• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.49-56
• /
• 2011

The strengthening effect of CFRP sheet and AFRP sheet with buckling-restrained brace for Beam-Column joints under constant axial and cyclic lateral loading is evaluated experimentally in this paper. Six test specimens were constructed. The main test parameters included the FRP Sheet and Buckling-restrained braces. The results of the tests were analyzed by focusing on their mode of failure, maximum load, ductility indexes, and energy dissipation capacity. Test results indicated that CFRP Sheet with the buckling-restrained brace system significantly increased the strength and stiffness of the specimen and that it was the most adequate retrofitting method.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.633-647
• /
• 2020

This paper aims to study the seismic performance of external diaphragm connection between SST (square steel tube) column and H-shaped beam through experimental and analytical study involving finite element (FE) method and theoretical analysis. In the experimental study, three external diaphragm connection specimens with weak panel zone were tested under axial pressure on the top of the column and antisymmetric cyclic loads at the beam end to investigate the seismic performance of the panel zone. The hysteretic behavior, failure mode, stiffness and ductility of the specimens were discussed. Key point to be explored was the influence of the thickness of the steel tube flange on the shear capacity of the specimens. In the analytical study, three simplified FE models were developed to simulate the seismic behavior of the specimens for further analysis on the influence of steel tube flange. Finally, four existing calculation formulas for the shear capacity of the external diaphragm connection were evaluated through comparisons with the results of experiments and FE analysis, and application suggestions were put forward.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.173-182
• /
• 2013

The building design projects which are being proceeded nowadays pursue a complex and various shape of structures, escaping from the traditional and regular shape of buildings. In this new trend of the architecture, there rises a demand of the research in the structural engineering for the effective realization of such complex-shaped buildings which disassembles the orthogonality of frames. As a distinguished characteristics of the buildings in a complex-shape, there frequently are inclined columns included in the structural frame. The inclined column causes extra axial force and bending moment at the beam-column connection so it is necessary to assess those effects on the structural behavior of the frame and the connection by experiment or analysis. However, with comparing to the studies on the normal beam-column connections, the inclined column connections have not been studied sufficiently. Therefore, this study evaluated the beam-column connections having an inclined column using nonlinear and finite element analysis method. In this paper, steel moment frames having inclined columns were analyzed by the nonlinear pushover analysis to check the global behavior and beam-column connection models were analyzed by the finite element analysis to check the buckling behavior and the fracture potentials.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.1121-1144
• /
• 2016

This paper presents a displacement-based finite element procedure for second-order distributed plasticity analysis of planar steel frames with semi-rigid beam-to-column connections under static loadings. A partially strain-hardening elastic-plastic beam-column element, which directly takes into account geometric nonlinearity, gradual yielding of material, and flexibility of semi-rigid connections, is proposed. The second-order effects and distributed plasticity are considered by dividing the member into several sub-elements and meshing the cross-section into several fibers. A new nonlinear solution procedure based on the combination of the Newton-Raphson equilibrium iterative algorithm and the constant work method for adjusting the incremental load factor is proposed for solving nonlinear equilibrium equations. The nonlinear inelastic behavior predicted by the proposed program compares well with previous studies. Coupling effects of three primary sources of nonlinearity, geometric imperfections, and residual stress are investigated and discussed in this paper.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.535-555
• /
• 2009

The harmony search method based optimum design algorithm is presented for geometrically non-linear semi-rigid steel frames. Harmony search method is recently developed metaheuristic algorithm which simulates the process of producing a musical performance. The optimum design algorithm aims at obtaining minimum weight steel frames by selecting from standard set of steel sections such as European wide flange beams (HE sections). Strength constraints of Turkish Building Code for Steel Structures (TS648) specification and displacement constraints were used in the optimum design formulation. The optimum design algorithm takes into account both the geometric non-linearity of the frame members and the semi-rigid behaviour of the beam-to-column connections. The Frye-Morris polynomial model is used to calculate the moment-rotation relation of beam-to-column connections. The robustness of harmony search algorithm, in comparison with genetic algorithms, is verified with two benchmark examples. The comparisons revealed that the harmony search algorithm yielded not only minimum weight steel frames but also required less computational effort for the presented examples.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.4 no.6
• /
• pp.453-469
• /
• 2004

