• International journal of steel structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1684-1698
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• 2018

Fragility functions are determined for braced steel moment frames (SMFs) with plans such as square-, T-, L-, U-, trapezoidal-, and semicircular-shaped, subjected to blast. The frames are designed for gravity and seismic loads, but not necessarily for the blast loads. The blast load is computed for a wide range of scenarios involving different parameters, viz. charge weight, standoff distance, and blast location relative to plan of the structure followed by nonlinear dynamic analysis of the frames. The members failing in rotation lead to partial collapse due to plastic mechanism formation. The probabilities of partial collapse of the SMFs, with and without bracing system, due to the blast loading are computed to plot fragility curves. The charge weight and standoff distance are taken as Gaussian random input variables. The extent of propagation of the uncertainties in the input parameters onto the response quantities and fragility of the SMFs is assessed by computing Sobol sensitivity indices. The probabilistic analysis is conducted using Monte Carlo simulations. The frames have least failure probability for blasts occurring in front of their corners or convex face. Further, the unbraced frames are observed to have higher fragility as compared to counterpart braced frames for far-off detonations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.61-68
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• 2023

This study performed a structural performance evaluation of a system scaffolding for elevator installation work developed in previous studies. The structural performance was evaluated via a structural test conducted to apply the working load specified in the design standard. The deflection of the horizontal member and the stress of each member constituting the system scaffolding were measured. Consequently, the structural safety evaluation including structural behavior and required performance was performed using the deflection and stresses measured from the structural test. The structural test and safety evaluation results based on the heavy working load corresponding to the design load indicated that the deflection, which is the performance criterion of the horizontal member, did not exceed the allowable value. Further, each member's stress, which is a safety evaluation indicator, did not exceed the allowable strength for both horizontal and vertical members with bending behavior and fordable bracing with tensile behavior, while also satisfying the required safety factor. In addition, the results confirmed the safety against deformation, partial damage, and destruction owing to excessive and maximum load. Therefore, the system scaffolding developed in this study satisfies both the structural performance and safety required by the design standards; thus, it can be applied to elevator installation work sites.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.77-87
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• 2024

Analytical methods for assessment of the out-of-plane buckling of unbraced top chords of truss bridges may look obsolete while comparing them to finite element analysis. However they are, usually, superior when rapid assessment is necessary. Analytical methods consider the top chord as a bar on elastic supports provided by bracing (Holt, Timoshenko). Correct assessment of the support elasticity (stiffness) is crucial. In the case of truss bridge spans of traditional structural layout (cross-beams at the truss chord nodes only), the elasticity may be set based on the analysis of the, so called, U-frame stiffness. Here the analyses consider the U-frame itself (a pair of verticals and a cross-beam) or the U-frame with adjacent diagonals or the pair of diagonals (in the absence of verticals) and the members of the bottom chord in the adjacent panels. For all the cases, the stability analysis of the chord as a bar in compression is necessary. Unfortunately, the method cannot be applied to contemporary truss bridges without verticals, that usually have independent cross-beam decks (the cross-beams attached to truss chords at their nodes and between them). This is the motivation for the analysis resulting in the method of setting the stiffness of the equivalent U-frame for the aforementioned truss bridges. Truss girders of both, gussetless and gusseted, joints are taken into account.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.385-399
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• 2023

A collision between a ship and an offshore platform may result in structural damage and closure; therefore, damage analysis is required to ensure the platform's integrity. This paper presents a damage assessment of a three-legged jacket platform subjected to ship collisions using the industrial finite element program Bentley SACS. This study considers two ships with displacements of 2,000 and 5,000 tons and forward speeds of 2 and 6.17 meters per second. Ship collision loads are applied as a simplified point load on the center of the platform's legs at inclinations of 1/7 and 1/8; diagonal bracing is also included. The jacket platform is modelled as beam elements, with the exception of the impacted jacket members, which are modelled as nonlinear shell elements with elasto-plastic material and constant isotropic hardening to provide realistic dented behavior due to ship collision load. The structural response is investigated, including kinetic energy transfer, stress distribution, and denting damage. The simulation results revealed that the difference in leg inclination has no effect on the level of localized denting damage. However, it was discovered that a leg with a greater inclination (1/8) resists structural displacement more effectively and absorbs less kinetic energy. In this instance, the three-legged platform collapses due to the absorption of 27.30 MJ of energy. These results provide crucial insights for enhancing offshore platform resilience and safety in high-traffic maritime regions, with implications for design and collision mitigation strategies.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.103-112
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• 2005

This study examines the stability of Sungsu bridge which was issued nine years ago because of its collapse accident and now is on the progress of extension work in each construction stage by construction monitoring system. From this study, the measured value in each construction stage of anchorage truss and suspended truss shows the agreement with the analytical values up to 60~110 percents, and the elements' stresses emanating from the pre-loading stage, are also similar to the analytical value. Regarding these results, it is expected that each member has enough stiffness and the construction condition is satisfactory. In addition, it is expected that the transverse members and sway bracing bolts integrate completely the existing truss and new attached truss as a one body from the result of the vibration test to find out the integration rates.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.49-56
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• 2013

