• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.293-302
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• 2020

Connections play a significant role in strength of structures against earthquake-induced loads. According to the post-seismic reports, connection failure is a cause of overall failure in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Connection failure results in a sudden increase in inter-story drift, followed by early and progressive failure across the entire structure. This article investigated the cyclic performance and behavioral improvement of shape-memory alloy-based connections (SMA-based connections). The novelty of the present work is focused on the effect of shape memory alloy bars is damage reduction, strain recoverability, and cracking distribution of the stated material in RC moment frames under seismic loads using 3D nonlinear static analyses. The present numerical study was verified using two experimental connections. Then, the performance of connections was studied using 14 models with different reinforcement details on a scale of 3:4. The response parameters under study included moment-rotation, secant stiffness, energy dissipation, strain of bar, and moment-curvature of the connection. The connections were simulated using LS-DYNA environment. The models with longitudinal SMA-based bars, as the main bars, could eliminate residual plastic rotations and thus reduce the demand for post-earthquake structural repairs. The flag-shaped stress-strain curve of SMA-based materials resulted in a very slight residual drift in such connections.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.491-506
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• 2019

Literature regarding concrete walls reinforced by super elastic shape memory alloy (SMA) bars is rather limited. The seismic behavior of a system concurrently including a distinct steel reinforced concrete (RC) wall, as well as another wall reinforced by super elastic SMA at the first story, and steel rebar at upper stories, would be an interesting matter. In this paper, the seismic response of such a COMBINED system is compared to a conventional system with steel RC concrete walls (STEEL-Rein.) and also to a wall system with SMA rebar at the first story and steel rebar at other stories ( SMA-Rein.). Nonlinear time history analysis at maximum considered earthquake (MCE) and design bases earthquake (DBE) levels is conducted and the main responses like maximum inter-story drift ratio and residual inter-story drift ratio are investigated. Furthermore, incremental dynamic analysis is used to accomplish probabilistic seismic studies by creating fragility curves. Results demonstrated that the SMA-Rein. system, subjected to DBE and MCE ground motions, has almost zero and 0.27% residual maximum inter-story drifts, while the values for the COMBINED system are 0.25% and 0.51%. Furthermore, fragility curves show that using SMA rebar at the base of all walls causes a larger probability of exceedance 3% inter-story drift limit state compared to the COMBINED system. Static push over analysis demonstrated that the strength of the COMBINED model is almost 0.35% larger than that of the two other models, and its general post-yielding stiffness is also approximately twice the corresponding stiffness of the two other models.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.759-773
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• 2012

The objective of this paper is to present an energy-based method for calculating target displacement of RC structures. The method, which uses the Newmark-Hall pseudo-velocity spectrum, is called the "Pseudo-velocity Spectrum (PSVS) Method". The method is based on the energy balance concept that uses the equality of energy demand and energy capacity of the structure. First, nonlinear static analyses are performed for five, eight and ten-story RC frame structures and pushover curves are obtained. Then the pushover curves are converted to energy capacity diagrams. Seven strong ground motions that were recorded at different soil sites in Turkey are used to obtain the pseudo-acceleration and the pseudo-velocity response spectra. Later, the response spectra are idealised with the Newmark-Hall approximation. Afterwards, energy demands for the RC structures are calculated using the idealised pseudo-velocity spectrum. The displacements, obtained from the energy capacity diagrams that fit to the energy demand values of the RC structures, are accepted as the energy-based performance point of the structures. Consequently, the target displacement values determined from the PSVS Method are checked using the displacement-based successive approach in the Turkish Seismic Design Code. The results show that the target displacements of RC frame structures obtained from the PSVS Method are very close to the values calculated by the approach given in the Turkish Seismic Design Code.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.121-133
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• 2007

To gain understanding of the applicability of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) cable in cable-supported bridges, based on the Runyang Bridge and Jinsha Bridge, a suspension bridge using CFRP cables and a cable-stayed bridge using CFRP stay cables are schemed, in which the cable's cross-sectional area is determined by the principle of equivalent axial stiffness. Numerical investigations on the dynamic behavior, aerostatic and aerodynamic stability of the two bridges are conducted by 3D nonlinear analysis, and the effect of different cable materials on the wind resistance is discussed. The results show that as CFRP cables are used in cable-supported bridges, (1) structural natural frequencies are all increased, and particularly great increase of the torsional frequency occurs for suspension bridges; (2) under the static wind action, structural deformation is increased, however its aerostatic stability is basically remained the same as that of the case with steel cables; (3) for suspension bridge, its aerodynamic stability is superior to that of the case with steel cables, but for cable-stayed bridge, it is basically the same as that of the case with steel stay cables. Therefore as far as the wind resistance is considered, the use of CFRP cables in cable-supported bridges is feasible, and the cable's cross-sectional area should be determined by the principle of equivalent axial stiffness.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.23 no.60
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• pp.37-46
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• 2000

