• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.667-689
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• 2014

Structural walls (also known as shear walls) are one of the common lateral load resisting elements in reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in seismic regions. The performance of RC structural walls in recent earthquakes has exposed some problems with the existing design of RC structural walls. The main issues lie around the buckling of bars, out-of plane deformation of the wall (especially the zone deteriorated in compression), reinforcement getting snapped beneath a solitary thin crack etc. This study compares performance of a typical wall designed by different standards. For this purpose, a case study RC shear wall is taken from the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Christchurch which was designed according to the 1982 version of the New Zealand concrete structures standard (NZS3101:1982). The wall is redesigned in this study to comply with the detailing requirements of three standards; ACI-318-11, NZS3101:2006 and Eurocode 8 in such a way that they provide the same flexural and shear capacity. Based on section analysis and pushover analysis, nonlinear responses of the walls are compared in terms of their lateral load capacity and curvature as well as displacement ductilities, and the effect of the code limitations on nonlinear responses of the different walls are evaluated. A parametric study is also carried out to further investigate the effect of confinement length and axial load ratio on the lateral response of shear walls.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.4
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• pp.445-458
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• 2019

This study mainly aims to assess the performance of soil-structure systems designed by direct displacement-based method coupled with strong column-weak beam design concept through various system identification techniques under strong ground motions. To this end, various system identification methods are employed to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of a structure (i.e., modal frequency, system damping, mode shapes, and plastic hinge formation pattern) under a strong seismic excitation considering soil-structure interaction for different site conditions as specified by ASCE 7-10. The scope of the study narrowed down to the code-complying low- to high-rise steel moment resisting frames with various heights (4, 8, 12, 16-story). The comparison of the result of soil-structure systems with fix-based support condition indicates that the modal frequencies of these systems are highly influenced by the structure heights, specifically for the softer soils. This trend is more significant for higher modes of the system which can considerably dominate the response of structures in which the higher modes have more contribution in dynamic response. Amongst all studied modes of the vibration, the damping ratio estimated for the first mode is relatively the closet to the initial assumed damping ratios. Moreover, it was found that fewer plastic hinges are developed in the structure of soil-structure systems with a softer soil which contradicts the general expectation of higher damageability of such structural systems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.1
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• pp.77-91
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• 2024

During strong seismic events, inelastic shear deformation occurs in beam-column joints. To capture inelastic shear deformation, an analytical model for beam-column joint in reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures has been proposed in this study. The proposed model has been developed using a rotational spring and rigid links. The stiffness properties of the rotational spring element have been assigned in terms of a moment rotation curve developed from the shear stress-strain backbone curve. The inelastic rotation behavior of joint has been categorized in three stages viz. cracking, yielding and ultimate. The joint shear stress and strain values at these stages have been estimated using analytical models and experimental database respectively. The stiffness properties of joint rotational spring have been modified by incorporating a geometry factor based on dimensions of adjoining beam and column members. The hysteretic response of the joint rotational spring has been defined by a pivot hysteresis model. The response of the proposed analytical model has been verified initially at the component level and later at the structural level with the two actually tested RC frame structures. The proposed joint model effectively emulates the inelastic behavior precisely with the experimental results at component as well as at structural levels.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1998.04b
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• pp.433-438
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• 1998

Design lateral strength calculated by current seismic design code is prescribed to be much lower than the force level required for a structure to respond elastically during design level earthquake ground motion. Present procedures for calculating seismic design forces are based on the use of elastic spectra reduced by a strength reduction factor known as "response modification factor, R". This factor accounts for the inherent ductility, overstrength, redundancy, and damping of a structural system. This study considers ductility and overstrength of the wall-type structure for investigating R factor. This means that R factor is determined from the product of "ductility-based R factor($R_$\mu$$) and overstrength factor($R_s$). $R_$\mu$$ factor is calibrated to attain the targer ductility ratio (system ductility capacity) and produced in the from of $R_$\mu$$ spectra considering the influence of target ductility, natural period, and hysteretic model. On the other hand, $R_s$ is more difficult to quantify, since it depends on both material and system-dependent uncertain parameters. In this study Rs factor was determined from the result of push-over analysis.-over analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.721-730
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• 2018

This paper aims to inspect the effectiveness of the Simple Adaptive Control Method (SACM) to control the response of asymmetric buildings with rotationally non-linear behavior under seismic loads. SACM is a direct control method and was previously used to improve the performance of linear and non-linear structures. In most of these studies, the modeled structures were two-dimensional shear buildings. In reality, the building plans might be asymmetric, which cause the buildings to experience torsional motions under earthquake excitation. In this study, SACM is used to improve the performance of asymmetric buildings, and unlike conventional linear models, the non-linear inertial coupling terms are considered in the equations of motion. SACM performance is compared with the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) algorithm. Moreover, the LQR algorithm is modified, so that it is appropriate for rotationally non-linear buildings. Active tuned mass dampers are used to improve the performance of the modeled buildings. The results show that SACM is successful in reducing the response of asymmetric buildings with rotationally non-linear behavior under earthquake excitation. Furthermore, the results of the SACM were very close to those of the LQR algorithm.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.223-236
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• 2017

