• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.367-389
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• 2008

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are unique materials with a paramount potential for various applications in bridges. The novelty of this material lies in its ability to undergo large deformations and return to its undeformed shape through stress removal (superelasticity) or heating (shape memory effect). In particular, Ni-Ti alloys have distinct thermomechanical properties including superelasticity, shape memory effect, and hysteretic damping. SMA along with sensing devices can be effectively used to construct smart Reinforced Concrete (RC) bridges that can detect and repair damage, and adapt to changes in the loading conditions. SMA can also be used to retrofit existing deficient bridges. This includes the use of external post-tensioning, dampers, isolators and/or restrainers. This paper critically examines the fundamental characteristics of SMA and available sensing devices emphasizing the factors that control their properties. Existing SMA models are discussed and the application of one of the models to analyze a bridge pier is presented. SMA applications in the construction of smart bridge structures are discussed. Future trends and methods to achieve smart bridges are also proposed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.539-566
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• 2013

This paper summarises the results of a numerical study on the non linear response of steel concentric braced frames under monotonic and cyclic loads, using force-based finite elements with section fibre discretisation. The first part of the study is addressed to analyse the single brace response. A parametric analysis was carried out and discussed to evaluate the accuracy of the model, examining the influence of the initial camber, the material modelling, the type of force-based element, the number of integration points and the number of fibers. The second part of the paper is concerned with the modelling issues of whole braced structures. The effectiveness of the modelling approach is verified against the nonlinear static and dynamic behaviour of different type of bracing configurations. The model sensitivity to brace-to-brace interaction and the capability of the model to mimic the response of complex bracing systems is analyzed. The influence of different approaches for modelling the inertia, the equivalent viscous damping and the brace hysteretic response on the overall structural response are also investigated. Finally, on the basis of the performed numerical study general modelling recommendations are proposed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.339-353
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• 2020

This study investigates the seismic performance of steel reinforced concrete (SRC) T-shaped columns under low cyclic loading tests. Based on test results of ten half-scale column specimens, failure patterns, hysteretic behavior, skeleton curves, ultimate strength, ductility, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity were analyzed. The main variables included loading angles, axial compression ratios and steel ratios. The test results show that the average values of the ductility factor and the equivalent viscous damping coefficient with respect to the failure of the columns were 5.23 and 0.373, respectively, reflecting good seismic performance. The ductility decreased and the initial stiffness increased as the axial compression ratio of the columns increased. The strength increased with increasing steel ratio, as expected. The columns displaced along the web had higher strength and initial stiffness, while the columns displaced along the flange had better ductility and energy dissipation capacity. Based on the test and analysis results, a formula is proposed to calculate the effective stiffness of SRC T-shaped columns.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.437-448
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• 2020

In high rise buildings that utilize precast large panel system for construction, the shear wall provides strength and stiffness during earthquakes. The performance of a wall panel system depends mainly on the type of connection used to transfer the forces from one wall element to another wall element. This paper presents an experimental investigation on different types of construction detailing of the precast wall to wall vertical connections under reverse cyclic loading. One of the commonly used connections in India to connect wall to wall panel is the loop bar connection. Hence for this study, three types of wet connections and one type of dry connection namely: Staggered loop bar connection, Equally spaced loop bar connection, U-Hook connection, and Channel connection respectively were used to connect the precast walls. One third scale model of the wall was used for this study. The main objective of the experimental work is to evaluate the performance of the wall to wall connections in terms of hysteretic behaviour, ultimate load carrying capacity, energy dissipation capacity, stiffness degradation, ductility, viscous damping ratio, and crack pattern. All the connections exhibited similar load carrying capacity. The U-Hook connection exhibited higher ductility and energy dissipation when compared to the other three connections.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.741-758
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• 2013

In this study, inelastic displacement ratios are investigated for existing systems with known lateral strength considering soil structure interaction. For this purpose, SDOF systems for period range of 0.1-3.0 s with different hysteretic behaviors are considered for a number of 18 earthquake motions recorded on soft soil. The effect of stiffness degradation on inelastic displacement ratios is investigated. The Modified Clough model is used to represent structures that exhibit significant stiffness degradation when subjected to reverse cyclic loading and the elastoplastic model is used to represent non-degrading structures. Soil structure interaction analyses are conducted by means of equivalent fixed base model effective period, effective damping and effective ductility values differing from fixed-base case. For inelastic time history analyses, Newmark method for step by step time integration was adapted in an in-house computer program. A new equation is proposed for inelastic displacement ratio of system with SSI with elastoplastic or degrading behavior as a function of structural period ($\tilde{T}$), strength reduction factor (R) and period lengthening ratio ($\tilde{T}$/T). The proposed equation for $\tilde{C}_R$ which takes the soil-structure interaction into account should be useful in estimating the inelastic deformation of existing structures with known lateral strength.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.409-419
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• 2017

