• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.1712-1725
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• 2022

For improving the seismic performance of the nuclear power plant (NPP) piping system, attempts have been made to apply a dynamic absorber (DA). However, the current piping DA design method is limited because it cannot provide the globally optimum values for the target design seismic loading. Therefore, this study proposes a seismic time history analysis-based DA optimal design method for piping. To this end, the Kriging approach is introduced to reduce the numerical cost required for seismic time history analyses. The appropriate design of the experiment method is used to increase the efficiency in securing response data. A gradient-based method is used to efficiently deal with the multi-dimensional unconstrained optimization problem of the DA optimal design. As a result, the proposed method showed an excellent response reduction effect in several responses compared to other optimal design methods. The proposed method showed that the average response reduction rate was about 9% less at the maximum acceleration, about 5% less at the maximum value of the response spectrum, about 9% less at the maximum relative displacement, and about 4% less at the maximum combined stress compared to existing optimal design methods. Therefore, the proposed method enables an effective optimal DA design method for mitigating seismic response in NPP piping in the future.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.625-632
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• 2015

In this study, a comparative analysis have been conducted to examine seismic reinforcement effect of a school building that is designed with a CBD (Channel Beam Damper) system supported by H-frame with existing non-seismic RC frame. As a result of experiment, seismic reinforcement specimen with CBD system showed hysteretic characteristics of a large ellipse with great energy dissipation ability and increased strength and stiffness, while non-seismic design specimen showed rapid reduction in strength and brittle shear failure at top and bottom of the left and right column. In addition, comparing the stiffness reduction between the two specimens, CBD system was effective in preventing the reduction of stiffness. Energy dissipation ability of specimen reinforced by CBD system was about 4.0 times higher than the non-reinforced specimen. Such enhancement in energy dissipation ability could be considered as the result of improved strength and deformation for further application in designing of seismic reinforcement.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.381-391
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• 2023

The seismic performance of the tall building equipped with a tuned mass damper (TMD) considering soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects is well studied in the literature. However, these studies are performed on the nominal model of the seismic-excited structural system with SSI. Hence, the outcomes of the studies may not valid for the actual structural system. To address the study gap, the reliability theory as a useful and powerful method is utilized in the paper. The present study aims to carry out reliability analyses on tall buildings equipped with TMD under near-field pulse-like (NFPL) ground motions considering SSI effects using a subset simulation (SS) method. In the presence of uncertainties of the structural model, TMD device, foundation, soil, and near-field pulse-like ground motions, the numerical studies are performed on a benchmark 40-story building and the failure probabilities of the structures with and without TMD are evaluated. Three types of soils (dense, medium, and soft soils), different earthquake magnitudes (M_w = 7,0. 7,25. 7,5 ), different nearest fault distances (r = 5. 10 and 15 km), and three seismic performance levels of immediate occupancy (IO), life safety (LS), and collapse prevention (CP) are considered in this study. The results show that tall buildings built near faults and on soft soils are more affected by uncertainties of the structural and ground motion models. Hence, ignoring these uncertainties may result in an inaccurate estimation of the maximum seismic responses. Also, it is found the TMD is not able to reduce the failure probabilities of the structure in the IO seismic performance level, especially for high earthquake magnitudes and structures built near the fault. However, TMD is significantly effective in the reduction of failure probability for the LS and CP performance levels. For weak earthquakes and long fault distances, the failure probabilities of both structures with and without TMD are near zero, and the efficiency of the TMD in the reduction of failure probabilities is reduced by increasing earthquake magnitudes and the reduction of fault distance. As soil softness increases, the failure probability of structures both with and without TMD often increases, especially for severe near-fault earthquake motion.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.541-558
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• 2014

A 1/4-scale two-bay eight-storey reinforced concrete frame was tested on shaking table. Initial shaking table tests were carried out through a set of real seismic excitations to investigate the seismic behavior of the RC frame. Subsequently, the damaged frame was repaired using epoxy injection technique, and then subjected to the tests with the same records. The purpose of this study was to investigate experimentally the dynamic characteristics, cracking pattern and lateral inter-story stiffness of RC frames using epoxy injection technique. The test results indicate that epoxy-injection technique appears to be a satisfactory method for repairing earthquake-damaged structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.921-936
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• 2016

In this study, a model order reduction technique is applied to solve the transient responses of submerged floating tunnel (SFT) from Mokpo to Jeju under seismic excitations. Because the SFT is a very long structure as well as a transient response analysis requires large amount of computational resources, the model order reduction is mandatory in the design stage of the SFT. Thus, we apply a model order reduction based on Krylov subspace to the simplified finite element model of the SFT. The responses of the reduced order model are compared with those of the full order model and also are verified by referring a previous work. In conclusion, the computational resources are dramatically reduced with an acceptable accuracy by using the model order reduction, which eventually is useful for designing the full-scale model of SFTs.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.321-337
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• 2015

