• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.439-452
• /
• 2022

A forecast of slope behavior during catastrophic events, such as earthquakes is crucial to recognize the risk of slope failure. This paper endeavors to eliminate the significant supposition of predefined slip surfaces in the slope stability analysis, which questions the relevance of simple conventional methods under seismic conditions. To overcome such limitations, a methodology dependent on the slip line hypothesis, which permits an automatic generation of slip surfaces, is embraced to trace the extreme slope face under static and seismic conditions. The effect of earthquakes is considered using the pseudo-static approach. The current outcomes developed from a parametric study endorse a non-linear slope surface as the extreme profile, which is in accordance with the geomorphological aspect of slopes. The proposed methodology is compared with the finite element limit analysis to ensure credibility. Through the design charts obtained from the current investigation, the stability of slopes can be assessed under seismic conditions. It can be observed that the extreme slope profile demands a flat configuration to endure the condition of the limiting equilibrium at a higher level of seismicity. However, a concurrent enhancement in the shear strength of the slope medium suppresses this tendency by offering greater resistance to the seismic inertial forces induced in the medium. Unlike the traditional linear slopes, the extreme slope profiles mostly exhibit a steeper layout over a significant part of the slope height, thus ensuring a more optimized solution to the slope stability problem. Further, the susceptibility of the Longnan slope failure in the Huining-Wudu seismic belt is predicted using the current plasticity approach, which is found to be in close agreement with a case study reported in the literature. Finally, the concept of equivalent single or multi-tiered planar slopes is explored through an example problem, which exhibits the appropriateness of the proposed non-linear slope geometry under actual field conditions.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.275-288
• /
• 2023

Based on the crucial role of high-speed railway bridges (HSRBs) in the safety of high-speed railway operations, it is an important approach to mitigate earthquake hazards by proceeding with seismic risk assessments in their whole life. Bridge seismic risk assessment, which usually evaluates the seismic performance of bridges from a probabilistic perspective, provides technical support for bridge risk management. The seismic performance of bridges is greatly affected by the degradation of material properties, therefore, material damage plays a nonnegligible role in the seismic risk assessment of the bridge. The effect of material damage is not considered in most current studies on seismic risk analysis of bridges, nevertheless. To fill the gap in this area, in this paper, a nonlinear dynamic time-history analysis has been carried out by establishing OpenSees finite element model, and a seismic vulnerability analysis is carried out based on the incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) method. On this basis, combined with the site risk analysis, the time-dependent seismic risk analysis of an offshore three-span HSRB in the whole life cycle has been conducted. The results showed that the seismic risk probabilities of both components and system of the bridge increase with the service time, and their seismic risk probabilities increase significantly in the last service period due to the degradation of the material strength, which demonstrates that the impact of durability damage should be considered when evaluating the seismic performance of bridges in the design and service period.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.17-30
• /
• 2024

Earthquakes can lead to substantial damage to buildings, with long-period ground motion being particularly destructive. The design of high-performance building structures has become a prominent focus of research. The double-story isolated structure is a novel type of isolated structure developed from base isolated structure. To delve deeper into the building performance of double-story isolated structures, the double-story isolated structure was constructed with the upper isolated layer located in different layers, alongside a base isolated structure for comparative analysis. Nonlinear elastoplastic analyses were conducted on these structures using different ground motion inputs, including ordinary ground motion, near-field impulsive ground motion, and far-field harmonic ground motion. The results demonstrate that the double-story isolated structure can extend the structural period further than the base isolated structure under three types of ground motions. The double-story isolated structure exhibits lower base shear, inter-story displacement, base isolated layer displacement, story shear, and maximum acceleration of the top layer, compared to the base isolated structure. In addition, the double-story isolated structure generates fewer plastic hinges in the frame, causes less damage to the core tube, and experiences smaller overturning moments, demonstrating excellent resistance to overturning and a shock-absorbing effect. As the upper isolated layer is positioned higher, the compressive stress on the isolated bearings of the upper isolated layer in the double-story isolated structure gradually decreases. Moreover, the compressive stress on the isolated bearings of the base isolated layer is lower compared to that of the base isolated structure. However, the shock-absorbing capacity of the double-story isolated structure is significantly increased when the upper isolated layer is located in the middle and lower section. Notably, in regions exposed to long-period ground motion, a double-story isolated structure can experience greater seismic response and reduced shock-absorbing capacity, which may be detrimental to the structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.90 no.6
• /
• pp.577-590
• /
• 2024

