• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.529-536
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• 2005

Based on an estimating method for post-cyclic strength and stiffness with cyclic triaxial tests, Direct Simple Shear (DSS) tests were carried out to confirm whether the method can be adapted to DSS test on fine-grained soils: silty clay, plastic silt, and non-plastic silt. Results from post-cyclic DSS tests were interpreted by a modified method as adopted for post-cyclic triaxial tests. In particular, influence of plasticity index for fine-grained soils was emphasised. Findings obtained from the present study are: (i) the higher the plasticity index of fine-grained soils is, the less not stiffness ratio but strength ratio decreases with increment of a normalised excess pore water pressure; and (ii) post-cyclic strength and stiffness results from DSS tests agree well with those predicted by the method modified from a procedure used for triaxial test results.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.15-26
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• 2004

Based on an estimating method for post-cyclic strength and stiffness with cyclic triaxial tests proposed by one of the authors, cyclic Direct Simple Shear (DSS) tests were carried out to confirm whether the method can be adapted to DSS test on fine-grained soils: silty clay, plastic silt, and non-plastic silt. Results from cyclic and post-cyclic DSS tests were interpreted by a modified method as adopted for cyclic and post-cyclic triaxial tests. In particular, influence of plasticity index for fine-grained soils and initial static shear stress (ISSS) was emphasised. Findings obtained from the present study are: (i) liquefaction strength ratio of fine-grained soils decreases with decreasing plasticity index and increasing ISSS; (ii) plasticity index and ISSS did not markedly influence relation between equivalent cyclic stiffness and shear strain relations; (iii) the higher the plasticity index of fine-grained soils is, the less the strength ratio decreases with increment of a normalcies excess pore water pressure (NEPWP); (iv) stiffness ratio of plastic silt has large activity decrease rapidly with increasing excess pore water pressure; and (v) post-cyclic strength and stiffness results from DSS tests agree well with those predicted by the method modified from a procedure used for triaxial test results.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.482-485
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• 2006

The response of a reinforced concrete element under cyclic shear is characterized by the hysteretic loops of the shear stress-strain curves. These hysteretic loops can exhibit strength deterioration, stiffness degradation, and a pinched shape. Recent tests have shown that the orientation of steel grids in RC shear elements has a strong effect on the "pinching effect" in the post-yield hysteretic loops. When the steel grid was set at a 45 degree angle to the shear plane, there was no pinching effect and no strength deterioration. However, when the steel grid was set parallel to the shear plane, there was a severe pinching effect and severe strength deterioration with increasing shear strain magnitude. In this paper, two RC elements subjected to revered cyclic shear stresses are considered to study the effect of the steel grid orientation. The presence and absence of the pinching mechanism in the post-yield shear hysteretic loops is studied using the Rotating Angle Softened Truss Model (RA-STM) theory.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.107-122
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• 2020

Moment resisting stub columns (MRSCs) have increasingly adopted in special moment-resisting frame (SMF) systems in steel building structures, especially in Asian countries. The MRSCs typically provide a lower deformation capacity compared to shear-panel stub columns, a limited post-yield stiffness, and severe strength degradation as adopting slender webs. A new MRSC design with cored configuration, consisting of a core-segment and two side-segments using different steel grades, has been proposed in the study to improve the demerits mentioned above. Several full-scale components of the cored MRSC were experimentally investigated focusing on the hysteretic performance of plastic hinges at the ends. The effects of the depths of the core-segment and the adopted reduced column section details on the hysteretic behavior of the components were examined. The measured hysteretic responses verified that the cored MRSC enabled to provide early yielding, great ductility and energy dissipation, enhanced post-yield stiffness and limited strength degradation due to local buckling of flanges. A parametric study upon the dimensions of the cored MRSC was then conducted using numerical discrete model validated by the measured responses. Finally, a set of model equations were established based on the results of the parametric analysis to accurately estimate strength backbone curves of the cored MRSCs under increasing-amplitude cyclic loadings.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.745-757
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• 2018

The inclusion of a ductile steel bracing as means of repairing an earthquake-damaged bridge bent is evaluated and experimentally assessed for the purposes of restoring the damaged bent's strength and stiffness and further improving the energy dissipation capacity. The study is focused on substandard reinforced concrete multi-column bridge bents constructed in the 1950 to mid-1970 in the United States. These types of bents have numerous deficiencies making them susceptible to seismic damage. Large-scale experiments were used on a two-column reinforced concrete bent to impose considerable damage of the bent through increasing amplitude cyclic deformations. The damaged bent was then repaired by installing a ductile fuse steel brace in the form of a buckling-restrained brace in a diagonal configuration between the columns and using post-tensioned rods to strengthen the cap beam. The brace was secured to the bent using steel gusset plate brackets and post-installed adhesive anchors. The repaired bent was then subjected to increasing amplitude cyclic deformations to reassess the bent performance. A subassemblage test of a nominally identical steel brace was also conducted in an effort to quantify and isolate the ductile fuse behavior. The experimental data from these large-scale experiments were analyzed in terms of the hysteretic response, observed damage, internal member loads, as well as the overall stiffness and energy dissipation characteristics. The results of this study demonstrated the effectiveness of utilizing ductile steel bracing for restoring the bent and preventing further damage to the columns and cap beams while also improving the stiffness and energy dissipation characteristics.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.293-302
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• 2020