In this article, a genetic algorithm based optimum design method is presented for non-linear steel frames with semi-rigid connections. The design algorithm obtains the minimum weight frame by selecting suitable sections from a standard set of steel sections such as European wide flange beams (i.e., HE sections). A genetic algorithm is employed as optimization method which utilizes reproduction, crossover and mutation operators. Displacement and stress constraints of Turkish Building Code for Steel Structures (TS 648, 1980) are imposed on the frame. The algorithm requires a large number of non-linear analyses of frames. The analyses cover both the non-linear behaviour of beam-to-column connection and $P-{\Delta}$ effects of beam-column members. The Frye and Morris polynomial model is used for modelling of semi-rigid connections. Two design examples with various type of connections are presented to demonstrate the application of the algorithm. The semi-rigid connection modelling results in more economical solutions than rigid connection modelling, but it increases frame drift.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
• /
• 2006.11a
• /
• pp.337-340
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study is to propose the stiffness reduction factor for flat plate slabs under lateral loads. Current design code (e.g., ACI 318-05) requires considering the effects of cracks for calculating slab stiffness under lateral loads. This study collected the test results of 20 interior slab-column connections, from which stiffness reduction in each test was estimated with respect to the ratio of applied moment to cracking moment ($M_a/M_{cr}$). Based on collected data, this study proposed equations for calculating stiffness reduction with respect to $M_a/M_{cr}$. To verify the proposed equations, this study conducted the experimental test of interior slab-column connections under quasi-static cyclic loading. From the test, load-deformation curve is compared to that obtained from effective beam width method with the proposed equation for the stiffness reduction. It is shown that the effective beam width method with the proposed equation for stiffness reduction predicts accurately the test results.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.761-786
• /
• 2016

This paper proposes an automated procedure for optimum seismic design of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures. This procedure combines a smart pre-processing using a Tree Classification Method (TCM) and a nonlinear optimization technique. First, the TCM automatically creates sections database and assigns sections to structural members. Subsequently, a real valued model of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is employed in solving the optimization problem. Numerical examples on design optimization of three low- to high-rise RC frame structures under earthquake loads are presented with and without considering strong column-weak beam (SCWB) constraint. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the TCMin seismic design optimization of the structures.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.31-48
• /
• 2024

In order to get a better understanding of seismic performance of exterior beam-column joint, reciprocating loading tests with variable loading speeds or axial forces were carried out. The main findings indicate that only few cracks exist on the surface of the joint core area, while the plastic hinge region at the beam end is seriously damaged. The damage of the specimen is more serious with the increase of the upper limit of variable axial force. The deflection ductility coefficient of specimen decreases to various degrees after the upper limit of variable axial force increases. In addition, the higher the loading speed is, the lower the deflection ductility coefficient of the specimen is. The stiffness of the specimen decreases as the upper limit of variable axial force or the loading speed increase. Compared to the influence of variable axial force, the influence of the loading speed on the stiffness degradation of the specimen is more obvious. The cumulative energy dissipation and the equivalent viscous damping coefficient of specimen decrease with the increase of loading speed. The influence of variable axial force on the energy dissipation of specimen varies under different loading speeds. Based on the truss model, the biaxial stress criterion, the Rankine criterion, the Kent-Scott-Park model, the equivalent theorem of shearing stress, the softened strut-and-tie model, the controlled slip theory and the proposed equations, a calculation method for the shear capacity is proposed with satisfactory prediction results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.645-669
• /
• 2004

In seismic analysis of moment-resisting frames, beam-column connections are often modeled with rigid joint zones. However, it has been demonstrated that, in ductile reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frames designed based on current codes (to say nothing of older non-ductile frames), the joint zones are in fact not rigid, but rather undergo significant shear deformations that contribute greatly to global drift. Therefore, the "rigid joint" assumption may result in misinterpretation of the global performance characteristics of frames and could consequently lead to miscalculation of strength and ductility demands on constituent frame members. The primary objective of this paper is to propose a rational method for estimating the hysteretic joint shear behavior of RC connections and for incorporating this behavior into frame analysis. The authors tested four RC edge beam-column-slab connection subassemblies subjected to earthquake-type lateral loading; hysteretic joint shear behavior is investigated based on these tests and other laboratory tests reported in the literature. An analytical scheme employing the modified compression field theory (MCFT) is developed to approximate joint shear stress vs. joint shear strain response. A connection model capable of explicitly considering hysteretic joint shear behavior is then formulated for nonlinear structural analysis. In the model, a joint is represented by rigid elements located along the joint edges and nonlinear rotational springs embedded in one of the four hinges linking adjacent rigid elements. The connection model is able to well represent the experimental hysteretic joint shear behavior and overall load-displacement response of connection subassemblies.