• Coupled systems mechanics
• /
• v.7 no.6
• /
• pp.731-753
• /
• 2018

The recent seismic events have led to concerns on safety and vulnerability of Reinforced Concrete Moment Resisting Frame "RC-MRF" buildings. The seismic design demands are greatly dependent on the computational tools, the inherent assumptions and approximations introduced in the modeling process. Thus, it is essential to assess the relative importance of implementing different modeling approaches and investigate the computed response sensitivity to the corresponding modeling assumptions. Many parameters and assumptions are to be justified for generation effective and accurate structural models of RC-MRF buildings to simulate the lateral response and evaluate seismic design demands. So, the present study aims to develop reliable finite element model through many refinements in modeling the various structural components. The effect of finite element modeling assumptions, analysis methods and code provisions on seismic response demands for the structural design of RC-MRF buildings are investigated. where, a series of three-dimensional finite element models were created to study various approaches to quantitatively improve the accuracy of FE models of symmetric buildings located in active seismic zones. It is shown from results of the comparative analyses that the use of a calibrated frame model which was made up of line elements featuring rigid offsets manages to provide estimates that match best with estimates obtained from a much more rigorous modeling approach involving the use of shell elements.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.209-223
• /
• 2019

The assessment of wind-induced vibration for tall reinforced concrete (RC) buildings requires the accurate estimation of their dynamic properties, e.g., the fundamental vibration periods and damping ratios. In this study, RC frame-shear wall systems designed under gravity and wind loadings have been evaluated by utilising 3D FE modelling incorporating eigen-analysis to obtain the elastic periods of vibration. The conducted parameters consist of the number of storeys, the plan aspect ratio (AR) of buildings, the core dimensions, the space efficiency (SE), and the leasing depth (LD) between the internal central core and outer frames. This analysis provides a reliable basis for further investigating the effects of these parameters and establishing new formulas for predicting the fundamental vibration periods by using regression analyses on the obtained results. The proposed constrained numerically based formula for vibration periods of tall RC frame-shear wall office buildings in terms of the height of buildings reasonably agrees with some cited formulas for vibration period from design codes and standards. However, the same proposed formula has a high discrepancy with other cited formulas from the rest of design codes and standards. Also, the proposed formula agrees well with some cited experimentally based formulas.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.63 no.1
• /
• pp.115-124
• /
• 2017

In this paper, a different technique to predict the effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) on seismic response of building systems is investigated. The technique use a machine learning algorithm called Support Vector Regression (SVR) with technical and analytical results as input features. Normally, the effects of SSI on seismic response of existing building systems can be identified by different types of large data sets. Therefore, predicting and estimating the seismic response of building is a difficult task. It is possible to approximate a real valued function of the seismic response and make accurate investing choices regarding the design of building system and reduce the risk involved, by giving the right experimental and/or numerical data to a machine learning regression, such as SVR. The seismic response of both single-degree-of-freedom system and six-storey RC frame which can be represent of a broad range of existing structures, is estimated using proposed SVR model, while allowing flexibility of the soil-foundation system and SSI effects. The seismic response of both single-degree-of-freedom system and six-storey RC frame which can be represent of a broad range of existing structures, is estimated using proposed SVR model, while allowing flexibility of the soil-foundation system and SSI effects. The results show that the performance of the technique can be predicted by reducing the number of real data input features. Further, performance enhancement was achieved by optimizing the RBF kernel and SVR parameters through grid search.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.989-1003
• /
• 2014

In the preliminary design stage of an RC 3D-frame, repeated sequential analyses to determine optimal members' sizes and the investigation of the parameters required to minimize the differential column shortening are computational effort consuming, especially when considering various types of loads such as dead load, temperature action, time dependent effects, construction and live loads. Because the desired accuracy at this stage does not justify such luxury, two backpropagation feedforward artificial neural networks have been proposed in order to approximate this information. Instead of using a commercial software package, many references providing advanced principles have been considered to code a program and generate these neural networks. The first one predicts the typical amount of time between two phases, needed to achieve the minimum maximorum differential column shortening. The other network aims to prognosticate sequential analysis results from those of the simultaneous analysis. After the training stages, testing procedures have been carried out in order to ensure the generalization ability of these respective systems. Numerical cases are studied in order to find out how good these ANN match with the sequential finite element analysis. Comparison reveals an acceptable fit, enabling these systems to be safely used in the preliminary design stage.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.281-298
• /
• 2013

Composite special moment frame is one of the systems that are utilized in areas with low to high seismicity to deal with earthquake forces. Composite moment frames are composed of reinforced concrete columns (RC) and steel beams (S); therefore, the connection region is a combination of steel and concrete materials. In current study, a three dimensional finite element model of composite connections is developed. These connections are used in special composite moment frame, between reinforced concrete columns and steel beams (RCS). Finite element model is discussed as a most reliable and low cost method versus experimental procedures. Based on a tested connection model by Cheng and Chen (2005), the finite element model has been developed under cyclic loading and is verified with experimental results. A good agreement between finite element model and experimental results was observed. The connection configuration contains Face Bearing Plates (FBPs), Steel Band Plates (SBPs) enveloping around the RC column just above and below the steel beam. Longitudinal column bars pass through the connection with square ties around them. The finite element model represented a stable response up to the first cycles equal to 4.0% drift, with moderately pinched hysteresis loops and then showed a significant buckling in upper flange of beam, as the in test model.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.671-682
• /
• 2007