Existing building structures can easily present material mechanical properties which can largely vary even within a single structure. The current European Technical Code, Eurocode 8, does not provide specific instructions to account for high variability in mechanical properties. As a consequence of the high strength variability, at the occurrence of seismic events, the structure may evidence unexpected phenomena, like torsional effects, with larger experienced deformations and, in turn, with reduced seismic performance. This work is focused on the reduction in seismic performance due to the concrete strength variability. The analysis has been performed on a case-study, i.e., a 3D RC framed 4 storey building. A Normal distribution, compatible to a large available database, has been taken to represent the concrete strength domain. Different plan layouts, representative of realistic strength distributions, have been considered, and a statistical analysis has been performed on the induced reduction in seismic performance. The obtained results have been compared to the standard analysis as provided by Eurocode 8 for existing buildings. The comparison has shown that the Eurocode 8 provisions are not conservative for existing buildings having a large variability in concrete strength.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.103-118
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• 2017

In vertical seismic isolation (VSI), a building is partitioned intentionally by vertical layers into two dynamically different substructures for seismic response reduction. Initially, a 1-story frame was partitioned into two substructures, interconnected by viscous and visco-elastic links, and seismic responses of the original and the vertically isolated structures (VIS) were obtained, considering a large number of stiffness and mass ratios of substructures with respect to the original structure. Color contour graphs were defined for presentation and investigation of large amounts of output results. Dynamic characteristics of the isolated structures were studied by considering the non-classical damping of the system, and then the effects of viscous and visco-elastic link parameters on the modal damping ratios were discussed. On this basis, three states of mass isolation, interactional state, and control mass were differentiated. Response history analyses were performed by Runge-Kutta numerical method. In these analyses, interaction of isolation ratios and link parameters, on response control of VIS was studied and the appropriate ranges for link parameters as well as the optimal ranges for isolation ratios were suggested. Results show that by using the VSI technique, seismic response reduction up to 50% in flexible substructure and even more in stiff substructure is achievable.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.337-348
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• 2024

This paper presents a new seismic isolation design for liquid storage tank (LST). The seismic isolation system includes: LST, flexible membrane, sand mat and rolling seismic isolation devices. Based on the mechanical equilibrium theory, the symmetric concave rolling restoring force model of the isolation device is derived. Based on the elasticity theory and restoring force model of the seismic isolation, a simplified mechanical model of LST with the new seismic isolation is established. The rationality of the seismic isolation design of LST is explored. Meanwhile, the seismic response of the new seismic isolation LST is investigated by numerical simulation. The results show that the new seismic isolation tank can effectively reduce the seismic response, especially the control of base shear and overturning moment, which greatly reduces the risk of seismic damage. The seismic reduction rate of the new seismic isolation storage tanks in Class I, II, and III sites is better than that in Class IV sites. Moreover, the seismic isolation device can effectively control the ground vibration response of storage tanks with different liquid heights. The new seismic isolation LST design provides better isolation for slender LSTs than for broad LSTs.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.91-105
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• 2006

In this paper, post-earthquake capacity evaluation method of reinforced concrete buildings was studied. Substructure pseudo-dynamic test and static loading test of first story column in a four-story R/C building was carried out in order to investigate the validity of the evaluation method proposed in the Damage Assessment Guideline (JBDPA 2001). In pseudo-dynamic test, different levels of damage were induced in the specimens by pre-loading, and input levels of seismic motion, at which the specimens reached to the ultimate stage, were examined. From the experimental result, no significant difference in damage levels such as residual crack width between the specimens under static and pseudo-dynamic loading was found. It is shown that the seismic capacity reduction factors ${\eta}$ can provide a reasonable estimation of post-earthquake seismic capacity of R/C buildings suffered earthquakes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.113-139
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• 2016

The nonlinear seismic responses of steel buildings with perimeter moment resisting frames (PMRF) and interior gravity frames (IGF) are estimated, modeling the interior connections first as perfectly pinned (PPC), and then as partially restrained (PRC). Two 3D steel building models, twenty strong motions and three levels of the PRC rigidity, which are represented by the Richard Model and the Beam Line Theory, are considered. The RUAUMOKO Computer Program is used for the required time history nonlinear dynamic analysis. The responses can be significantly reduced when interior connections are considered as PRC, confirming what observed in experimental investigations. The reduction significantly varies with the strong motion, story, model, structural deformation, response parameter, and location of the structural element. The reduction is larger for global than for local response parameters; average reductions larger than 30% are observed for shears and displacements while they are about 20% for bending moments. The reduction is much larger for medium- than for low-rise buildings indicating a considerable influence of the structural complexity. It can be concluded that, the effect of the dissipated energy at PRC should not be neglected. Even for connections with relative small stiffness, which are usually idealized as PPC, the reduction can be significant. Thus, PRC can be used at IGF of steel buildings with PMRF to get more economical construction, to reduce the seismic response and to make steel building more seismic load tolerant. Much more research is needed to consider other aspects of the problem to reach more general conclusions.