• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.100-107
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• 2005

Reinforcing steel bars in reinforced concrete structures are protected from corrosion by passive film on the steel surface inside concrete with high alkalinity. However, when the passive film breaks down due to chloride ion ingressed into the RC structures, a corrosion initiates at the surface of steel bars. Then, internal pressure by volume expansion of corrosion products in reinforcing bars induces cracking and spalling of cover concrete, which reduces not only durability performance but also structural performance in RC structures. In this paper, a service life prediction of RC structures is carried out by using a micro-mechanics based corrosion model. The corrosion model is composed of a chloride penetration model to evaluate the initiation of corrosion and an electric corrosion cell model and an oxygen diffusion model to evaluate the rate and the accumulated amounts of corrosion. Then, a corrosion cracking model is combined to the models to evaluate critical amount of corrosion product for initiation cracking in cover concrete. By implementing the models into a finite element analysis program, a time and space dependent corrosion analysis and a service life prediction of RC structures due to chloride attack are simulated and the results of the analysis are compared with test results. The effect of crack width on the corrosion and the service life of the RC structures are analyzed and discussed.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.515-530
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• 2021

In a tall reinforced concrete (RC) core wall system subjected to strong ground motions, inelastic behavior near the base as well as mid-height of the wall is possible. Generally, the formation of plastic hinge in a core wall system may lead to extensive damage and significant repairing cost. A new configuration of core structures consisting of buckling restrained braced frames (BRBFs) and RC walls is an interesting idea in tall building seismic design. This concept can be used in the plan configuration of tall core wall systems. In this study, tall buildings with different configurations of combined core systems were designed and analyzed. Nonlinear time history analysis at severe earthquake level was performed and the results were compared for different configurations. The results demonstrate that using enough BRBFs can reduce the large curvature ductility demand at the base and mid-height of RC core wall systems and also can reduce the maximum inter-story drift ratio. For a better investigation of the structural behavior, the probabilistic approach can lead to in-depth insight. Therefore, incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) curves were calculated to assess the performance. Fragility curves at different limit states were then extracted and compared. Mean IDA curves demonstrate better behavior for a combined system, compared with conventional RC core wall systems. Collapse margin ratio for a RC core wall only system and RC core with enough BRBFs were almost 1.05 and 1.92 respectively. Therefore, it appears that using one RC core wall combined with enough BRBF core is an effective idea to achieve more confidence against tall building collapse and the results demonstrated the potential of the proposed system.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.141-158
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• 2005

A new design of distributed crack sensors based on the topological change of transmission line cables is presented for the condition assessment of reinforced concrete (RC) structures during and immediately after an earthquake event. This study is primarily focused on the performance of cable sensors under dynamic loading, particularly a feature that allows for some "memory" of the crack history of an RC member. This feature enables the post-earthquake condition assessment of structural members such as RC columns, in which the earthquake-induced cracks are closed immediately after an earthquake event due to gravity loads, and are visually undetectable. Factors affecting the onset of the feature were investigated experimentally with small-scale RC beams under cyclic loading. Test results indicated that both crack width and the number of loading cycles were instrumental in the onset of the memory feature of cable sensors. Practical issues related to dynamic acquisition with the sensors are discussed. The sensors were proven to be fatigue resistant from shake table tests of RC columns. The sensors continued to show useful performance after the columns can no longer support additional loads.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.279-293
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• 2019

The overall seismic performance of existing pre 1960-70s reinforced concrete (RC) structures is significantly affected by the inadequate length of columns' lap-spliced reinforcement. Due to this crucial structural deficiency, the cyclic response is dominated by premature bond - slip failure, strength and stiffness degradation, poor energy dissipation capacity and low ductility. Recent earthquakes worldwide highlighted the importance of improving the load transfer mechanism between lap-spliced bars, while it was clearly demonstrated that the failure of lap splices may result in a devastating effect on structural integrity. Extensive experimental and analytical research was carried out herein, to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of strengthening techniques applied to RC columns with lap-spliced reinforcement and also accurately predict the columns' response during an earthquake. Ten large scale cantilever column subassemblages, representative of columns found in existing pre 1970s RC structures, were constructed and strengthened by steel or RC jacketing. The enhanced specimens were imposed to earthquake-type loading and their lateral response was evaluated with respect to the hysteresis of two original and two control subassemblages. The main variables examined were the lap splice length, the steel jacket width and the amount of additional confinement offered by the jackets. Moreover, an analytical formulation proposed by Tsonos (2007a, 2019) was modified appropriately and applied to the lap splice region, to calculate shear stress developed in the concrete and predict if yielding of reinforcement is achieved. The accuracy of the analytical method was checked against experimental results from both the literature and the experimental work included herein.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2011

