• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.1061-1076
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• 2016

Prefabricated Modular Buildings are increasingly becoming popular in the construction industry as a method to achieve financially economical buildings in a very short construction time. This increasing demand for modular construction has expanded into multi-storey applications where the effect of lateral loads such as seismic loads becomes critical. However, there is a lack of detailed scientific research that has explored the behaviour of modular buildings and their connection systems against seismic loads. This paper will therefore present the nonlinear time history analysis of a multi-storey modular building against several ground motion records. The critical elements that need special attention in designing a modular building in similar seismic conditions is discussed with a deeper explanation of the behaviour of the overall system.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.439-455
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• 1998

A three-dimensional static nonlinear finite element analysis was performed on the NUPEC large-scale flanged shear wall, which was the subject of an international study program. Details of the constitutive models and analysis procedures used are provided, and the results of the analysis are presented and discussed. The analytical results are compared to the experimentally observed behaviour, and reasonable correlation is observed. Deficiencies in the modelling are identified. In addition, a parametric study is undertaken to investigate factors and mechanisms influencing both the observed behaviour and the calculated response. Finally, a cyclic load analysis of the wall is described and discussed. The paper serves to point out aspects in modelling that are critical to both producing realistic results, and correctly interpreting those results.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.769-781
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• 2015

The skin friction of a pile foundation is important and essential for its design and analysis. More attention has been given to the softening behaviour of skin friction of a pile. In this study, to investigate the load-transfer mechanism in such a case, an analytical solution using a nonlinear softening model was derived. Subsequently, a load test on the pile was performed to verify the newly developed analytical solution. The comparison between the analytical solution and test results showed a good agreement in terms of the axial force of the pile and the stress-strain relationship of the pile-soil interface. The softening behaviour of the skin friction can be simulated well when the pile is subjected to large loads; however, such behaviour is generally ignored by most existing analytical solutions. Finally, the effects of the initial shear modulus and the ratio of the residual skin friction to peak skin friction on the load-settlement curve of a pile were investigated by a parametric analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.1065-1084
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• 2016

The analysis and design of skeletal structures is greatly influenced by the behaviour of beam-to-column connections, where patented designs have led to a wide range of types with differing structural quantities. The behaviour of beam-to-column connections plays an important role in the analysis and design of framed structures. This paper presents an overview of the influence of connection behaviour on structural stability, in the in-plane (bending) mode of sway. A computer-based method is presented for geometrically nonlinear plane frames with semi-rigid connections accounting for shear deformations. The analytical procedure employs transcendental modified stability functions to model the effect of axial force on the stiffness of members. The member stiffness matrix were found. The critical load has been searched as a suitable load parameter for the loss of stability of the system. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the validity of the analysis procedure. The method is readily implemented on a computer using matrix structural analysis techniques and is applicable for the efficient nonlinear analysis of frameworks. Combined with a parametric column effective length study, connection and frame stiffness are used to propose a method for the analysis of semi-rigid frames where column effective lengths are greatly reduced and second order (deflection induced) bending moments in the column may be distributed via the connectors to the beams, leading to significant economies.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.85-107
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• 2012

The building frame and its foundation along with the soil on which it rests, together constitute a complete structural system. In the conventional analysis, a structure is analysed as an independent frame assuming unyielding supports and the interactive response of soil-foundation is disregarded. This kind of analysis does not provide realistic behaviour and sometimes may cause failure of the structure. Also, the conventional analysis considers infill wall as non-structural elements and ignores its interaction with the bounding frame. In fact, the infill wall provides lateral stiffness and thus plays vital role in resisting the seismic forces. Thus, it is essential to consider its effect especially in case of high rise buildings. In the present research work the building frame, infill wall, isolated column footings (open foundation) and soil mass are considered to act as a single integral compatible structural unit to predict the nonlinear interaction behaviour of the composite system under seismic forces. The coupled isoparametric finite-infinite elements have been used for modelling of the interaction system. The material of the frame, infill and column footings has been assumed to follow perfectly linear elastic relationship whereas the well known hyperbolic soil model is used to account for the nonlinearity of the soil mass.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.97-107
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• 2021

