• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.213-226
• /
• 2018

This paper focuses on the seismic protection of slender old masonry structures by the implementation of prestressing devices at key locations. The devices are vertically and externally located inside the towers in order to be reversible and calibrated. An extensive parametric study on a selected slender tower is carried out based on more than 100 nonlinear static simulations aimed at investigating the impact of different parameters on the seismic performance: (i) different prestressing levels; (ii) shape memory alloy superelasticity and (iii) changes in prestressing-forces in all the stages of the analysis until failure and masonry toe crushing. The tendon materials under analysis are conventional prestressing steel, fiber-reinforced polymers of different fibers and shape memory alloys. The parametric study serves to select the most suitable prestressing device and optimal prestressing level able to dissipate more earthquake energy. The seismic energy dissipation is evaluated by comparing the structural capacity curves in original state and retrofitted.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.133-143
• /
• 2015

This paper describes the test results and nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete T-beams strengthened by bonded steel plates under increasing static loading conditions. The first part of this paper discusses the flexural tests on five T-beams, including the test model design (based on similarity principles), test programs, and test procedure. The second part discusses the nonlinear numerical analysis of the strengthened beams, in which a concrete damage plasticity model and a cohesive behavior were adopted. The numerical analysis results are compared with experimental data and show good agreement. The area of bonded steel plate and the anchor bolt spacing were found to have an impact on the cracking load, yield load, and ultimate load. An increase in the area of steel plate and a reduction of the anchor spacing could significantly improve the cracking and ultimate loads and decrease the damage of the beam.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.1450-1457
• /
• 2003

Structural integrity of either a passenger car or a light truck is one of the basic requirements for a full vehicle engineering and development program. The results of the vehicle product performance are measured in terms of durability, noise/vibration/harshness (NVH), crashworthiness and passenger safety. The level of performance of a vehicle directly affects the marketability, profitability and, most importantly, the future of the automobile manufacturer. In this study, we used the Virtual Proving Ground (VPG) approach for obtaining the dynamic stress or strain history and distribution. The VPG uses a nonlinear, dynamic, finite element code (LS-DYNA) which expands the application boundary outside classic linear, static assumptions. The VPG approach also uses realistic boundary conditions of tire/road surface interactions. To verify the predicted dynamic stress and fatigue critical region, a single bump run test, road load simulation, and field test have been performed. The prediction results were compared with experimental results, and the feasibility of the integrated life prediction methodology was verified.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 1993

The behavior of shear-wall dominant, low-rise, multistory reinforced concrete building structures is investigated. Because there are no beams or columns and the slab and wall thicknesses are approximately equal, available codes give little information relative to design for gravity and lateral loads. Items which effect the analysis of shear-wall dominant building structures, i.e., material nonlinearity including rotating crack capability, 3-D behavior, slab-wall interaction, floor flexibilities, stress concentrations around openings, the location and the amount of main discrete reinforcement are investigated. For this purpose 2 and 5 story building structures are modelled. To see the importance of 3-D modelling, the same structures are modelled by both 2-D and 3-D models. Loads are applied first the vertical then lateral loads which are static equivalent earthquake loads. The 3-D models of the structures are loaded in both in the longitudinal and transverse directions. A nonlinear isoparametric plate element with arbitrarily places edge nodes is adapted in order to consider the amount and location of the main reinforcement. Finally the importance of 3-D effects including the T-C coupling between walls are indicated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.213-229
• /
• 2013

Although performance based assessment procedures are mainly developed for reinforced concrete and steel buildings, URM (Unreinforced Masonry) buildings occupy significant portion of buildings in earthquake prone areas of the world as well as in IRAN. Variability of material properties, non-engineered nature of the construction and difficulties in structural analysis of masonry walls make analysis of URM buildings challenging. Despite sophisticated finite element models satisfy the modeling requirements, extensive experimental data for definition of material behavior and high computational resources are needed. Recently, nonlinear equivalent frame models which are developed assigning lumped plastic hinges to isotropic and homogenous equivalent frame elements are used for nonlinear modeling of URM buildings. The equivalent frame models are not novel for the analysis of masonry structures, but the actual potentialities have not yet been completely studied, particularly for non-linear applications. In the present paper an effective tool for the non-linear static analysis of 2D masonry walls is presented. The work presented in this study is about performance assessment of unreinforced brick masonry buildings through nonlinear equivalent frame modeling technique. Reliability of the proposed models is tested with a reversed cyclic experiment conducted on a full scale, two-story URM building at the University of Pavia. The pushover curves were found to provide good agreement with the experimental backbone curves. Furthermore, the results of analysis show that EFM (Equivalent Frame Model) with Dolce RO (rigid offset zone) and shell element have good agreement with finite element software and experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.62 no.6
• /
• pp.695-702
• /
• 2017

