• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.447-457
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• 2019

The use of Tuned mass dampers (TMD) has proved to be effective in reducing the effects of vibrations caused by wind loads and far-field seismic action. However, its effectiveness in controlling the dynamic response of structures under near-fault earthquakes is still under discussion. In this case, the uncertainty about the TMD performance arises from the short significant duration of near-fault ground motions. In this work, the TMD effectiveness for increasing the safety margin against collapse of structures subjected to near-fault earthquakes is investigated. In order to evaluate the TMD performance in the proposed scenario, the nonlinear dynamic response of two reinforced concrete (RC) frames was analyzed. TMDs with different mass values were added to these structures, and a set of near-fault records with frequency content close to the fundamental frequency of the structure was employed. Through a series of nonlinear dynamic analysis, the minimum amplitude of each seismic record that causes the structural collapse was found. By comparing this value, called collapse acceleration, for the case of the structures with and without TMD, the benefit produced by the addition of the control device was established.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.237-251
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• 2021

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of the proposed hybrid teaching-learning based optimization algorithm on the optimum design of reinforced concrete (RC) cantilever retaining walls. For this purpose, three different design examples are optimized with 100 independent runs considering continuous and discrete variables. In order to determine the algorithm performance, the optimization results were compared with the outcomes of the nine powerful meta-heuristic algorithms applied to this problem, previously: the big bang-big crunch (BB-BC), the biogeography based optimization (BBO), the flower pollination (FPA), the grey wolf optimization (GWO), the harmony search (HS), the particle swarm optimization (PSO), the teaching-learning based optimization (TLBO), the jaya (JA), and Rao-3 algorithms. Moreover, Rao-1 and Rao-2 algorithms are applied to this design problem for the first time. The objective function is defined as minimizing the total material and labor costs including concrete, steel, and formwork per unit length of the cantilever retaining walls subjected to the requirements of the American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-05). Furthermore, the effects of peak ground acceleration value on minimum total cost is investigated using various stem height, surcharge loads, and backfill slope angle. Finally, the most robust results were obtained by HTLBO with 50 populations. Consequently the optimization results show that, depending on the increase in PGA value, the optimum cost of RC cantilever retaining walls increases smoothly with the stem height but increases rapidly with the surcharge loads and backfill slope angle.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2021

Supplementary damping systems, such as tuned mass dampers (TMDs) and tuned sloshing dampers (TSDs) - also known as tuned liquid dampers (TLDs) - have been successfully employed to reduce building motion during wind events. A design of a damping system consisting of a TMD and two TSDs performing in unison has been developed for a tall building in Taiwan to reduce wind-induced motion. The architecturally exposed TMD will also be featured as a tourist attraction. The dual-purpose TSD tanks will perform as fire suppression water storage tanks. Linearized equivalent mechanical TSD and TMD models are coupled to the structure to simulate the multi-degree of freedom system response. Frequency response curves for the structure with and without the damping system are created to evaluate the performance of the damping system. The performance of the combined TMD-TSD system is evaluated against a conventional TMD system by computing the effective damping produced by each system. The proposed system is found to have superior performance in acceleration reduction. The combined TMD-TSD system is an effective and affordable means to reduce the wind-induced resonant response of tall buildings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.2
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• pp.231-243
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• 2021

In this paper, a dynamic response mapping model of the wheel-rail system is established by using the support vector regression (SVR) method, and the hierarchical safety thresholds of the subgrade void are proposed based on the reliability theory. Firstly, the vehicle-track coupling dynamic model considering the subgrade void is constructed. Secondly, the subgrade void area, the subgrade compaction index K30 and the fastener stiffness are selected as random variables, and the mapping model between these three random parameters and the dynamic response of the wheel-rail system is built by using the orthogonal test and the SVR. The sensitivity analysis is carried out by the range analysis method. Finally, the hierarchical safety thresholds for the subgrade void are proposed. The results show that the subgrade void has the most significant influence on the carbody vertical acceleration, the rail vertical displacement, the vertical displacement and the slab tensile stress. From the range analysis, the subgrade void area has the largest effect on the dynamic response of the wheel-rail system, followed by the fastener stiffness and the subgrade compaction index K30. The recommended safety thresholds for the subgrade void of level I, II and III are 4.01㎡, 6.81㎡ and 9.79㎡, respectively.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.575-585
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• 2020

In this numerical study, the 2D dynamic behavior of a clayey basin and its effect on damage pattern over basin edge are investigated. To attain this goal, a fully nonlinear time domain analysis method has been applied. Then, the fragility curves of the considered two typical industrial structures for that certain point are estimated using the acceleration time histories recorded at each surface point. The results show that the use of the damage related parameters in site effect analyses, instead of amplification curves, can yield more realistic estimation of the basin dynamic response. In a distance about 150 m from outcrop at the basin edge, the differences between fragility curves increase when increasing the distance from outcrop with respect to the reference rock site. Outside this region and towards the basin center, they tend to occur in rather single curves. Furthermore, to connect the structural damage to the basin edge effect, the earthquake demand value at different points for two typical structures was evaluated. It was seen that the probability of occurrence of damage increases over 250 m from outcrop, while the effect of the basin edge was limited to 150 m in case of the basin edge evaluation by using fragility curves.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.6
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• pp.811-824
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• 2022

