• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2016

The progressive collapse analysis of reinforced concrete (RC) moment-frame buildings under extreme loads is discussed from the perspective of modeling issues. A threat-independent approach or the alternate path method forms the basis of the simulations wherein the extreme event is modeled via column removal scenarios. Using a prototype RC frame building, issues and considerations in constitutive modeling of materials, options in modeling the structural elements and specification of gravity loads are discussed with the goal of achieving consistent models that can be used in collapse scenarios involving successive loss of load-bearing columns at the lowest level of the building. The role of the floor slabs in mobilizing catenary action and influencing the progressive collapse response is also highlighted. Finally, an energy-based approach for identifying the proximity to collapse of regular multi-story buildings is proposed.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.719-729
• /
• 2017

A considerable research is available on the seismic response of Reinforced Concrete (RC) shear wall-frame buildings, but the studies on the reliability of such buildings, with the consideration of human error, are limited. In the present study, a detailed procedure for reliability assessment of RC shear wall-frame building subjected to earthquake loading against serviceability limit state is presented. Monte Carlo simulation was used for the reliability assessment. The procedure was implemented on a 10-story RC building to demonstrate that the shear walls improve the reliability substantially. The annual and life-time failure probabilities of the studied building were estimated by employing the information of the annual probability of earthquake occurrence and the design life of the building. A simple risk-based cost assessment procedure that relates both the structural life-time failure probability and the target reliability with the total cost of the building was then presented. The structural failure probability (i.e., the probability of exceeding the allowable drift) considering human errors was also studied. It was observed that human error in the estimation of total load and/or concrete strength changes the reliability sharply.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.249-259
• /
• 2019

To study the seismic resistance of the shear capacity of the RC beam-column joints of two-story and four-story RC buildings, sample buildings are designed with ordinary moment resisting frame. For the shear capacity of joints, the equations of FEMA 356 and NZ seismic assessment are selected and compared. For comparison, one group of buildings is designed only for gravity loads and the other group is designed for seismic and gravity loads. For 16 cases of the designed buildings, seismic performance point is evaluated through push-over analysis and the capacity of joint shear strength is checked. Not only for the gravity designed buildings but also for seismic designed buildings, the demand of joint shear is exceeding the capacity at exterior joints. However, for interior joint, the demand of joint shear exceeds the capacity only for one case. At exterior joints, the axial load stress ratio is lower than 0.21 for gravity designed buildings and 0.13 for seismic designed buildings.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.283-295
• /
• 2019

During the seismic performance assessment of existing buildings, staircases are generally not taken into account as structural members but as dead load. Staircases, as secondary structural members, not only serve for connecting successive floors but also provide considerable amount of strength and stiffness to the building which can modify its seismic behaviour considerably. In this parametric study, the influence of staircases on the seismic response of substandard RC frame buildings which differ in number of storey and span, presence of staircase and its position has been examined. Modal Analyses and bi-directional Non-Linear Time History Analyses (NLTHA) were conducted to compare several engineering demand parameters (EDPs) such as inter-storey drift ratio (ISDR), floor accelerations, modal properties, member shear forces and plastic hinge distribution. Additionally, short column effect, variation in shear forces of columns that are attached to the staircase slab, failure and deformation in staircase models have also been investigated. As the staircase was considered in the analytical model, a different damage pattern can be developed especially in the structural components close to staircase.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.71 no.5
• /
• pp.563-576
• /
• 2019

According to The Concrete Centre, in the UK shear walls have become an inseparable part of almost every reinforced concrete frame building. Recently, the construction industry has questioned the need for shear walls in low to mid-rise RC frame buildings. This study tried to address the issue in two stages: The first stage, the feasibility of removing shear walls in an existing design for a residential building where ETABS and CONCEPT software were used to investigate the structural performance and cost-effectiveness respectively. The second stage, the same structure was examined in various locations in the UK to investigate regional effects. This study demonstrated that the building without shear wall could provide adequate serviceability and strength within the safe range defined by Eurocodes. As a result, construction time, overall cost and required concrete volume are reduced which in turn enhance the sustainability of concrete construction.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.107-120
• /
• 2014

A Reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall system with coupling beams has been known as one of the most promising structural systems for high-rise buildings. However, significantly large flexural and/or shear stress demands induced in the coupling beams require special reinforcement details to avoid their undesirable brittle failure. In order to solve this problem, one of promising candidates is frictional hysteretic energy dissipating devices (HEDDs) as an alternative to the coupling beams. The introduction of frictional HEDDs into a RC shear wall system increases energy dissipation capacity and maintains the frame action after their yielding. This paper investigates the strength demands (specifically yield strength levels) with a maximum allowable ductility of frictional HEDDs based on comparative non-linear time-history analyses of a prototype RC shear wall system with traditional RC coupling beams and frictional HEDDs. Analysis results show that the RC shear wall systems coupled by frictional HEDDs with more than 50% yield strength of the RC coupling beams present better seismic performance compared to the RC shear wall systems with traditional RC coupling beams. This is due to the increased seismic energy dissipation capacity of the frictional HEDD. Also, it is found from the analysis results that the maximum allowable ductility demand of a frictional HEDD should increase as its yield strength decreases.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.1111-1133
• /
• 2015

Rebar corrosion in concrete is one of the main causes of reduction of service life of reinforced concrete buildings. This paper presents the influence of rebar corrosion on the structural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings subjected to strong earthquake ground motion. Different levels of rebar corrosion scenarios were applied on a typical four story RC frame. The deteriorated conditions as a result of these scenarios include loss in cross-sectional area and loss of mechanical properties of the reinforcement bars, loss in bond strength, and loss in concrete strength and its modulus of elasticity. Dynamic analyses of the frame with different corrosion scenarios are performed with selected strong earthquake ground motion records. The influences of degradation in both concrete and reinforcement on structural behavior are investigated by comparing the various parameters of the frame under different corrosion scenarios with respect to each other. The results show that the progressive deterioration of the frame due to rebar corrosion causes serious structural behavior changes such as change in failure mode. The intensity, propagation time, and extensity of rebar corrosion have very important effects on the level of degradation of steel and concrete, as well as on the earthquake behavior of the structure.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.343-353
• /
• 2021

In this study, in order to improve the seismic performance of existing reinforced concrete (RC) framed structures, various external attachment of corner steel frame configurations was considered as a user-friendly retrofitting method. The external steel frame is designed to contribute to the lateral stiffness and load carrying capacity of the existing RC structure. A six-story building was taken into account. Four different external corner steel frame configurations were suggested in order to strengthen the building. The 3D models of the building with suggested retrofitting steel frames were developed within ABAQUS environment using solid finite elements and analyzed under horizontal loadings nonlinearly. Horizontal top displacement vs loading curves were obtained to determine the overall performance of the building. Contributions of steel and RC frames to the carried loads were computed individually. Load/capacity ratios for the ground floor columns were presented. In the study, 3D rendered images of the building with the suggested retrofits are created to better visualize the real effect of the retrofit on the final appearance of the façade of the building. The analysis results have shown that the proposed external steel frame retrofit configurations increased the lateral load carrying capacity and lateral stiffness and can be used to improve the seismic performance of RC framed buildings.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.455-464
• /
• 2023

Seismologists now suggest that the earth has entered an active seismic period; many earthquake-related events are occurring globally. Consequently, numerous casualties, as well as economic losses due to earthquakes, have been reported in recent years. Primarily, significant and colossal damage occurs in reinforced concrete (RC) buildings with masonry infill wall systems, and the construction of these types of structures have increased worldwide. According to a report from the Ministry of Education in the Republic of Korea, many buildings were built with RC frames with masonry infill walls in the Republic of Korea during the 1980s. For years, most structures of this type have been school buildings, and since the Pohang earthquake in 2017, the government of the Republic of Korea has paid close attention to this social event and focused on damage from earthquakes. From a long-term research perspective, damage from structural collapse due to the short column effect has been a major concern, specifically because the RC frame with a masonry infill wall system is the typical form of structure for school buildings. Therefore, the short column effect has recently been a major topic for research. This study compares one RC frame with four different types of RC frames with masonry infill wall systems. Structural damage due to the short column effect is clearly analyzed, as the result of this research is giving in a higher infill wall system produces a greater shear force on the connecting point between the infill wall system and the column. The study is expected to be a useful reference for research on the short column effect in RC frames with masonry infill wall systems.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.609-613
• /
• 2004

An economic analysis is one of the most dominant factors to determine the project feasibility of super tall building. In economic considerations, it is very important toadopt optimum structural floor systems because these are dependent on both the cost and the duration of construction. The economics affected by structural floor systems are more distinct athigher story. As the story increases, the construction cost of floor system. is accumulated linearly, while the cost of lateral resisting system is increased geometrically. The purpose of this study is to investigate the economical effects of super tall buildings through application of optimum structural floor systems. Three types of structural systems(RC beam-column frame, RC flat plate frame, and Steel frame) of super tall buildings having 50-stories are considered in this study and compared to RC flat plate slab with other systems. Analytical result shows that RC flat plate slab using lightweight concrete ismost effective in both the cost and the duration of construction.