• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.667-674
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• 2013

Improving the earthquake resistance of buildings through seismic retrofitting using steel braces can result in brittle failure at the connection between the brace and the building, as well as buckling failure of the braces. This paper proposes a new seismic retrofit methodology combined with glass fiber sheet (GFS) and non-compression X-brace system using carbon fiber (CFXB) for reinforced concrete buildings damaged in earthquakes. The GFS is used to improve the ductility of columns damaged in earthquake. The CFXB consists of carbon fiber bracing and anchors, to replace the conventional steel bracing and bolt connection. This paper reports the seismic resistance of a reinforced concrete frame strengthened using the GFS-CFXB system. Cyclic loading tests were carried out, and the hysteresis of the lateral load-drift relations as well as ductility capacities were investigated. Carbon fiber is less rigid than the conventional materials used for seismic retrofitting, resulting in some significant advantages: the strength of the structure increased markedly with the use of CF X-bracing, and no buckling failure of the bracing was observed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2009

In this study, the seismic performance of the Buckling Restrained Knee Bracing (BRKB) system was evaluated through a pin-connected one-bay, one-story frame. The BRKB system developed in this study was composed of a steel plate as a load-resisting core member and two channel sections to restrain local and global buckling of the core plate. The main purpose of the BRKB system is to restrengthen/rehabilitate old low- and mid-rise RC buildings, which, it is assumed, were designed with non-seismic designs and details. The main variables for the test specimens were the size of the core plates and the stiffeners, and the condition of the end plates. The test results showed that the size of the core plate, which was the main element of the load-resisting member, was the most important parameter in achieving a ductile behavior under tension as well as compression until the maximum displacement exceeds twice the design drift limit.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.573-582
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• 2018

This study develops and numerically verifies an innovative seismically resilient bracing system. The proposed self-centering tension-only brace (SC-TOB) is composed of a tensioning system to provide a self-centering response, a frictional device for energy dissipation, and a high-strength steel cable as a bracing element. It is considered to be an improvement over the traditional self-centering braces in terms of lightness, high bearing capacity, load relief, and double-elongation capacity. In this paper, the mechanics of the system are first described. Governing equations deduced from the developed analytical model to predict the behavior of the system are then provided. The results from a finite element validation confirm that the SC-TOB performs as analytically predicted. Key parameters including the activation displacement and load, the self-centering parameter, and equivalent viscous damping are investigated, and their influences on the system behavior are discussed. Finally, a design procedure considering controlled softening behavior is developed and illustrated through a design example.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.863-882
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• 2016

This study aims to introduce a new bracing system by which even super-wide frames with large openings can be braced. The proposed system, hereafter called Cable-Pulley Brace (CPB), is a tension-only bracing system with a rectilinear configuration. In CPB, a wire rope passes through a rectilinear path around the opening(s) and connects the lower corner of the frame to its opposite upper one. CPB is a secondary load resisting system with a nonlinear-elastic hysteretic behavior due to its initial pre-tension load. As a result, the required energy dissipation would be provided by the MRF itself, and the main intention of using CPB is to contribute to the initial and post-yield stiffness of the whole system. Using a stiffness calibration technique, optimum placement of the CPBs is discussed to yield a uniform displacement demand along the height of the structure. A displacement-based design procedure is proposed by which the MRF with CPB can be designed to achieve a uniform distribution of inter-story drifts with predefined values. Obtained results indicated that CPB leads to significant reductions in maximum and residual deformations of the MRF at the expense of minor increase in the maximum base shear and developed axial force demands in the columns. In the case of a typical 5-story residential building, compared to SMRF system, CPB system reduces maximum amounts of inter-story and residual drifts by 35% and 70%, respectively. Moreover, openings of the frame are not interrupted by the CPB. This is the most appealing feature of the proposed bracing system from architectural point of view.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.213-226
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• 2017

The behavior of building industry metal sheeting under shear forces has been extensively studied and equations have been developed to predict its shear stiffness. Building design engineers can make use of these equations to design a metal deck form bracing system. Bridge metal deck forms differ from building industry forms by both shape and connection detail. These two factors have implications for using these equations to predict the shear stiffness of deck form systems used in the bridge industry. The conventional eccentric connection of bridge metal deck forms reduces their shear stiffness dramatically. However, recent studies have shown that a simple modification to the connection detail can significantly increase the shear stiffness of bridge metal deck form panels. To the best of the author's knowledge currently there is not a design aid that can be used by bridge engineers to estimate the stiffness of bridge metal deck forms. Therefore, bridge engineers rely on previous test results to predict the stiffness of bridge metal deck forms in bracing applications. In an effort to provide a design aid for bridge design engineers to rely on bridge metal deck forms as a bracing source during construction, cantilever shear frame test results of bridge metal deck forms with and without edge stiffened panels have been compared with the SDI Diaphragm Design Manual and ECCS Diaphragm Stressed Skin Design Manual stiffness expressions used for building industry deck forms. The bridge metal deck form systems utilized in the tests consisted of sheets with thicknesses of 0.75 mm to 1.90 mm, heights of 50 mm to 75 mm and lengths of up to 2.7 m; which are representative of bridge metal deck forms frequently employed in steel bridge constructions. The results indicate that expressions provided in these manuals to predict the shear stiffness of building metal deck form panels can be used to estimate the shear stiffness of bridge metal deck form bracing systems with certain limitations. The SDI Diaphragm Design Manual expressions result in reasonable estimates for sheet thicknesses of 0.75 mm, 0.91 mm, and 1.21 mm and underestimate the shear stiffness of 1.52 and 1.90 mm thick bridge metal deck forms. Whereas, the ECCS Diaphragm Stressed Skin Design Manual expressions significantly underestimate the shear stiffness of bridge metal deck form systems for above mentioned deck thicknesses.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.305-325
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• 1998

