• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.301-317
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• 2010

This paper studies the reliability of an analytical tool for predicting the lateral load-deformation response of RC columns while subjected to lateral cyclic displacements and axial load. The analytical tool in this study is based on a fiber element model implemented into the program DRAIN-2DX (fiber element). The response of RC column under cyclic displacement is defined by the behavior of concrete, and reinforcing steel under general reversed-cyclic loading. A tri-linear stress-strain relationship for the cyclic behavior of steel is proposed and the improvement in the analytical results is studied. This study only considers the behavior of columns with flexural dominant mode of failure. It is concluded that with the implementation of appropriate constitutive material models, the described analytical tools can predict the response of the columns with reasonable accuracy when compared to experimental data.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.371-386
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• 2014

This paper presents a tri-linear restoring force model based on the test results of 12 circular RC columns strengthened by CFRP strips under low cyclic loading. The pre-stress of CFRP strips and axial load ratio of specimens are considered as the affect parameters of the proposed model. All essential characteristics of the hysteretic behavior of the proposed model, including the hysteretic rules, main performance points, strength degradation, stiffness degradation and confinement effects are explicitly analyzed. The calculated results from the proposed model are in good agreement with the experimental results, which shows that the recommended model can be reliably used for seismic behavior predictions of circular RC columns strengthened by pre-stressed CFRP strips.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.55-69
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• 2011

The importance of unsaturated state in various geo-engineering problems has led to the advance of mechanical constitutive model emulating behavior of unsaturated soils in response to thermo-hydro-mechanical loading. Elasto-plastic mechanical constitutive model for unsaturated soil is formulated based on Bishop's effective stress. Effective stress and temperature are main variables in constitutive equation, and incremental formulation of constitutive relationship is derived to compute stress update and stiffness tensor. Numerical simulations involving coupled THM processes are conducted to discuss numerical stability and applicability of developed constitutive model: one-dimensional test, tri-axial compression test, and clay-buffering at high level radioactive waste disposal. Numerical results demonstrated that developed model can predict very complex behavior of coupled THM phenomena and is applicable to geo-engineering problems under various environmental conditions, as well as interpret typical behavior of unsaturated soils.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1045-1062
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• 2015

Concrete-filled circular t steel tubular joints (CFSTJs) in practice are frequently subjected to fluctuated loadings caused by wind, earthquake and so on. As fatigue crack is sensitive to such cyclic loadings, assessment on performance of CFSTJs with crack-like defect attracts more concerns because both high stress concentration at the brace/chord intersection and welding residual stresses along weld toe cause the materials in the region around the intersection to be more brittle. Once crack initiates and propagates along the weld toe, tri-axial stresses in high gradient around the crack front exist, which may bring brittle fracture failure. Additionally, the stiffness and the load carrying capacity of the CFSTJs with crack may decrease due to the weakened connection at the intersection. To study the behaviour of CFSTJs with initial crack, experimental tests have been carried out on three full-scale CFCST T-joints with same configuration. The three specimens include one uncracked joint and two corresponding cracked joints. Load-displacement and load-deformation curves, failure mode and crack propagation are obtained from the experiment measurement. According to the experimental results, it can be found that he load carrying capacity of the cracked joints is decreased by more than 10% compared with the uncracked joint. The effect of crack depth on the load carrying capacity of CFCST T-joints seems to be slight. The failure mode of the cracked CFCST T-joints represents as plastic yielding rather than brittle fracture through experimental observation.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.85-94
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• 2012

Recently, growing interests in frozen ground have stimulated us to advance fundamental theories and systematic researches on soil behavior under freezing conditions. Unlike the well-established soil mechanics theory, temperature variation and phase change of pore-water cause water migration to cold side, ground heaving, sharp increase in earth pressure, etc., which bring about serious problems in frozen geotechnical structures. Elasto-plastic mechanical constitutive model for frozen/unfrozen soil subjected to fully coupled THM phenomena is formulated based on a new stress variable that is continuous in frozen-unfrozen transitional regions. Numerical simulations are conducted to discuss numerical reliability and applicability of the developed constitutive model: one-dimensional heaving pressure, tri-axial compression test, and one-side freezing tests. The numerical results show that developed model can efficiently describe complex THM phenomena of frozen soil, and they can be utilized to analyze and design the geotechnical structures under freezing conditions, and predict their long-term behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.99-106
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• 2006

In the present study, in order to clarify the effects of latent hydraulic property of granulated blast furnace slag (GBF slag) on the liquefaction, GBF slag was cured in the high temperature alkali water (adding the calcium hydroxide, pH=12, water temperature is about $30^{\circ}C$), and then the cyclic and the static tri-axial compression tests were carried out. Then the results were compared with those for Japanese standard sand of Toyoura sand and natural sand of Genkai sand. From the test results, it is clarified that the liquefaction strength of the GBF slag increases with the increase of the curing period by the hardening due to the latent hydraulic property. It is also shown that GBF slag with Dr=50% and 80% which was cured for 189 days in the fresh-water shows cohesion due to developing of latent hydraulic property. In addition, as for the liquefaction strength of GBFS during the hardening process, a linear relation between the cyclic stress ratio $R_{20}$ at the number of stress cycles Nc=20 and cohesion $C_{d}$ was observed. It is also clarified that the liquefaction strength for cured GBF slag in the high temperature alkali water is predicted by the cohesive strength or the unconfined compressive strength.