In order to analyze the vibration control effect of viscous damper in the concrete archaized buildings with lintel-column joints under seismic action, 3 specimens were tested under dynamic excitation. Two specimens with viscous damper were defined as the controlled component and one specimen without viscous damper was specified as the non-controlled component. The loading process and failure patterns were obtained from the test results. The failure characteristics, skeleton curves and mechanical behavior such as the load-displacement hysteretic loops, load carrying capacity, degradation of strength and rigidity, ductility and energy dissipation of the joints were analyzed. The results indicate that the load-bearing capacity of the controlled component is significantly higher than that of the non-controlled component. The former component has an average increase of 27.4% in yield load and 22.4% in ultimate load, respectively. Meanwhile, the performance of displacement ductility and the ability of energy dissipation for the controlled component are superior to those of the non-controlled component as well. Compared with non-controlled component, equivalent viscous damping coefficients are improved by 27.3%-30.8%, the average increase is 29.0% at ultimate load for controlled component. All these results reflect that the seismic performance of the controlled component is significantly better than that of the non-controlled component. These researches are helpful for practical application of viscous damper in the concrete archaizing buildings with lintel-column joints.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.71-87
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• 2001

A frequency domain response analysis is presented for building frames passively controlled by viscoelastic dampers, under harmonic ground excitation. Three different models are used to represent the linear dynamic force-deformation characteristics of viscoelastic dampers namely, Kelvin model, Linear hysteretic model and Maxwell model. The frequency domain solution is obtained by (i) an iterative pseudo-force method, which uses undamped mode shapes and frequencies of the system, (ii) an approximate modal strain energy method, which uses an equivalent modal damping of the system in each mode of vibration, and (iii) an exact method which uses complex frequency response function of the system. The responses obtained by three different methods are compared for different combinations of viscoelastic dampers giving rise to both classically and non-classically damped cases. In addition, the effect of the modelling of viscoelastic dampers on the response is investigated for a certain frequency range of interest. The results of the study are useful in appropriate modelling of viscoelastic dampers and in understanding the implication of using modal analysis procedure for building frames which are passively controlled by viscoelastic dampers against base excitation.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.809-821
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• 2016

Concentric-tube continuum robots have formed an active field of research in robotics because of their manipulative exquisiteness essential to facilitate delicate surgical procedures. A set of concentric tubes with designed initial curvatures comprises a robot whose workspace can be controlled by relative translations and rotations of the tubes. Kinematic models have been widely used to predict the movement of the robot, but they are incapable of describing its time-dependent hysteretic behaviors accurately particularly when snapping occurs. To overcome this limitation, here we present a finite element modeling approach to investigating the dynamics of concentric-tube continuum robots. In our model, each tube is discretized using MITC shell elements and its transient responses are computed implicitly using the Bathe time integration method. Inter-tube contacts, the key actuation mechanism of this robot, are modeled using the constraint function method with contact damping to capture the hysteresis in robot trajectories. Performance of the proposed method is demonstrated by analyzing three specifications of two-tube robots including the one exhibiting snapping phenomena while the method can be applied to multiple-tube robots as well.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.97-107
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• 2019

The frame structures investigated in this paper is composed of Concrete encased columns with L-shaped steel section and steel beams. The seismic behavior of this structural system is studied through experimental and numerical studies. A 2-bay, 3-story and 1/3 scaled frame specimen is tested under constant axial loading and cyclic lateral loading applied on the column top. The load-displacement hysteretic loops, ductility, energy dissipation, stiffness and strength degradation are investigated. A typical failure mode is observed in the test, and the experimental results show that this type of framed structure exhibit a high strength with good ductility and energy dissipation capacity. Furthermore, finite element analysis software Perform-3D was conducted to simulate the behavior of the frame. The calculating results agreed with the test ones well. Further analysis is conducted to investigate the effects of parameters including concrete strength, column axial compressive force and steel ratio on the seismic performance indexes, such as the elastic stiffness, the maximum strength, the ductility coefficient, the strength and stiffness degradation, and the equivalent viscous damping ratio. It can be concluded that with the axial compression ratio increasing, the load carrying capacity and ductility decreased. The load carrying capacity and ductility increased when increasing the steel ratio. Increasing the concrete grade can improve the ultimate bearing capacity of the structure, but the ductility of structure decreases slightly.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 2021

Deficient beam-column joints of reinforced concrete (RC) structures designed to older practices and codes often lead to destructive local or global failures. A strengthening technique for these joints based on the use of the new and innovative Carbon-FRP (C-FRP) ropes is presented and investigated. The C-FRP ropes are diagonally placed in superficial notches on the two sides of the joint. Two full scale external substandard joint subassemblages with the same characteristics, one unstrengthened and one strengthened with diagonally applied C-FRP ropes, are constructed and tested in cyclic loading. Special attention has been given to the elaboration of the acquired test measurements. The extracted conclusions are based on the comparative study of the hysteretic responses of the specimens, the observed maximum load envelopes, the comparisons of the joint body shear deformations as measured using diagonally mounted LVTDs, the calculated nominal principal stresses developed in the joint regions, the assessed joint damage as expressed by the damage index by Park and Ang and finally the calculated values of the equivalent damping ratio. From these comparisons it is concluded that application of diagonally mounted C-FRP ropes on the two sides of the joint body of exterior connections is an efficient easy-to-apply technique for the strengthening of substandard RC joints.