• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.487-497
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• 2020

During the last few decades, fluid viscous dampers have been significantly improved in terms of performance and reliability. Viscous dampers dissipate the input energy into heat and the increased temperature may damage internal seals of the damper. As a result, thermal compensation is crucial for almost all fluid viscous dampers. In this study, while referring to the main working principles of the recently developed bypass viscous damper in Iran, a comprehensive case study is conducted on a RC building having diagonal braces equipped with such viscous dampers. Experimental results of a small-scale bypass viscous damper is presented and it is shown that the currently available simplified Maxwell models can simulate behavior of the bypass viscous damper with good accuracy. Using a case study, contribution of bypass viscous dampers to seismic behavior of structural and non-structural elements are investigated. A designed procedure is adopted to increase damping ratio of the building from 3% to 15%. In this way, reductions of 25% and 13% in the required concrete and steel rebar materials have been achieved. From nonlinear time history analyses, it is observed that bypass viscous dampers can greatly improve seismic behavior of structural elements and non-structural elements.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.699-712
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• 2017

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a newly developed retrofitting scheme for masonry-infilled non-ductile RC frames experimentally and by numerical simulation. The technique focuses on modifying the load path and yield mechanism of the infilled frame to enhance the ductility. A vertical gap between the column and the infill panel was strategically introduced so that no shear force is directly transferred to the column. Steel brackets and small vertical steel members were then provided to transfer the interactive forces between the RC frame and the masonry panel. Wire meshes and high-strength mortar were provided in areas with high stress concentration and in the panel to further reduce damage. Cyclic load tests on a large-scale specimen of a single-bay, single-story, masonry-infilled RC frame were carried out. Based on those tests, the retrofitting scheme provided significant improvement, especially in terms of ductility enhancement. All retrofitted specimens clearly exhibited much better performances than those stipulated in building standards for masonry-infilled structures. A macro-scale computer model based on a diagonal-strut concept was also developed for predicting the global behavior of the retrofitted masonry-infilled frames. This proposed model was effectively used to evaluate the global responses of the test specimens with acceptable accuracy, especially in terms of strength, stiffness and damage condition.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.195-208
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• 2008

This paper summarizes the experimental vibration-based structural health monitoring study on a historical monument in Jordan. In this work, and within the framework of the European Commission funded project "wide-Range Non-Intrusive Devices Toward Conservation of Historical Monuments in the Mediterranean Area", a seven and a half century old minaret located in Ajloun (73 km north of the capital Amman) is studied. Because of their cultural value, touristic importance and the desire to preserve them for the future, only non-destructive tests were allowed for the experimental investigation of such heritage structures. Therefore, after dimensional measurements and determination of the current state of damage in the selected monument, ambient vibration tests are conducted to measure the accelerations at strategic locations of the system. Output-only modal identification technique is applied to extract the modal parameters such as natural frequencies and mode shapes. A Non-linear version of SAP 2000 computer program is used to develop a three-dimensional finite element model of the minaret. The developed numerical model is then updated according to the modal parameters obtained experimentally by the ambient-vibration test-results and the measured characteristics of old stone and deteriorated mortar. Moreover, a parametric identification method using the N4Sid state space model is employed to model the dynamic behavior of the minaret and to build up a robust, immune and noise tolerant model.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.17-37
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• 2014

In this study, four widely accepted and used variants of Evolution Strategies (ES) are adapted and applied to the output-error state-space identification problem. The selection of ES is justified by prior strong indication of superior performance to similar problems, over alternatives like Genetic Algorithms (GA) or Evolutionary Programming (EP). The ES variants that are being tested are (i) the (1+1)-ES, (ii) the $({\mu}/{\rho}+{\lambda})-{\sigma}$-SA-ES, (iii) the $({\mu}_I,{\lambda})-{\sigma}$-SA-ES, and (iv) the (${\mu}_w,{\lambda}$)-CMA-ES. The study is based on a six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) structural model of a shear building that is characterized by light damping (up to 5%). The envisaged analysis is taking place through Monte Carlo experiments under two different excitation types (stationary / non-stationary) and the applied ES are assessed in terms of (i) accurate modal parameters extraction, (ii) statistical consistency, (iii) performance under noise-corrupted data, and (iv) performance under non-stationary data. The results of this suggest that ES are indeed competitive alternatives in the non-linear state-space estimation problem and deserve further attention.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.339-352
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• 2022

Due to the large volume and generally as a public building, the damage of large-span space structures under various non-conventional loads will cause greater economic losses, casualties, and social impacts, etc. Therefore, it is particularly important to evaluate the seismic performance of large-span space structures. This paper taked a multipurpose sports center as an example and considered its synergistic deformation based on the method of equivalent damping ratio. Furthermore, The ABAQUS software was used to analyze the time-history and energy response of the multipurpose sports center under the action of rare earthquakes, and proposed a quantitative damage index to assess the overall damage of the structure. Finally, the research results indicated that the maximum inter-story drift ratio of the multipurpose sports center under the action of rare earthquakes was less than its limit value. The frame beams presented different degrees of damage, but the key members were basically in an elastic state. The bearing capacity did not reach the limit value, which satisfied the intended seismic performance target. This study taked an actual case as an example and proposed a relevant damage evaluation system, which provided some reference for the analysis of the seismic performance of large-span space structures.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2015