A comprehensive study on seismic performance of wood frame building in hilly regions is presented. Specifically, seismic fragility assessment of a typical wood frame building at various locations of the northeast region of India are demonstrated. A three-dimensional simplified model of the wood frame building is developed with due consideration to nonlinear behaviour of shear walls under lateral loads. In doing so, a trilinear model having improved capability to capture the force-deformation behaviour of shear walls including the strength degradation at higher deformations is proposed. The improved capability of the proposed model to capture the force-deformation behaviour of shear wall is validated by comparing with the existing experimental results. The structural demand values are obtained from nonlinear time history analysis (NLTHA) of the three-dimensional wood frame model considering the effect of uncertainty due to record to record variation of ground motions and structural parameters as well. The ground motion bins necessary for NLTHA are prepared based on the identified hazard level from probabilistic seismic hazard analysis of the considered locations. The maximum likelihood estimates of the lognormal fragility parameters are obtained from the observed failure cases and the seismic fragilities corresponding to different locations are estimated accordingly. The results of the numerical study show that the wood frame constructions commonly found in the region are likely to suffer minor cracking or damage in the shear walls under the earthquake occurrence corresponding to the estimated seismic hazard level; however, poses negligible risk against complete collapse of such structures.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.443-456
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• 2021

Structural design of the vertical displacements and shear strains in the earth fill (EF) dams has great importance in the structural engineering problems. Moreover, far fault earthquakes have significant seismic effects on seismic damage performance of EF dams like the near fault earthquakes. For this reason, three dimensional (3D) earthquake damage performance of Oroville dam is assessed considering different far-fault ground motions in this study. Oroville Dam was built in United States of America-California and its height is 234.7 m (770 ft.). 3D model of Oroville dam is modelled using FLAC3D software based on finite difference approach. In order to represent interaction condition between discrete surfaces, special interface elements are used between dam body and foundation. Non-reflecting seismic boundary conditions (free field and quiet) are defined to the main surfaces of the dam for the nonlinear seismic analyses. 6 different far-fault ground motions are taken into account for the full reservoir condition of Oroville dam. According to nonlinear seismic analysis results, the effects of far-fault ground motions on the nonlinear seismic settlement and shear strain behaviour of Oroville EF dam are determined and evaluated in detail. It is clearly seen that far-fault earthquakes have very significant seismic effects on the settlement-shear strain behaviour of EF dams and these earthquakes create vital important seismic damages on the swelling behaviour of dam body surface. Moreover, it is proposed that far-fault ground motions should not be ignored while modelling EF dams.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.277-309
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• 2013

Beam-to-column connections behaviour plays an important role in the analysis and design of steel and precast concrete structures. The paper presents a computer-based method for geometrically nonlinear frames with semi-rigid beam-to-column connections. The analytical procedure employs modified stability functions to model the effect of axial force on the stiffness of members. The member modified stiffness matrix, and the modified fixed end forces for various loads were found. The linear and nonlinear analyses were applied for two planar steel structures. The method is readily implemented on a computer using matrix structural analysis techniques and is applicable for the efficient nonlinear analysis of frameworks.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.174-181
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• 2000

A brief review of previous studies on the behaviour of concrete at extremely low temperature is presented in this paper. In addition, to describe temperature dependent behaviour of concrete, simple piecewise linear stress-strain relation is introduced. The proposed curve shows good agreement with experimental stress-strain curves at various temperature conditions. Moreover, numerical analyses for two PC beams are conducted to verify the influence of extremely low temperature to the structural behaviour.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.243-260
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• 2008

The present article summarises the fundamental characteristics of concrete behaviour which underlie the formulation of an engineering finite element model capable of realistically predicting the behaviour of (plain or reinforced) concrete structural forms in a wide range of problems ranging from static to impact loading without the need of any kind of re-calibration. The already published evidence supporting the proposed formulation is complemented by four additional typical case studies presented herein; for each case, a comparative study is carried out between numerical predictions and the experimental data which reveals good agreement. Such evidence validates the material characteristics upon which the FE model's formulation is based and provides an alternative explanation regarding the behaviour of structural concrete and how it should be modelled which contradicts the presently (widely) accepted assumptions adopted in the majority of FE models used to predict the behaviour of concrete.