• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.129-137
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• 2023

This study presents a dry precast concrete (PC) beam-column connection, and its target seismic performance level is set to be emulative to the reinforced concrete (RC) intermediate moment resisting frame system specified in ACI 318 and ASCE 7. The key features include self-sustaining ability during construction with the dry mechanical splicing method, enabling emulative connection performances and better constructability. Test specimens with code-compliant seismic details were fabricated and tested under reversed cyclic loading, which included a PC beam-column connection specimen with dry connections and an RC control specimen. The test results showed that all the specimens failed in a similar failure mode due to plastic deformations in beam members, while the hysteretic response curve of the PC specimen showed comparable and emulative performances compared to the RC specimen. Seismic performance evaluation was quantitatively addressed, and on this basis, it confirmed that the presented system can fully satisfy all the required performance for the intermediate RC moment resisting frame.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.155-167
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• 2024

Identifying the location of earthquake-induced damage in buildings and mitigating its impact, especially in low-damage systems such as rocking frames, is a significant challenge for structural engineers. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the sensitivity and type of damage of buildings exposed to severe earthquakes to concentrate damage in predefined locations that can be repaired easily. This paper explores the seismic responses of a Self-Centering Rocking Steel Braced Frame (SCR-SBF) under far-field and near-field ground motions. This earthquake-resistant system includes components such as post-tensioning cables to provide frame self-centering, eliminate residual drift in the system, and replaceable fuses to concentrate the earthquake-induced damage. While previous studies have examined far and near-field earthquakes, their comparative influence on the seismic behavior of structures with a rocking system remains unexplored. This paper presents a novel investigation into the sensitivity of SCR-SBF structures to far and near-field earthquakes. Considering the critical effects of shock and impulse loads on rocking systems, the study aims to assess the effects of near-field earthquakes and compare them to far-field earthquakes on these systems. For this purpose, different response parameters have been calculated under records of far- and near-field earthquakes at three specific ground acceleration levels by incremental nonlinear dynamic analysis. Additionally, the seismic behavior of the SCR-SBF and Steel-Braced Frame (SBF) are compared for near and far-field ground motions. The results show that SCR-SBF systems have better resilience and reduced local failures compared to SBF systems under far and near-field earthquakes, requiring tailored design strategies.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.227-245
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• 2013

The term "constructability" in regard to cast-in-place concrete construction refers mainly to the ease of reinforcing steel placement. Bar congestion complicates steel placement, hinders concrete placement and as a result leads to improper consolidation of concrete around bars affecting the integrity of the structure. In this paper, a multi-objective approach, based on the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is developed for optimal design of reinforced concrete cantilever retaining walls, considering minimization of the economic cost and reinforcing bar congestion as the objective functions. The structural model to be optimized involves 35 design variables, which define the geometry, the type of concrete grades, and the reinforcement used. The seismic response of the retaining walls is investigated using the well-known Mononobe-Okabe analysis method to define the dynamic lateral earth pressure. The results obtained from numerical application of the proposed framework demonstrate its capabilities in solving the present multi-objective optimization problem.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.87 no.5
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• pp.431-450
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• 2023

In this study, it is intended to perform nonlinear time-history analyses of nuclear power plant structures (NPP) under near-fault earthquakes showing directivity pulse and fling-step characteristics. Simulation procedures based on cycloidal pulse and far-fault ground motions are also used to simulate near-fault motions showing forward-directivity and fling-step characteristics and the structural responses are compared with those of the recorded near-fault ground motions. Because it is aimed to determine specifically the pulse type characteristics of near-fault ground motions on NPPs, all the ground motions are normalized to have a PGA of 0.3 g. Depending on the obtained results it can be underlined that although near-fault ground motion has the potential to cause damage mostly on structural systems having larger periods, it may also have noticeable effects on the responses of rigid structures, like NPP containment buildings. On the other hand, simulated near-fault motions can help us to get an insight into the near-fault mechanism as well as an approximate visualization of the structural responses under near-fault earthquakes.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.283-295
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• 2022

