 3D fragility surface representing the probability of failure by soil liquefaction as a function of the ground motion and water level has been established. The prepared multi-hazard fragility surface can be used to evaluate the safety of levees against liquefaction and to assess the risk in earthquake and flood prone areas.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.889-913
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• 2015

Structural vibration characteristics of a semi-active base-isolated building were investigated using seismic observation records including those of the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake (Tohoku earthquake). Three different types of analyses were conducted. First, we investigated the long-term changes in the natural frequencies and damping factors by using an ARX model and confirmed that the natural frequency of the superstructure decreased slightly after the main shock of the Tohoku earthquake. Second, we investigated short-term changes in the natural frequencies and damping factors during the main shock by using the N4SID method and observed different transition characteristics between the first and second modes. In the second mode, in which the superstructure response is most significant, the natural frequency changed depending on the response amplitude. In addition, at the beginning of the ground motion, the identified first natural frequency was high possibly as a result of sliding friction. Third, we compared the natural frequencies and damping factors between the conditions of a properly functional semi-active control system and a nonfunctional system, by using the records of the aftershocks of the Tohoku earthquake. However, we could not detect major differences because the response was probably influenced by sliding friction, which had a more significant effect on damping characteristics than did the semi-active dampers.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.761-773
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• 2021

This study presents a 3D non-linear finite element (FE) assessment of dynamic soil-structure interaction (SSI). The numerical investigation has been performed on the time domain through a Finite Element (FE) system, while considering the nonlinear behavior of soil and the multi-directional nature of genuine seismic events. Later, the FE outcomes are analyzed to the recorded in-situ free-field and structural movements, emphasizing the numerical model's great result in duplicating the observed response. In this work, the soil response is simulated using an isotropic hardening elastic-plastic hysteretic model utilizing HSsmall. It is feasible to define the non-linear cycle response from small to large strain amplitudes through this model as well as for the shift in beginning stiffness with depth that happens during cyclic loading. One of the most difficult and unexpected tasks in resolving soil-structure interaction concerns is picking an appropriate ground motion predicted across an earthquake or assessing the geometrical abnormalities in the soil waves. Furthermore, an artificial neural network (ANN) has been utilized to properly forecast the non-linear behavior of soil and its multi-directional character, which demonstrated the accuracy of the ANN based on the RMSE and R² values. The total result of this research demonstrates that complicated dynamic soil-structure interaction processes may be addressed directly by passing the significant simplifications of well-established substructure techniques.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.5
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• pp.589-605
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• 2023

This paper investigates the ductility demands of steel frames equipped with self-centring fuses under near-fault earthquake motions considering multiple yielding stages. The study is commenced by verifying a trilinear self-centring hysteretic model accounting for multiple yielding stages of steel frames equipped with self-centring fuses. Then, the seismic response of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems following the validated trilinear self-centring hysteretic law is examined by a parametric study using a near-fault earthquake ground motion database composed of 200 earthquake records as input excitations. Based on a statistical investigation of more than fifty-two (52) million inelastic spectral analyses, the effect of the post-yield stiffness ratios, energy dissipation coefficient and yielding displacement ratio on the mean ductility demand of the system is examined in detail. The analysis results indicate that the increase of post-yield stiffness ratios, energy dissipation coefficient and yielding displacement ratio reduces the ductility demands of the self-centring oscillators responding in multiple yielding stages. A set of empirical expressions for quantifying the ductility demands of trilinear self-centring hysteretic oscillators are developed using nonlinear regression analysis of the analysis result database. The proposed regression model may offer a practical tool for designers to estimate the ductility demand of a low-to-medium rise self-centring steel frame equipped with self-centring fuses progressing in the ultimate stage under near-fault earthquake motions in design and evaluation.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.271-277
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• 2020

There are increasing cases of monitoring the structural response of structures using multiple sensors. However, owing to cost and management problems, limited sensors are installed in the structure. Thus, few structural responses are collected, which hinders analyzing the behavior of the structure. Therefore, a technique to predict responses at a location where sensors are not installed to a reliable level using limited sensors is necessary. In this study, a numerical study is conducted to predict the seismic response of low-rise buildings using limited information. It is assumed that the available response information is only the acceleration responses of the first and top floors. Using both information, the first natural frequency of the structure can be obtained. The acceleration information on the first floor is used as the ground motion information. To minimize the error on the acceleration history response of the top floor and the first natural frequency error of the target structure, the method for predicting the mass and stiffness information of a structure using the genetic algorithm is presented. However, the constraints are not considered. To determine the range of design variables that mean the search space, the parameter prediction method based on artificial neural networks is proposed. To verify the proposed method, a five-story structure is used as an example.