A biomechanical model of lower extremity in seated postures was developed to assess muscular activities of lower extremity involved in a variety of foot pedal operations. The model incorporated four rigid body segments with the twenty-four muscles to represent lower extremity This study deals with quasi-static movement to investigate dynamic movement effect in seated foot operation. It is found that optimization method which has been used for modeling the articulated body segments does not predict the forces generated from biarticular muscles and antagonistic muscles reasonably. So, the revised nonlinear optimization scheme was employed to consider the synergistic effects of biarticular muscles and the antagonistic muscle effects from the stabilization of the joint. For the model validation, three male subjects performed the experiments in which EMG activities of the nine lower extremity muscles were measured. Predicted muscle forces were compared with the corresponding EMG amplitudes and it showed no statistical difference. For the selection of optimal seated posture, a physiological meaningful criterion was developed for muscular load sharing developed. For exertion levels, the transition point of type F motor unit of each muscle is inferred by analyzing the electromyogram at the seated postures. Also, for predetermined seated foot operations exertion levels, the recruitment pattern is identified in the continuous exertion, by analyzing the electromyogram changes due to the accumulated muscle fatigue.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.119-128
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• 1994

Deflection estimation at engine room upper deck panel is performed for the actual ship structure. These deflection behaviours are basically investigated from not only the data based on the full series results of nonlinear analysis using Incremental Galerkin's Method but also actual deflection data measured from damaged ship under construction in dry dock. The effects of residual stress, initial deflection and static loading are also included. The computed estimation results of upper deck plate panel including theme effects are shown that upper deck platings of new ship expected less deflection magnitude than damaged ship.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2012

A set of equations of motion is derived for vibratory motions of an underwater cable connected to a moving vehicle at one end and with drogues at the other end. From the static analysis, cable configurations are obtained for different vehicle speeds and towing pretensions are determined by fluid resistance of drogues. Also the dynamic analysis is required to predict its vibratory motion. Nonlinear fluid drag forces greatly influence the dynamic tension. In this study, a numerical analysis program was developed to find out the characteristic of cable behaviour. The motion is described in terms of space and time coordinates based on Chebyshev polynomial expansions. For the spatial integration the collocation method is employed and the Newmark method is applied for the time integration. Dynamic tensions, displacements, velocities, accelerations were predicted in the time domain while natural frequencies and transfer functions were obtained in the frequency domain.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.702-708
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• 2019

This paper deals with break size estimation of loss of coolant accidents (LOCA) using a nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous inputs (NARX) neural network. Previous studies used static approaches, requiring time-integrated parameters and independent firing algorithms. NARX neural network is able to directly deal with time-dependent signals for dynamic estimation of break sizes in real-time. The case studied is a LOCA in the primary system of Bushehr nuclear power plant (NPP). In this study, number of hidden layers, neurons, feedbacks, inputs, and training duration of transients are selected by performing parametric studies to determine the network architecture with minimum error. The developed NARX neural network is trained by error back propagation algorithm with different break sizes, covering 5% -100% of main coolant pipeline area. This database of LOCA scenarios is developed using RELAP5 thermal-hydraulic code. The results are satisfactory and indicate feasibility of implementing NARX neural network for break size estimation in NPPs. It is able to find a general solution for break size estimation problem in real-time, using a limited number of training data sets. This study has been performed in the framework of a research project, aiming to develop an appropriate accident management support tool for Bushehr NPP.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.617-628
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• 2019

As an extremely destructive accident, progressive collapse is defined as the spread of an initial local failure from element to element, resulting eventually in the collapse of an entire structure or disproportionately large of it. To prevent the occurrence of it and evaluate the ability of structure resisting progressive collapse, the nonlinear static procedure is usually adopted in the whole structure design process, which considered dynamic effect by utilizing Dynamic Increase Factor (DIF). In current researches, the determining of DIF is performed in full-rigid frame, however, the performance of beam-column connection in the majority of existing frame structures is not full-rigid. In this study, based on the component method proposed by EC3 guideline, the expression of extended endplate connection performance is further derived, and the connection performance is taken into consideration when evaluated the performance of structure resisting progressive collapse by applying the revised plastic P-M hinge. The DIF for structures with extended endplate beam-column connection have been determined and compared with the DIF permitted in current GSA guideline, the necessity of considering connection stiffness in determining the DIF have been proved.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.69 no.3
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• pp.317-326
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• 2019

This research aims to assess the tight seismic risk curve of the intake tower at Geumgwang reservoir by considering the recorded historical earthquake data in the Korean Peninsula. The seismic fragility, a significant part of risk assessment, is updated by using Bayesian inference to consider the uncertainties and computational efficiency. The reservoir is one of the largest reservoirs in Korea for the supply of agricultural water. The intake tower controls the release of water from the reservoir. The seismic risk assessment of the intake tower plays an important role in the risk management of the reservoir. Site-specific seismic hazard is computed based on the four different seismic source maps of Korea. Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) method is used to estimate the annual exceedance rate of hazard for corresponding Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA). Hazard deaggregation is shown at two customary hazard levels. Multiple dynamic analyses and a nonlinear static pushover analysis are performed for deriving fragility parameters. Thereafter, Bayesian inference with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is used to update the fragility parameters by integrating the results of the analyses. This study proves to reduce the uncertainties associated with fragility and risk curve, and to increase significant statistical and computational efficiency. The range of seismic risk curve of the intake tower is extracted for the reservoir site by considering four different source models and updated fragility function, which can be effectively used for the risk management and mitigation of reservoir.