Despite its disadvantages, soft story can reduce the damage to the upper floors by concentrating drift in that specific story provided that large drifts are avoided. Gapped-Inclined Brace (GIB) with reduced P-delta effects and the control of soft story stiffness makes it possible to take advantage of the soft story in buildings and increase their capacity for energy dissipation. OpenSees software is used in this study to validate and modify the GIB model's shortcomings. Also, the analysis method for this element is changed for design. The modified element is evaluated in 3D analysis. Finally, to retrofit an existing building, this element is used. Based on the Iranian seismic code, a six-story reinforced concrete building is modelled and studied with 3D analysis. In this building, the construction shortcomings and elimination of infills on the ground floor cause the formation of a soft story. Results of nonlinear static analysis, nonlinear dynamic, and incremental dynamic analysis using both components of seismic acceleration applied to the structure at different angles and the fragility curves indicate the improvement of the retrofitted structure's performance using the modified element to reach the required performance level following the retrofit code.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.525-538
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• 2022

High-rise wooden pagodas generate large displacement responses under wind action. It is necessary and wise to reduce the wind loads and wind-induced responses on the architectural heritage using artificial plants, which do not damage ancient architecture and increase greenery. This study calculates and analyzes the wind loads and wind-induced responses on the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, in China, using artificial plants via the finite element analysis (FEA). A three-dimensional wind-loading field was simulated using a wind tunnel test. Wind loads and wind-induced responses, including the displacement and acceleration of the pagoda with and without artificial plants, were analyzed. In addition, three types of tree arrangements were discussed and analyzed using the score method. The results revealed that artificial plants can effectively control wind loads and wind-induced displacements, but the wind-induced accelerations are enlarged to some extent during the process. The height of the tree significantly affected the shelter effects of the structure. The distance of trees from the pagoda and arrangement width of the tree had less influence on shelter effects. This study extends the understanding of the nondestructive method based on artificial plants, for controlling the wind base loads and structural responses of wooden pagodas and preserving architectural heritage via FEA.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.209-219
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• 2022

Offshore platforms in seismically active areas must be designed to survive in the face of intense earthquakes without a global structural collapse. This paper scrutinizes the seismic performance of a newly designed and established jacket type offshore platform situated in the entrance of the Gulf of Suez region based on the API-RP2A normalized response spectra during seismic events. A nonlinear finite element model of a typical jacket type offshore platform is constructed taking into consideration the effect of structure-soil-interaction. Soil properties at the site were manipulated to generate the pile lateral soil properties in the form of load deflection curves, based on API-RP2A recommendations. Dynamic characteristics of the offshore platform, the response function, output power spectral density and transfer functions for different elements of the platform are discussed. The joints deflection and acceleration responses demands are presented. It is generally concluded that consideration of the interaction between structure, piles and soil leads to higher deflections and less stresses in platform elements due to soil elasticity, nonlinearity, and damping and leads to a more realistic platform design. The earthquake-based analysis for offshore platform structure is essential for the safe design and operation of offshore platforms.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.82 no.5
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• pp.651-665
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• 2022

While the lateral confinement provided by an FRP jacket to a concrete column is passive in nature, confinement is activated when the concrete expands due to additional compression stresses or significant shear deformations. This characteristic of FRP jacketing theoretically leads to similar initial stiffness properties of FRP retrofitted buildings as the buildings without retrofit. In the current study, to validate this theoretical assumption, the initial stiffness characteristics, and thus, the potential seismic demands were investigated through forced vibration tests on two identical full-scale substandard reinforced concrete buildings with or without FRP retrofit. Power spectral density functions obtained using the acceleration response data captured through forced vibration tests were used to estimate the modal characteristics of these buildings. The test results clearly showed that the natural frequencies and the mode shapes of the buildings are quite similar. Since the seismic demand is controlled by the fundamental vibration modes, it is confirmed using vibration-based full-scale tests that the seismic demands of RC buildings remain unchanged after CFRP jacketing of columns. Furthermore, the damping characteristics were also found similar for both structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.451-463
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• 2022

The present study deals with forced vibrations of an elastic circular plate supported along its circular edge by unilateral elastic springs. The plate is assumed to be subjected to a uniformly distributed and a concentrated load. Under the combination of these loads, equations of motion are explicitly derived for static and dynamic response analyses by assuming a series of the displacement functions of time and other unknown parameters which are to be determined by employing Lagrangian functional. The approximate solution is sought by applying the Lagrange equations of motions by using the potential energy of the external forces that includes the contributions of the edge forces and the external moments, i.e., those of the effects of the boundary condition to the analysis. For the numerical treatment of the problem in the time domain, the linear acceleration procedure is adopted. The tensionless character of the support is taken into account by using an iterative process and, the coordinate functions for the displacement field are selected to partially fulfill the boundary conditions so that an acceptable approximation can be achieved faster. Numerical results are presented in the figures focusing on the nonlinearity of the problem due to the plate lift-off from the unilateral springs at the edge support.