Connections play a significant role in strength of structures against earthquake-induced loads. According to the post-seismic reports, connection failure is a cause of overall failure in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Connection failure results in a sudden increase in inter-story drift, followed by early and progressive failure across the entire structure. This article investigated the cyclic performance and behavioral improvement of shape-memory alloy-based connections (SMA-based connections). The novelty of the present work is focused on the effect of shape memory alloy bars is damage reduction, strain recoverability, and cracking distribution of the stated material in RC moment frames under seismic loads using 3D nonlinear static analyses. The present numerical study was verified using two experimental connections. Then, the performance of connections was studied using 14 models with different reinforcement details on a scale of 3:4. The response parameters under study included moment-rotation, secant stiffness, energy dissipation, strain of bar, and moment-curvature of the connection. The connections were simulated using LS-DYNA environment. The models with longitudinal SMA-based bars, as the main bars, could eliminate residual plastic rotations and thus reduce the demand for post-earthquake structural repairs. The flag-shaped stress-strain curve of SMA-based materials resulted in a very slight residual drift in such connections.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.353-366
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• 2021

Cored moment resisting stub column (CMSC) was previously developed by the features of adopting a core segment which remains mostly elastic and reduced column section (RCS) details around the ends to from a stable hysteretic behavior with large post-yield stiffness and considerable ductility. Several full-scale CMSC components with various length proportions of the RCSs with respect to overall lengths have been experimentally investigated through both far-field and near-fault cyclic loadings followed by fatigue tests. Test results verified that the proposed CMSC provided very ductile hysteretic responses with no strength degradation even beyond the occurrence of the local buckling at the side-segments. The effect of RCS lengths on the seismic performance of the CMSC was verified to relate with the levels of the deformation concentration at the member ends, the local buckling behavior and overall ductility. Estimation equations were established to notionally calculate the first-yield and ultimate strengths of the CMSC and validated by the measured responses. A numerical model of the CMSC was developed to accurately capture the hysteretic performance of the specimens, and was adopted to clarify the effect of the surrounding frame and to perform a parametric study to develop the estimation of the elastic stiffness.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.563-588
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• 2015

Piers are the most vulnerable part of a bridge structure during an earthquake event. During Kobe earthquake in 1995, several bridge piers of the Hanshin Expressway collapsed for more than 600m of the bridge length. In this paper, the most important results of an experimental and analytical investigation of ten reinforced concrete bridge piers specimens with the same cross section subjected to constant axial (or variable) load and reversed (or one direction) cycling loading are presented. The objective was to investigate the main parameters influencing the seismic performance of reinforced concrete bridge piers. It was found that loading history and axial load intensity had a great influence on the performance of piers, especially concerning strength and stiffness degradation as well as the energy dissipation. Controlling these parameters is one of the keys for an ideal seismic performance for a given structure during an eventual seismic event. Numerical models for the tested specimens were developed and analyzed using SeismoStruct software. The analytical results show reasonable agreement with the experimental ones. The analysis not only correctly predicted the stiffness, load, and deformation at the peak, but also captured the post-peak softening as well. The analytical results showed that, in all cases, the ratio, experimental peak strength to the analytical one, was greater than 0.95.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.473-484
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• 2017

The objective of this paper is to report on a study of the use of unstiffened thin steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) for the seismic performance improvement of reinforced concrete frames with deficient lateral rigidity. The behaviour of reinforced concrete frames during seismic activities was rehabilitated with an alternative and occupant-friendly retrofitting scheme. The study involved tests of eight 1/3 scale, one bay, two storey test specimens under cyclic quasi-static lateral loadings. The first specimen, tested in previous test program, was a reference specimen, and in seven other specimens, steel infill plates were used to replace the conventional infill brick or the concrete panels. The identification of the load-deformation characteristics, the determination of the level of improvement in the overall strength, and the elastic post-buckling stiffness were the main issues investigated during the quasi-static test program. With the introduction of the SPSWs, it was observed that the strength, stiffness and energy absorption capacities were significantly improved. It was also observed that the experimental hysteresis curves were stable, and the composite systems showed excellent energy dissipation capacities due to the formation of a diagonal tension field action along with a diagonal compression buckling of the infill plates.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.247-259
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• 2017

This paper presents a fatigue assessment model that was developed for corroded reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened using prestressed carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. The proposed model considers the fatigue properties of the constituent materials as well as the section equilibrium. The model provides a rational approach that can be used to explicitly assess the failure mode, fatigue life, fatigue strength, stiffness, and post-fatigue ultimate capacity of corroded beams strengthened with prestressed CFRP. A parametric analysis demonstrated that the controlling factor for the fatigue behavior of the beams is the fatigue behavior of the corroded steel bars. Strengthening with one layer of non-prestressed CFRP sheets restored the fatigue behavior of beams with rebar at a low corrosion degree to the level of the uncorroded beams, while strengthening with 20- and 30%-prestressed CFRP sheets restored the fatigue behavior of the beams with medium and high corrosion degrees, respectively, to the values of the uncorroded beams. Under cyclic fatigue loading, the factors for the strengthening design of corroded RC beams fall in the order of stiffness, fatigue life, fatigue strength, and ultimate capacity.