Wind tunnel testing of a low-rise building with openings (holes) of different sizes and shapes on a roof corner is conducted to measure the internal and external pressures from the building model. Detailed analysis of the testing data is carried out to investigate the characteristics of the internal and external pressures of the building with different openings' configurations. Superimposition of the internal and external pressures makes the emergence of positive net pressures on the roof. The internal pressures demonstrate an overall uniform distribution. The probability density function (PDF) of the internal pressures is close to the Gaussian distribution. Compared with the PDF of the external pressures, the non-Gaussian characteristics of the net pressures weakened. The internal pressures exhibit strong correlation in frequency domain. There appear two humps in the spectra of the internal pressures, which correspond to the Helmholtz frequency and vortex shedding frequency, respectively. But, the peak for the vortex shedding frequency is offset for the net pressures. Furthermore, the internal pressure characteristics indirectly reflect that the length of the front edge enhances the development of the conical vortices.The objective of this study aims to further understanding of the characteristics of internal, external and net pressures for low-rise buildings in an effort to reduce wind damages to residential buildings.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.207-217
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• 2015

The influence of powdered and colloidal nano-silica (NS) on the mechanical properties of cement mortar has been investigated. Powdered-NS (~40 nm) was synthesized by employing the sol-gel method and compared with commercially available colloidal NS (~20 nm). SEM and XRD studies revealed that the powdered-NS is non-agglomerated and amorphous, while colloidal-NS is agglomerated in nature. Further, these nanoparticles were incorporated into cement mortar for evaluating compressive strength, gel/space ratio, portlandite quantification, C-S-H quantification and chloride diffusion. Approximately, 27 and 37 % enhancement in compressive strength was observed using colloidal and powdered-NS, respectively, whereas the same was up to 19 % only when silica fume was used. Gel/space ratio was also determined on the basis of degree of hydration of cement mortar and it increases linearly with the compressive strength. Furthermore, DTG results revealed that lime consumption capacity of powdered-NS is significantly higher than colloidal-NS, which results in the formation of additional calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H). Chloride penetration studies revealed that the powdered-NS significantly reduces the ingress of chloride ion as the microstructure is considerably improved by incorporating into cement mortar.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.439-451
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• 2015

This study analyzed the isolation effect for a 15-story reinforced concrete (RC) building with regard to changes in the beam-column stiffness ratio and the difference in the vibration period between the superstructure and an isolation layer in order to provide basic data that are needed to devise a framework for the design of isolated RC buildings. First, this analytical study proposes to design RC building frames by securing an isolation period that is at least 2.5 times longer than the natural vibration period of a superstructure and configuring a target isolation period that is 3.0 s or longer. To verify the proposed plan, shaking table tests were conducted on a scaled-down model of 15-story RC building installed with laminated rubber bearings. The experimental results indicate that the tested isolated structure, which complied with the proposed conditions, exhibited an almost constant response distribution, verifying that the behavior of the structure improved in terms of usability. The RC building's response to inter-story drift (which causes structural damage) was reduced by about one-third that of a non-isolated structure, thereby confirming that the safety of such a superstructure can be achieved through the building's improved seismic performance.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.731-742
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• 2020

Due to incessant earthquakes, many historic South Nias traditional timber houses have been damaged while some still stand today. As Nias is part of an extremely active tectonic region and the buildings are getting older by day, it is essential that these unique houses are well maintained and functioning well. A post-earthquake condition assessment was conducted on 2 selected buildings; 'Building A' survived the seismic shakings while 'Building B' got severely damaged. The overall condition assessment of "Building A' was found out to be poor and the main structural members were not performing as intended. In 'Building B', the columns were not well anchored to the ground, no tie beams to tie the columns together, and eventually, the timber columns moved in various directions during the earthquake. The frequent earthquakes along with deterioration due to lack of proper maintenance program are responsible for the non-survival of the buildings. Thus, a process guideline for managing the maintenance of these buildings was proposed. This is necessary because managing the maintenance works could help to extend the life of the buildings and seek to avoid the need for potentially expensive and disruptive intervention works, which may damage the cultural significance of the buildings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.53-73
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• 2007

In this study, an effective load increment method for multi modal adaptive non-linear static (pushover) analysis (NSA) for building type structures is presented. In the method, lumped plastisicity approach is adopted and geometrical non-linearties (second-order effects) are included. Non-linear yield conditions of column elements and geometrical non-linearity effects between successive plastic sections are linearized. Thus, load increment needed for formation of plastic sections can be determined directly (without applying iteration or step-by-step techniques) by using linearized yield conditions. After formation of each plastic section, the higher mode effects are considered by utilizing the essentials of traditional response spectrum analysis at linearized regions between plastic sections. Changing dynamic properties due to plastification in the system are used on the calculation of modal lateral loads. Thus, the effects of stiffness changes and local mechanism at the system on lateral load distribution are included. By using the proposed method, solution can be obtained effectively for multi-mode whereby the properties change due to plastifications in the system. In the study, a new procedure for determination of modal lateral loads is also proposed. In order to evaluate the proposed method, a 20 story RC frame building is analyzed and compared with Non-linear Dynamic Analysis (NDA) results and FEMA 356 Non-linear Static Analysis (NSA) procedures using fixed loads distributions (first mode, SRSS and uniform distribution) in terms of different parameters. Second-order effects on response quantities and periods are also investigated. When the NDA results are taken as reference, it is seen that proposed method yield generally better results than all FEMA 356 procedures for all investigated response quantities.