Seismic assessment and rehabilitation of Monumental Buildings constitute an important issue in many regions around the world to preserve cultural heritage. On the contrary, many recent earthquakes have demonstrated the high vulnerability of this type of structures. The high nonlinear masonry behaviour requires ad hoc refined finite element numerical models, whose complexity and computational costs are generally unsuitable for practical applications. For these reasons, several authors proposed simplified numerical strategies to be used in engineering practice. However, most of these alternative methods are oversimplified being based on the assumption of in-plane behaviour of masonry walls. Moreover, they cannot be used for modelling the monumental structures for which the interaction between plane and out-plane behaviour governs the structural response. Recently, an innovative discrete-modelling approach for the simulation of both in-plane and out of-plane response of masonry structures was proposed and applied to study several typologies of historic structures. In this paper the latter model is applied with reference to a real case study, and numerically compared with an advanced finite element modelling. The method is applied to the St.Venerio church in Reggiolo (Italy), damaged during the 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake and numerically investigated in the literature.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.441-449
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• 2018

FE models for complex or large-scaled structures that need detailed modeling of structural components are usually constructed using commercial analysis softwares. Updating of such FE model by conventional sensitivity-based methods is difficult since repeated computation for perturbed parameters and manual calculations are needed to obtain sensitivity matrix in each iteration. In this study, an FE model updating procedure avoiding such difficulties by using response surface (RS) method and a Pareto-based multiobjective optimization (MOO) was formulated and applied to FE models constructed with a commercial analysis package. The test building is a low-rise reinforced concrete building that has been seismically retrofitted. Dynamic properties of the building were extracted from vibration tests performed before and after the seismic retrofits, respectively. The elastic modulus of concrete and masonry, and spring constants for the expansion joint were updated. Two RS functions representing the errors in the natural frequencies and mode shape, respectively, were obtained and used as the objective functions for MOO. Among the Pareto solutions, the best compromise solution was determined using the TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) procedure. A similar task was performed for retrofitted building by taking the updating parameters as the stiffness of modified or added members. Obtained parameters of the existing building were reasonably comparable with the current code provisions. However, the stiffness of added concrete shear walls and steel section jacketed members were considerably lower than expectation. Such low values are seemingly because the bond between new and existing concrete was not as good as the monolithically casted members, even though they were connected by the anchoring bars.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.95-112
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• 2012

In order to analyze the experimental hysteretic behavior of the in-plane loaded reinforced grouted multi-ribbed aerated concrete blocks masonry walls (RGMACBMW), we have carried out the pseudo static testing on the six specimens of RGMACBMW. Based on the test results and shear failure characteristics, the shear force hysteretic curves and displacement envelope curves of the models were obtained and discussed. On the basis of the hysteretic curves a general skeleton curve of the shear force and displacement was formed. The restoring model was adopted to analyze the seismic behavior and earthquake response of RGMACBMW. The deformation capacity of the specimens was discussed, and the formulas for calculating the lateral stiffness of the walls at different loading stages were proposed as well. The average lateral displacement ductility factor of RGMACBMW calculated based on the test results was 3.16. This value illustrates that if the walls are appropriately designed, it can fully meet the seismic requirement of the structures. The quadri-linear restoring models of the walls degradation by the test results accurately reflect the hysteretic behaviors and skeleton curves of the masonry walls. The restoring model can be applied to the RGMACBMW structure in earthquake response analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2017

The effectiveness of the repair scheme for the damaged captive-columns with CFRPs (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) was investigated in terms of response quantities such as strength, ductility, dissipated energy and stiffness degradation. Two 1/3 scale, one-story one-bay RC (Reinforced Concrete) frames were designed to represent the substandard RC buildings in Turkish building stock. The first one, which is the reference specimen, is the bare frame without infill wall. Partial infill wall with opening was constructed between the columns of the second frame and this caused captive column defect. Severe damage was observed with the concentration of shear cracks in the second specimen columns. Then, the damaged members were repaired by CFRP wrapping and retested. For the three test series, similar reversed cyclic lateral displacement under combined effect of axial load was applied to the top of the columns. Overall response of the bare frame was dominated by flexural cracks. Brittle type of shear failure in the column top ends was observed in the specimen with partial infill wall. It was observed that former capacity of damaged members of the second frame was recovered by the applied repair scheme. Moreover, ultimate displacement capacity of the damaged frame was improved considerably by CFRP wrapping.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.195-211
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• 2014

When strong seismic forces act on reinforced concrete structures, their beam-column connections are very susceptible to damage during the earthquake event. The aim of this numerical work is to evaluate the influence of the internal steel reinforcement array on the nonlinear response of a RC beam-column connection when it is subjected to strong cyclic loading -as a seismic load. For this, two specimens (extracted from an experimental test of 12 RC beam-column connections reported in literature) were modeled in the Finite Element code FEAP considering different stirrup's arrays. In order to evaluate the nonlinear response of the RC beam-column connection, the 2D model takes into account the nonlinear thermodynamic behavior of each component: for concrete, a damage model is used; for steel reinforcement, it is adopted a classical plasticity model; in the case of the steel-concrete bonding, this one is considered perfect without degradation. At the end, we show a comparison between the experimental test's responses and the numerical results, which includes the distribution of shear stresses and damage inside the concrete core of the beam-column connection; in the other hand, the effects on the connection of a low and high state of confinement are analyzed for all cases.