Seismic design codes permit the use of Equivalent Static Analysis of buildings considering torsional eccentricity e with dynamic amplification factors on structural eccentricity and some accidental eccentricity. Estimation of e in buildings is not addressed in codes. This paper presents a simple approximate method to estimate e in RC Moment Frame and RC Structural Wall buildings, which required no detailed structural analysis. The method is validated by 3D analysis (using commercial structural analysis software) of a spectrum of building. Results show that dynamic amplification factor should be applied on torsional eccentricity when performing Response Spectrum Analysis also. Also, irregular or mixed modes of oscillation arise in torsionally unsymmetrical buildings owing to poor geometric distribution of mass and stiffness in plan, which is captured by the mass participation ratio. These irregular modes can be avoided in buildings of any plan geometry by limiting the two critical parameters (normalised torsional eccentricity e/B and Natural Period Ratio 𝜏 =T_𝜃/T, where B is building lateral dimension, T_𝜃 uncoupled torsional natural period and T uncoupled translational natural period). Suggestions are made for new building code provisions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.39-52
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• 2008

Column shear failures observed during recent earthquakes and experimental data indicate that shear deformations are typically associated with the amount of transverse reinforcement, column aspect ratio, axial load, and a few other parameters. It was shown that in some columns shear displacements can be significantly large, especially after flexural yielding. In this paper, a piecewise linear model is developed to predict an envelope of the cyclic shear response including the shear displacement and corresponding strength predictions at the first shear cracking, peak strength, onset of lateral strength degradation, and loss of axial-load-carrying capacity. Part of the proposed model is developed using the analysis results from the Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT). The results from the proposed model, which uses simplified equations, are compared with the column test data.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.127-132
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• 2007

In this paper, to overcome local damages of structures, an uncertainty of structural model, installing sensors of structures, and economics of building system, decentralized semi-active magnetorheological(MR) damper using the displacement or velocity transferred to the response of floor installed damper is proposed. Relative magnitude between the control force of dampers and the story shear force is difined as design variables and the performance indices response spectra analysis through nonlinear time history analysis excited by seismic loads is performed according to this design variables. And the performance of this decentralized MR damper is compared with previous centralized LQR control algorithm using 3-stories benchmark building structure excited by El Centro (1940, N.S) in order to evaluate the application of building structures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-58
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• 2009

Composite joints, considering the composite action of steel and concrete, exhibit, in general, high strength and high ductility. As a consequence, the use of this type of joint has been increasing in many countries, especially in those that are located in earthquake-prone regions. In this paper, a hysteretic model with pinching is presented that is able to reproduce the cyclic response of steel and composite joints. Secondly, the computer implementation and adaptation of the model in a spring element within the computer code Seismosoft is described. The model is subsequently calibrated using a series of experimental test results for composite joints subjected to cyclic loading. Finally, typical parameters for the various joint configurations are proposed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.151-171
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• 2013

The current paper presents the numerical blind prediction of nonlinear seismic response of two full-scale, three dimensional, one-story reinforced concrete structures subjected to bidirectional earthquake simulations on shaking table. Simulations were carried out at the laboratories of LNEC (Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil) in Lisbon, Portugal. The study was motivated by participation in the blind prediction contest of shaking table tests, organized by the challenge committee of the 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering. The test specimens, geometrically identical, designed for low and high ductility levels, were subjected to subsequent earthquake motions of increasing intensity. Three dimensional nonlinear analytical models were implemented and subjected to the input base motions. Reasonably accurate reproduction of the measured displacement response was obtained through appropriate modeling. The goodness of fit between analytical and measured results depended on the details of the analytical models.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.733-738
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• 2004

Recently continuous welded rail is generally used to ensure running performances and to overcome the problems such as structural vulnerability and fastener damage at the rail expansion joint. Though the use of continuous welded rail on bridge has the advantage of decreasing the vibration and damage of rail, it still the risk of buckling and breaking of rail due to change of temperature, starting and/or breaking force, axial stress concentration and so on. So, VIC code and many methods has been developed by researchers considering rail-bridge interaction. Although there are many research concerning stability of continuous welded rail about temperature change on bridge and starting and/or breaking force, the study of continuous welded mil for earthquake load is still unsufficient. In this study, the nonlinear seismic response analysis of continuous welded rail on bridge considering soil-structure interaction, geotechnical characteristic of foundation and earthquake isolation equipment has been performed to examine the stability of continuous welded rail.