Considering the Column-Supported Group Silos (CSGSs) often arranged by rows in practical applications, earthquake responses will be affected by group effect. Since group effect presenting uncertainties, establishing the analytic model and evaluating characteristics of CSGSs seems necessary. This study aimed at providing a simplified method to evaluate seismic performances of the CSGSs. Firstly, the CSGSs with different storage granule heights are used as numerical examples to derive the base shear formula for three-particle dynamic analytical model. Then, the base shear distribution coefficient is defined as the group effect index. The simplified calculation method of the group silos based on the distribution coefficients is proposed. Finally, based on the empty, half, and full granular storage conditions, the empirical design parameters for the group silos system are given by combining finite element simulation with shaking table test. The group effect of storage granule heights of group silos on its frequency and base shear are studied by comparative analysis between group silos and independent single silo. The results show that the frequency of CSGSs decreases with the increasing weight of the stored granule. The connection between the column top and silo bottom plate is vulnerable, and structural measures should be strengthened to improve its damage resistance. In case of different storage granule heights, distribution coefficients are effective to reconstruction the group effect. The complex calculations of seismic response for CSGSs can be avoided by adopting the empirical distribution coefficients obtained in this study. The proposed method provides a theoretical reference for evaluation on the seismic performances of the CSGSs.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.203-218
• /
• 2024

Beam-column joints in the frame structure are at high risk of brittle shear failure which would lead to significant residual deformation and even the collapse of the structure during an earthquake. In order to improve the damage issue and enhance the recoverability of the beam-column joints, a sector lead rubber damper (SLRD) has been developed. The SLRD can increase the bearing capacity and energy dissipation capacity, and also demonstrating recoverability of seismic performance following cyclic loading. In this paper, the hysteretic behavior of SLRD was experimentally investigated in terms of the regular hysteretic behavior, large deformation behavior and fatigue behavior. Furthermore, a parametric analysis was performed to study the influence of the primary design parameters on the hysteretic behavior of SLRD. The results show that SLRD resist the exerted loading through the shear capacity of both rubber parts coupled with the lead cores in the pre-yielding stage of lead cores. In the post-yielding phase, it is only the rubber parts of the SLRD that provide the shear capacity while the lead cores primarily dissipate the energy through shear deformation. The SLRD possesses a robust capacity for large deformation and can sustain hysteretic behavior when subjected to a loading rotation angle of 1/7 (equivalent to 200% shear strain of the rubber component). Furthermore, it demonstrates excellent fatigue resistance, with a degradation of critical behavior indices by no more than 15% in comparison to initial values even after 30 cycles. As for the designing practice of SLRD, it is recommended to adopt the double lead core scheme, along with a rubber material having the lowest possible shear modulus while meeting the desired bearing capacity and a thickness ratio of 0.4 to 0.5 for the thin steel plate.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.498-509
• /
• 2008

Reliability analyses of Level I, II and III for bearing capacity, overturning and sliding of quaywall are carried out to investigate their safety levels depending upon its failure modes, and sensitivity analyses of each design variable are performed to find their effects on safety levels of quaywall. Reliability indices was 1.416 for both level II and III for case study I, and with 2.201 and 1.880, respectively, for the case study II at the critical loading conditions. Thus we were able to know that Level II (FORM) approach is good enough to use in practical design. Generally, it was found that probabilities of failure of quaywall were higher for sliding and bearing capacity failure modes and lower for overturning failure mode. From sensitivity analyses, the most influential design variables to reliability index of quaywall were coefficient of friction, residual water pressure and resistance moment for the sliding, overturning and bearing capacity failure modes, respectively. Especially, the sensitivity of reliability index due to inertial force and dynamic water pressures, which include a large COV when earthquake occurs, did not change greatly.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.5-16
• /
• 2020