An extensive database has been constructed of reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column connection tests subjected to cyclic lateral loading. All cases within the database experienced joint shear failure, either in conjunction with or without yielding of longitudinal beam reinforcement. Using the experimental database, envelope curves of joint shear stress vs. joint shear strain behavior have been created by connecting key points such as cracking, yielding, and peak loading. Various prediction approaches for RC joint shear behavior are discussed using the constructed experimental database. RC joint shear strength and deformation models are first presented using the database in conjunction with a Bayesian parameter estimation method, and then a complete model applicable to the full range of RC joint shear behavior is suggested. An RC joint shear prediction model following a U.S. standard is next summarized and evaluated. Finally, a particular joint shear prediction model using basic joint shear resistance mechanisms is described and for the first time critically assessed.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.35-38
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• 2005

Carbon fiber sheets are widely used for strengthening the deteriorated RC structures. However most studies on the strengthening method of RC structures with carbon fiber sheets are concerning static problems. The purpose of this experimental study is to present the basic data on fatigue behaviors of. RC beams strengthened with carbon fiber sheets. The experimental parameters of this study are ; 1) the existence of U-shaped carbon fiber sheets at the ends for anchoring, 2) the number of carbon fiber sheet layers in strengthening the RC beams, 3) the load levels of $60\%\~90\%$ of the static bending moment strength, which is obtained form the static tests. Experimental results are estimated from the relationships of load level, displacement, number of repeated load and released energy. It is concluded that U-shaped carbon fiber sheets for end anchoring is very effective and the beams strengthened with one layer of carbon fiber sheet have longer fatigue life than that with three layers.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.665-687
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• 2014

This paper presents a framework for analytical seismic vulnerability assessment of substandard reinforced concrete (RC) structures in developing countries. Amodified capacity-demand diagram method is used to predict the response of RC structures with degrading behaviour. A damage index based on period change is used to quantify the evolution of damage. To demonstrate the framework, a class of substandard RC buildings is examined. Abrupt accumulation of damage is observed due to the brittle failure modes and this is reflected in the developed vulnerability curves, which differ substantially from the curves of ductile structures.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 1987

Fatigue fracture of reinforced concrete structures are characterized by considerably larger strains and microcracking as compared to fracture of R.C. structures under static loading. The strain of stirrup is increased suddenly by the occuring of inclined crack and the average strain ${\epsilon}_{\omega}$ of all stirrups in a structure at maximum load increase approximately in proportion to log N. The structures critical in longitudinal reinforcement seemed to have an endurance limit of 60~70 percent of static ultimate strengths for 1,000,000 cycles. In this test, the average fatigue strength at 1,000,000 cycles for all structures tested was approximately 65 percent of the static ultimate strength.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.4
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• pp.547-571
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• 2023

To deeply probe the actual earthquake level and fragility of typical reinforced concrete (RC) structures under multiple intensity grades, considering diachronic measurement building stock samples and actual observations of representative catastrophic earth shocks in China from 1990 to 2010, RC structures were divided into traditional RC structures (TRCs) and bottom reinforced concrete frame seismic wall masonry (BFM) structures, and the empirical damage characteristics and mechanisms were analysed. A great deal of statistics and induction were developed on the historical experience investigation data of 59 typical catastrophic earthquakes in 9 provinces of China. The database and fragility matrix prediction model were established with TRCs of 4,122.5284×104 m² and 5,844 buildings and BFMs of 5,872 buildings as empirical seismic damage samples. By employing the methods of structural damage probability and statistics, nonlinear prediction of seismic vulnerability, and numerical and applied functional analysis, the comparison matrix of actual fragility probability prediction of TRC and BFM in multiple intensity regions under the latest version of China's macrointensity standard was established. A novel nonlinear regression prediction model of seismic vulnerability was proposed, and prediction models considering the seismic damage ratio and transcendental probability parameters were constructed. The time-varying vulnerability comparative model of the sample database was developed according to the different periods of multiple earthquakes. The new calculation method of the average fragility prediction index (AFPI) matrix parameter model has been proposed to predict the seismic fragility of an areal RC structure.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.223-230
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• 2006

In this paper the method for repair LCC evaluation of reinforced concrete structures deteriorated by chloride attack was constructed. Also, the FEM analysis for chloride ion penetration into concrete was conducted to evaluate the repair LCC which was decided by the number of repair times including early stages of construction and repair construction during the service life of structures. As a result, the number of repair times is obtained from the comparing the concentration of the chloride ion in a rebar position, and the critical chloride ion concentration of rebar corrosion through the FEM analysis considering the kind of repair materials and methods. Also, the repair LCC could be calculated by the number of repair times during the service life of structures.