In this work, a nonlocal zeroth-order shear deformation theory is developed for the nonlinear postbuckling behavior of nanoscale beams. The beauty of this formulation is that, in addition to including the nonlocal effect according to the nonlocal elasticity theory of Eringen, the shear deformation effect is considered in the axial displacement within the use of shear forces instead of rotational displacement like in existing shear deformation theories. The principle of virtual work together of the nonlocal differential constitutive relations of Eringen, are considered to obtain the equations of equilibrium. Closed-form solutions for the critical buckling load and the amplitude of the static nonlinear response in the postbuckling state for simply supported and clamped clamped nanoscale beams are determined.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.29-38
• /
• 2012

Recently large scale earthquake s are occurred around the world following the damage of buildings. So the interest of preparing for earthquake seismic design and seismic performance has becoming high. School buildings are though used for educational purpose; they are also used as emergency shelter for local residents during earthquake disaster. However, the current seismic design ratio of our country (Korea) is 3.7% and if massive earthquake is occurred it follows a serious damage. In order to overcome this situation, seismic performance evaluation is carried out for existing school building and an accurate and appropriate seismic retrofit is required based on performance evaluation to upgrade the existing school buildings. In this paper, nonlinear static analysis on existing school buildings for ATC-40 and FEMA-356 are carried out using the capacity spectrum method to evaluate seismic performance and to determine the need for retrofitting. In addition, after reinforcement to verify the effect of retrofit enhance the seismic performance is applied the seismic performance evaluation is carried out to verify the effect of seismic retrofit time history analysis using nonlinear dynamic analysis is also performed and nonlinear behavior of earthquake load of seismic retrofit of structures was also investigated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.599-608
• /
• 2001

Many papers which deal with the dynamic instability of shell-like structures under the STEP load has been published but there have been few papers related to the dynamic instability of hybrid cable domes. And also there are a few researches which treat the essential phenomenon of the dynamic buckling using the phase for investigating occurrence of chaos. In this study the indirect buckling of hybrid cable domes considering geometric nonlinearity are investigated numerically and compared it with the static critical load The dynamic critical loads are determined by the numerical integration of the geometric nonlinear equation of motion and the mechanism of the indirect buckling is examined by using the phase curves.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.85-96
• /
• 2003

In the present investigation, the nonlinear dynamic buckling of a curved plate subjected to sinusoidal loading is examined. By the theoretical analyses, a highly nonlinear snap-through motion of a clamped-free-clamped-free plate and its effect on the overall vibration response are investigated. The problem is reduced to that of a single degree of freedom system with the Rayleigh-Ritz procedure. The resulting nonlinear governing equation is solved using Runge-Kutta (RK-4) numerical integration method. The snap-through boundaries, which vary with different damping coefficient and linear circular frequency of the flat plate are studied and given in terms of force and displacement. The relationships between static and dynamic responses at the start of a snap-through motion are also predicted. The analysis brings out various characteristic features of the phenomenon, i.e. 1) small oscillation about the buckled position-softening spring type motion, 2) chaotic motion of intermittent snap-through, and 3) large oscillation of continuous snap-through motion crossing the two buckled positions-hardening spring type. The responses of buckled plate were found to be greatly affected by the snap-through motion. Therefore, better understanding of the snap-through motion is needed to predict the full dynamic response of a curved plate.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.265-276
• /
• 2009

Various Pushover analysis methodologies have evolved as an easy as well as designers-friendly alternative of nonlinear dynamic analysis for estimation of the inelastic demands of structures under seismic loading for performance based design. In fact, the established nonlinear dynamic analysis to assess the same, demands considerable analytical and computational background and rigor as well as intuitive insight into inelastic behavior for judging suitability of the results and its interpretation and hence may not be used in design office for frequent practice. In this context, the simple and viable alternative of Pushover analysis methodologies can be accepted if its efficacy is thoroughly judged over all possible varieties of the problems. Though this burning issue has invited some research efforts in this direction, still a complete picture evolving very clear guidelines for use of these alternate methodologies require much more detailed studies, providing idea about how the accuracy is influenced due to various combinations of basic parameters regulating inelastic dynamic response of the structures. The limited study presented in the paper aims to achieve this end to the extent possible. The study intends to identify the range of applicability of the technique and compares the efficacy of various alternative Pushover analysis schemes to general class of problems. Thus, the paper may prove useful in judicial use of Pushover analysis methodologies for performance based design with reasonable accuracy and relative ease.