Currently, the seismic design standards have been strengthened due to the occurrence of the Gyeongju and Pohang earthquake, and seismic performance evaluation of existing facilities is being conducted. It aims to secure a seismic performance effect during earthquakes by improving the micro-pile method, which can be constructed in limited confined places while minimizing damage to existing facilities. The improvement method is to construct all the piles in the square-tray-type plate on the top of the pile by constructing the slope pile in the form of an umbrella around the vertical pile, the main pillar. In this paper, the numerical analysis was performed to analyze the horizontal displacement behavior of an umbrella-type micropile for various real-measurement seismic waves in sandy soil. As a result of numerical analysis, the softer the ground, the better the effect of horizontal resistance of umbrella-type micropile. The horizontal displacement reduction effect was pronounced when the embedded depth was 15 m or more at the same ground strength, and it was found to be effective in earthquakes if it was settled on the ground with an N value of 30 or more. The embedded depth and horizontal displacement suppression effect of the micropile was proportional. Generally, the weaker the ground, the greater the displacement suppression effect. Umbrella-type micropile had a composite resistance effect in which the vertical pile resists the moment and inclined pile resists the axial force.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.455-462
• /
• 2013

The effects of earthquakes can be devastating especially to existing structures that are not based on earthquake resistant design. This study proposes a steel grid shear wall that can provide a sufficient lateral resistance and can be used as a seismic retrofit method. The pushover analysis was performed on RC structure with and without the proposed steel grid shear wall. Obtain the performance point that the target structure for seismic loads applied to evaluate the response and performance levels. The capacity spectrum at performance point is nearly elastic range, so satisfied the performance objectives(LS level). And response modification factor(R factor) were calculated from the pushover analysis. The R factor approach is currently implemented to reflect inelastic ductile behavior of the structures and to reduce elastic spectral demands from earthquakes to the design level. The R factor increases from 2.17 to 3.25 was higher than the design criteria. As a result, according to reinforcement by steel grid shear wall, strength, stiffness, and ductility of the low-rise RC structure has been appropriately improved.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.783-792
• /
• 2008

While the recent high demand for mega-tall buildings has led to the development of high-performance and high-strength steels, the requirements for architectural-structure-performance steel have been raised as engineers recognize the potential damage that an earthquake can wreak on a tall building. A 600MPa-class steel has emerged to meet such need, and many studies are currently exploring its practical applications on civil engineering works and mega-tall buildings. The available data on the horizontal-force behaviors of structures built with such new steel, however, are still insufficient. There is an urgent need to look into its design data, especially its toughness, and to compare the plastic strain ratios of column-to-beam connections using high-strength steel and regular steel. One of the first studies on the behavior of a column-to-beam connection using 600MPa-class steel (SM570 TMC), this thesis analyzes such steel's structural performance by conducting a structural test on seismic resistance on a full-scale column-to-beam welded connection with non-scallop and recommended-scallop details. Compared with the previous studies on SM490, this thesis evaluates the weldability of SM570 TMC and presents the latter's seismic design data for use in testing its practical application.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.85-93
• /
• 2008

This study summarizes the results of a research project aimed at investigating the inelastic rotation capacity of beam-column joints of reinforced concrete special moment frames. All of the test specimens were classified as special moment frame (SMF), based on the design and detailing requirements of the ACI 318-02 provisions. The acceptance criteria, originally defined for steel moment frame connections in the 1997 edition of the AISC Seismic provisions, were used to evaluate the beam-column joints of the reinforced concrete moment frames. A total of 39 test specimens were examined in detail. Most of the joints that satisfy the design requirements for special moment frame structures were found to be ductile up to a plastic rotation of 3% without any major degradation in strength. This is mainly due to the stringent ACI 318-02 requirements for special moment frame joints. The presence of transverse beams increases confinement and shear resistance of joints, which results in better performance than for joints without transverse beams. All of the SMF connections that satisfy the ACI 318-02 limitations on joint shear stress turned out to meet the acceptance criteria.