• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.217-230
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• 2019

One of the most important design criteria in underground structure is to design lightweight protective layers to resist significant blast loads. Sandwich blast resistant panels are commonly used to protect underground structures. The front face of the sandwich panel is designed to resist the blast load and the core is designed to mitigate the blast energy from reaching the back panel. The design is to allow the sandwich panel to be repaired efficiently. Hence, the underground structure can be used under repeated blast loads. In this study, a novel sandwich panel, named RC panel - Helical springs- RC panel (RHR) sandwich panel, which consists of normal strength reinforced concrete (RC) panels at the front and the back and steel compression helical springs in the middle, is proposed. In this study, a detailed 3D nonlinear numerical analysis is proposed using the nonlinear finite element software, AUTODYN. The accuracy of the blast load and RHR Sandwich panel modelling are validated using available experimental results. The results show that the proposed finite element model can be used efficiently and effectively to simulate the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of the newly proposed RHR sandwich panels under different ranges of free air blast loads. Detailed parameter study is then conducted using the validated finite element model. The results show that the newly proposed RHR sandwich panel can be used as a reliable and effective lightweight protective layer for underground structures.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.397-408
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• 2018

In a recent tragic fire incident, the Plasco Tower collapsed after an intense outburst of fire lasting for three and a half hours and claiming the lives of 16 firefighters and 6 civilians. This paper will present continuing collaborative work between Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Queen's University in Canada to model the progressive collapse of the tower. The fire started at the 10th floor and was observed to have travelled along the floor horizontally and through the staircase and windows vertically. Plasco Tower was steel structure and all the steel sections were fabricated by welding standard European channel or angle profiles and no fire protection was applied. Four internal columns carried the loads transferred by the primary beams, and box columns were constructed along the perimeter of the building as a braced tube for resisting seismic loading. OpenSees fibre-based sections and displacement-based beam-column elements are used to model the frames, while shell elements are used for the reinforced concrete floor slabs. The thermal properties and elevated temperature mechanical properties are as recommended in the Eurocodes. The results in this preliminarily analysis are based on rough estimations of the structure's configuration. The ongoing work looks at modeling the Plasco Tower based on the most accurate findings from reviewing many photographs and collected data.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.73 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2020

In different high seismic regions around the world, many non-ductile existing reinforced concrete frame buildings, built without adequate seismic detailing requirements, have been damaged or collapsed after past earthquakes. The assessment and the retrofit of these non-ductile concrete structures is crucial theme of research for all the scientific community of engineers. In particular, a careful assessment of the existing building is fundamental for understanding the failure mechanisms that govern the collapse of the structure or the achievement of the recommended limit states. Based on the seismic assessment, the best retrofit strategy can be designed and applied to the structure. A school building located in Avellino province (Italy) is the case study. The analysis of seismic vulnerability carried out on the mentioned building has highlighted deficiencies in both static and seismic load conditions. The retrofit of the building has been designed based on different retrofit options in order to show the real retrofit design developed from the engineers to achieve the seismic safety of the building. The retrofit costs associated to structural operations are calculated for each case and have been summed up to the costs of the in situ tests. The paper shows a real retrofit design case study in which the best solution is chosen based on the results in terms of structural performance and cost among the different retrofit options.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.761-768
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate bond properties of GFRP used in SFRC (Steel fiber reinforced concrete) and normal concrete. The experimental variables were rebar diameter (D13, D16), steel fiber volume fraction (0~2%) and cover thickness ($1.5d_b$, $5.4d_b$). The experimental results showed a different failure mode depending on the cover thickness. Through the tested specimens, splitting failure occurred for the specimens with small cover thickness and pull out failure occurred in the specimens with large cover thickness. Introduction of steel fiber caused the specimens to have more ductile behavior of bond stresss-lip after peak stress, but they did not increase the bond strength significantly. These failure modes were shown in both steel reinforcement and GFRP. However, from the difference of micro structure of bond failure mechanism between steel rebar and GFRP rebar, more ductile behavior was observed in GFRP-specimens after maximum bond strength was reached.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.455-468
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• 2013

In recent, various types of steel pipe-roof methods, which is reinforced by mortar after propulsion of steel pipe into the ground, have been used for the construction of trenchless underpass. Integrated steel pipe-roof has flexural stiffness and can resist against overburden load and reduce the stress acting on the concrete underpass structures. Due to arching effect, vertical and horizontal stress distribution around the steel pipe-roof is changing. In this study, therefore, the characteristic of stress distribution around the underpass induced by the construction of integrated steel pipe-roof is investigated by using numerical method. To examine the soil-structure interaction, interface element is introduced. Results show that vertical stress acting on the concrete structure placing inside the steel pipe-roof is significantly reduced due to arching effect and flexural stiffness of integrated steel pipe-roof. Design load can be reduced and effective design of underpass will be available if the earth pressure reduction due to arching effect is considered in the design stage.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.74 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2020