The probability and the reliability-based seismic performance evaluation procedure proposed in the FEMA-355F was applied to a reinforced concrete moment frame building in this study. For the FEMA procedure, which was originally developed for steel moment frame structures, to be applied to other structural systems, the capacity should be re-defined and the factors reflecting the uncertainties related to capacity and demand need to be determined. To perform the evaluation procedure a prototype building was designed per IBC 2003, and inelastic dynamic analyses were conducted applying site-specific ground motions to determine the parameters for performance evaluation. According to the analysis results, distribution of the determined capacities turned out to be relatively smaller than that of the demands, which showed that the defined capacity was reasonable. It was also shown that the prototype building satisfied the target performance since the determined confidence levels exceeded the objectives for both local and global collapses.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.407-412
• /
• 2020

Due to the influence of nonlinearity and time-variation, it is difficult to establish an accurate model of concrete frame structures that adopt active controllers. Fuzzy theory is a relatively appropriate method but susceptible to human subjective experience to decrease the performance. To guarantee the stability of multi-time delays complex system with multi-interconnections, a delay-dependent criterion of evolved design is proposed in this paper. Based on this criterion, the sector nonlinearity which converts the nonlinear model to multiple rule base of the linear model and a new sufficient condition to guarantee the asymptotic stability via Lyapunov function is implemented in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). A numerical simulation for a three-layer reinforced concrete frame structure subjected to earthquakes is demonstrated that the proposed criterion is feasible for practical applications.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.86 no.2
• /
• pp.277-290
• /
• 2023

A supplementary reinforced concrete wall can be used to improve the seismic behavior of a buckling restrained braced frame as a mixed system. In such a novel system, the total lateral force is resisted by the combination of the RC wall system and the BRBF. There is not enough research on the response modification factor of such a mixed system. This paper investigates the response modification factor, and such relevant factors as ductility reduction factor and over strength factor for a system consisting of reinforced concrete wall and buckling restrained braced frame. To this purpose, nonlinear incremental dynamic analysis as well as static push over analysis are used for 6- to 14-story sample structures. The results show that for mixed considered systems, the mean value of response modification factor varies approximately from 7 to 9.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.649-665
• /
• 2020

One of the most important issues in structural systems is evaluation of the margin of safety in low and mid-rise buildings against the progressive collapse mechanism due to the earthquake loads. In this paper, modeling of collapse propagation in structural elements of RC frame buildings is evaluated by tracing down the collapse points in beam and column structural elements, one after another, under earthquake loads and the influence of column removal is investigated on how the collapse expansion in beam and column structural members. For this reason, progressive collapse phenomenon is studied in 3-story and 5-story intermediate moment resisting frame buildings due to the corner and edge column removal in presence of the earthquake loads. In this way, distribution and propagation of the collapse in progressive collapse mechanism is studied, from the first element of the structure to the collapse of a large part of the building with investigating and comparing the results of nonlinear time history analyses (NLTHA) in presence of two-component accelograms proposed by FEMA_P695. Evaluation of the results, including the statistical survey of the number and sequence of the collapsed points in process of the collapse distribution in structural system, show that the progressive collapse distribution are special and similar in low-rise and mid-rise RC buildings due to the simultaneous effects of the column removal and the earthquake loads and various patterns of the progressive collapse distribution are proposed and presented to predict the collapse propagation in structural elements of similar buildings. So, the results of collapse distribution patterns and comparing the values of collapse can be utilized to provide practical methods in codes and guidelines to enhance the structural resistance against the progressive collapse mechanism and eventually, the value of damage can be controlled and minimized in similar buildings.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.691-707
• /
• 2020

One of the most important issues in structural systems is evaluation of the margin of safety in low and mid-rise buildings against the progressive collapse mechanism due to the earthquake loads. In this paper, modeling of collapse propagation in structural elements of RC frame buildings is evaluated by tracing down the collapse points in beam and column structural elements, one after another, under earthquake loads and the influence of column removal is investigated on how the collapse expansion in beam and column structural members. For this reason, progressive collapse phenomenon is studied in 3-story and 5-story intermediate moment resisting frame buildings due to the corner and edge column removal in presence of the earthquake loads. In this way, distribution and propagation of the collapse in progressive collapse mechanism is studied, from the first element of the structure to the collapse of a large part of the building with investigating and comparing the results of nonlinear time history analyses (NLTHA) in presence of two-component accelograms proposed by FEMA_P695. Evaluation of the results, including the statistical survey of the number and sequence of the collapsed points in process of the collapse distribution in structural system, show that the progressive collapse distribution are special and similar in low-rise and mid-rise RC buildings due to the simultaneous effects of the column removal and the earthquake loads and various patterns of the progressive collapse distribution are proposed and presented to predict the collapse propagation in structural elements of similar buildings. So, the results of collapse distribution patterns and comparing the values of collapse can be utilized to provide practical methods in codes and guidelines to enhance the structural resistance against the progressive collapse mechanism and eventually, the value of damage can be controlled and minimized in similar buildings.