A method that determines the minimum stiffness of baracing to achieve non-sway buckling conditions at a given story level of a multi-column elastic frame is proposed. Condensed equations that evaluate the required minimum stiffness of the lateral and torsional bracing are derived using the classical stability functions. The proposed method is applicable to elastic framed structures with rigid, semirigid, and simple connections. It is shown that the minimum stiffness of the bracing required by a multi-column system depends on: 1) the plan layout of the columns; 2) the variation in height and cross sectional properties among the columns; 3) the applied axial load pattern on the columns; 4) the lack of symmetry in the loading pattern, column layout, column sizes and heights that cause torsion-sway and its effects on the flexural bucking capacity; and 5) the flexural and torsional end restrains of the columns. The proposed method is limited to elastic framed structures with columns of doubly symmetrical cross section with their principal axes parallel to the global axes. However, it can be applied to inelastic structures when the nonlinear behavior is concentrated at the end connections. The effects of axial deformations in beams and columns are neglected. Three examples are presented in detail to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2018

In this study, seismic performance of existing RC frames reinforced with steel chevron bracing systems was experimentally evaluated. For this purpose, the unreinforced base specimen and seismically reinforced specimens with steel chevron bracing systems were fabricated and tested. Both strength and stiffness of the reinforced specimens were targeted about 2-3 times larger than the base specimen. Test results showed that the stiffness, strength, and ductility of the reinforced specimens considerably improved than those of unreinforced base specimen. Therefore, the results from this study could offer the basic information on the developing design guideline for the seismic reinforcement of RC frames.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.875-888
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• 2013

The researches have recently progressed toward the use of the superelastic shape memory alloys (SMAs) to develop new smart control systems that reduce permanent deformation occurring due to severe earthquake events and that automatically recover original configuration. The superelastic SMA materials are unique metallic alloys that can return to undeformed shape without additional heat treatments only after the removal of applied loads. Once the superelastic SMA materials are thus installed at the place where large deformations are likely to intensively occur, the structural system can make the best use of recentering capabilities. Therefore, this study is intended to propose new buckling-restrained braced frames (BRBFs) with superelastic SMA bracing systems. In order to verify the performance of such bracing systems, 6-story braced frame buildings were designed in accordance with the current design specifications and then nonlinear dynamic analyses were performed at 2D frame model by using seismic hazard ground motions. Based on the analysis results, BRBFs with innovative SMA bracing systems are compared to those with conventional steel bracing systems in terms of peak and residual inter-story drifts. Finally, the analysis results show that new SMA bracing systems are very effective to reduce the residual inter-story drifts.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-118
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• 2015

The geometric nonlinearity of off-diagonal bracing system (ODBS) could be a complementary system to covering and extending the nonlinearity of reinforced concrete material. Finite element modeling is performed for flexural frame, x-braced frame and the ODBS braced frame system at the initial phase. Then the different models are investigated along various analyses. According to the experimental results of flexural and x-braced frame, the verification is done. Analytical assessments are performed in according to three dimensional finite element modeling. Nonlinear static analysis is considered to obtain performance level and seismic behaviour, and then the response modification factors calculated from each model's pushover curve. In the next phase, the evaluation of cracks observed in the finite element models, especially for RC members of all three systems is performed. The finite element assessment is performed on engendered cracks in ODBS braced frame for various time steps. The nonlinear dynamic time history analysis accomplished in different stories models for three records of Elcentro, Naghan and Tabas earthquake accelerograms. Dynamic analysis is performed after scaling accelerogram on each type of flexural frame, x-braced frame and ODBS braced frame one by one. The base-point on RC frame is considered to investigate proportional displacement under each record. Hysteresis curves are assessed along continuing this study. The equivalent viscous damping for ODBS system is estimated in according to references. Results in each section show the ODBS system has an acceptable seismic behaviour and their conclusions have been converged when the ODBS system is utilized in reinforced concrete frame.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.293-318
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• 2023

This study aims to examine the elastic stiffness properties of Elliptic-Braced Moment Resisting Frame (EBMRF) subjected to lateral loads. Installing the elliptic brace in the middle span of the frames in the facade of a building, as a new lateral bracing system not only it can improve the structural behavior, but it provides sufficient space to consider opening it needed. In this regard, for the first time, an accurate theoretical formulation has been developed in order that the elastic stiffness is investigated in a two-dimensional single-story single-span EBMRF. The concept of strain energy and Castigliano's theorem were employed to perform the analysis. All influential factors were considered, including axial and shearing loads in addition to the bending moment in the elliptic brace. At the end of the analysis, the elastic lateral stiffness could be calculated using an improved relation through strain energy method based on geometric properties of the employed sections as well as specifications of the utilized materials. For the ease of finite element (FE) modeling and its use in linear design, an equivalent element was developed for the elliptic brace. The proposed relation was verified by different examples using OpenSees software. It was found that there is a negligible difference between elastic stiffness values derived by the developed equations and those of numerical analysis using FE method.