For the large deformation of shear walls under vertical and horizontal loads, there are difficulties in obtaining accurate simulation results using the response analysis method, even with fine mesh elements. Furthermore, concrete material nonlinearity, stiffness degradation, concrete cracking and crushing, and steel bar damage may occur during the large deformation of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls. Matrix operations that are involved in nonlinear analysis using the traditional finite-element method (FEM) may also result in flaws, and may thus lead to serious errors. To solve these problems, a planar four-node element was developed based on vector mechanics. Owing to particle-based formulation along the path element, the method does not require repeated constructions of a global stiffness matrix for the nonlinear behavior of the structure. The nonlinear concrete constitutive model and bilinear steel material model are integrated with the developed element, to ensure that large deformation and damage behavior can be addressed. For verification, simulation analyses were performed to obtain experimental results on an RC shear wall subjected to a monotonically increasing lateral load with a constant vertical load. To appropriately evaluate the parameters, investigations were conducted on the loading speed, meshing dimension, and the damping factor, because vector mechanics is based on the equation of motion. The static problem was then verified to obtain a stable solution by employing a balanced equation of motion. Using the parameters obtained, the simulated pushover response, including the bearing capacity, deformation ability, curvature development, and energy dissipation, were found to be in accordance with the experimental observation. This study demonstrated the potential of the developed planar element for simulating the entire process of large deformation and damage behavior in RC shear walls.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.4
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• pp.417-432
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• 2019

Seismic performance analysis of steel-brace reinforced concrete (RC) frame using topology optimization in highly seismic region was discussed in this research. Topology optimization based on truss-like material model was used, which was to minimum volume in full-stress method. Optimized bracing systems of low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise RC frames were established, and optimized bracing systems of substructure were also gained under different constraint conditions. Thereafter, different structure models based on optimized bracing systems were proposed and applied. Last, structural strength, structural stiffness, structural ductility, collapse resistant capacity, collapse probability and demolition probability were studied. Moreover, the brace buckling was discussed. The results show that bracing system of RC frame could be derived using topology optimization, and bracing system based on truss-like model could help to resolve numerical instabilities. Bracing system of topology optimization was more effective to enhance structural stiffness and strength, especially in mid-rise and high-rise frames. Moreover, bracing system of topology optimization contributes to increase collapse resistant capacity, as well as reduces collapse probability and accumulated demolition probability. However, brace buckling might weaken beneficial effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.503-511
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• 2001

Structures are designed against earthquakes and reinforced concrete shear walls or steel bracings are usually used as aseismic resistant element. However their hysteretic characteristics in plastic region ductility and capacity of energy absorption are not always good. Besides their stiffness is so rigid that structure designed by static analysis is occasionally disadvantageous. when dynamically analized. Generally a steel plate subjected to shear force has a good deformation capacity Also it has been considered to retain comparative shear strength and stiffness Steel shear wall can be used as lateral load resistant element for seismic design. However there was little knowledge concerning shear force-deformation characteristics of steel plates up to their collapse state In this study a series of shear loading tests of steel plate collapse state. In this study a series of shear loading tests of steel plate surrounded by vertical and horizontal ribs were conducted with the parameters of D/H ratios rib type and the loading patterns. The test result is discussed and analyzed to obtain several restoring characteristics. that is shear force-deformation stiffness and yield strength etc.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.163-172
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• 2014

The purpose of earthquake resistant design for typical bridges is the No Collapse Design and the Earthquake Resistant Design Part of Roadway Bridge Design Code provides a design process to construct the Ductile Failure Mechanism for the bridge structure. However, if it is not practical to provide the Ductile Failure Mechanism due to structure types or site conditions, the Brittle Failure Mechanism is an alternative way to get the No Collapse Design. As well as the existing design process constructing the Ductile Failure Mechanism, the Earthquake Resistant Design Part provides a ductility-based design process as an appendix, which is prepared for bridges with reinforced concrete piers. According to the new design process, designer determines a required response modification factor for substructure and transverse reinforcement for confinement therefrom. In this study, a typical bridge with steel bearing connections and reinforced concrete piers is selected for which the existing as well as the ductility-based design processes are applied and different results from the two design processes are identified. Based on the results, an earthquake resistant design procedure is proposed in which designers should consider the two design processes.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.297-303
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• 2010

The current encased-concrete deep corrugated steel plate has an arch type plate structure, which is a compressive strength-dominant structure that has a small moment due to its arch shape. Therefore, it increases the strength against compression by adding reinforcements to make concrete-filling spaces for increasing the compressive strength and forming cross sections that contain reinforced concrete. In this study, the safety factor of the new-concept encased-concrete bridge plate member was evaluated by comparing the compressive strength obtained from the compressive tests, flexural tests and the design compressive strength determined by using the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC, 2003), which is a design standard for the encased-concrete bridge plate structures. The results of the safety factor evaluation using the design compressive strength and the test results showed that the safety factor was well above the appropriate value 2.0, which could be adjudged very conservative. If the safety factor based on this study results is considered and applied to the design, economical construction will be possible due to the reduced cross section and construction cost.