The statistics of recent accidents in warehouses show that a heavy toll of lives were produced by various accidents, e.g. collision, overturn, fall, slip, exposure to harmful substances or environments, etc. Of significant concern amongst them is the collision, especially the collision between forklift and storage rack structure. Accordingly, this study focuses on behavioral characteristics of rack structure subjected to dynamic impact loading of a forklift. For this purpose, time-domain response analysis has been performed on a standard 2-bay six-story rack structure consisting of columns, beams and bracing members with perforated open section. In order to investigate the most critical scenario, the impact loads are applied in both down-aisle and cross-aisle directions, and the impact locations are also varied along the shelves of the palettes. In order to deal with storage distributions, three types of rack structures are further taken into account: original empty rack structure with no storage, half-loaded rack structure and fully-loaded rack structure. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the dynamic characteristics of the rack structure are significantly dependent on the distribution of the storage goods and its natural period varies from 0.24sec to 1.06sec, approximately 4.4 times. Further, the parametric studies show that the forklift impact is most critical to the safety of the rack structure when it collides either at the base or at the top of the rack structure.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 2020

The effectiveness and the sensitivity of a Wireless impedance/Admittance Monitoring System (WiAMS) for the prompt damage diagnosis of two single-storey single-span Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames under cyclic loading is experimentally investigated. The geometrical and the reinforcement characteristics of the RC structural members of the frames represent typical old RC frame structure without consideration of seismic design criteria. The columns of the frames are vulnerable to shear failure under lateral load due to their low height-to-depth ratio and insufficient transverse reinforcement. The proposed Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system comprises of specially manufactured autonomous portable devices that acquire the in-situ voltage frequency responses of a network of twenty piezoelectric transducers mounted to the RC frames. Measurements of external and internal small-sized piezoelectric patches are utilized for damage localization and assessment at various and increased damage levels as the magnitude of the imposed lateral cycle deformations increases. A bare RC frame and a strengthened one using a pair of steel crossed tension-ties (X-bracing) have been tested in order to check the sensitivity of the developed WiAMS in different structural conditions since crack propagation, damage locations and failure mode of the examined frames vary. Indeed, the imposed loading caused brittle shear failure to the column of the bare frame and the formation of plastic hinges at the beam ends of the X-braced frame. Test results highlighted the ability of the proposed SHM to identify incipient damages due to concrete cracking and steel yielding since promising early indication of the forthcoming critical failures before any visible sign has been obtained.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.6 s.46
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• pp.31-39
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nonlinear behavior of a cold-formed steel (CFS) shear panel, which was composed of built-up columns and tension-only diagonal straps for bracing, when excited by earthquake motions. For the purpose, shaketable tests of a full-scale two-story cold-formed steel (CFS) shear panel were conducted. in the shear panel, the diagonal strap is a major lateral force resisting system, which is a very ductile member, and the columns, which are gravity resisting members, are fabricated by wooing studs, which can't develop their full flexural strength because they may buckle locally. The test results showed that the straps dissipate most of energy of the shear panel in a tension-only and pinched way and the columns dissipate it relatively smaller than the straps but they still contribute to overall dissipation. As a result of this study, investigating real nonlinear behavior of a structure in earthquakes is a very important process by shaketable tests even though it is simple.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-118
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• 2015

The geometric nonlinearity of off-diagonal bracing system (ODBS) could be a complementary system to covering and extending the nonlinearity of reinforced concrete material. Finite element modeling is performed for flexural frame, x-braced frame and the ODBS braced frame system at the initial phase. Then the different models are investigated along various analyses. According to the experimental results of flexural and x-braced frame, the verification is done. Analytical assessments are performed in according to three dimensional finite element modeling. Nonlinear static analysis is considered to obtain performance level and seismic behaviour, and then the response modification factors calculated from each model's pushover curve. In the next phase, the evaluation of cracks observed in the finite element models, especially for RC members of all three systems is performed. The finite element assessment is performed on engendered cracks in ODBS braced frame for various time steps. The nonlinear dynamic time history analysis accomplished in different stories models for three records of Elcentro, Naghan and Tabas earthquake accelerograms. Dynamic analysis is performed after scaling accelerogram on each type of flexural frame, x-braced frame and ODBS braced frame one by one. The base-point on RC frame is considered to investigate proportional displacement under each record. Hysteresis curves are assessed along continuing this study. The equivalent viscous damping for ODBS system is estimated in according to references. Results in each section show the ODBS system has an acceptable seismic behaviour and their conclusions have been converged when the ODBS system is utilized in reinforced concrete frame.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.233-245
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• 2007

Previous finite element studies have shown that AASHTO Standard load distribution factor (LDF) equations appear to be conservative for longer spans and larger girder spacing, but too permissible for short spans and girder spacing. AASHTO LRFD specification defines the distribution factor equation for girder spacing, span length, slab thickness, and longitudinal stiffness. However, this equation requires an iterative procedure to correctly determine the LDF value due to an initially unknown longitudinal stiffness parameter. This study presents a simplified LDF equation for interior and exterior girders of two-span continuous I-girder bridges that does not require an iterative design procedure. The finite element method was used to investigate the effect of girder spacing, span length, slab thickness, slab width, and spacing and size of bracing. The computer program, GTSTRUDL, was used to idealize the bridge superstructures as the eccentric beam model, the concrete slab by quadrilateral shell elements, steel girders by space frame members, and the composite action between these elements by rigid links. The distribution factors obtained from these analyses were compared with those from the AASHTO Standard and LRFD methods. It was observed through the parametric studies that girder spacing, span length, and slab thickness were the dominant parameters compared with others. The LRFD distribution factor for the interior girder was found to be conservative in most cases, whereas the factor for the exterior girder to be unconservative in longer spans. Furthermore, a regression analysis was performed to develop simplified LDF formulas. The formulas developed in this study produced LDF values that are always conservative to those from the finite element method and are generally smaller than the LDF values obtained from the AASHTO LRFD specification. The proposed simplified equation will assist bridge engineers in predicting the actual LDF in two-span continuous I-girder bridges.