• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.449-461
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• 2024

The vertical reinforcement connection between the precast reinforced concrete shear wall and the cast-in-place reinforced concrete member is vital to the performance of shear walls under seismic loading. This paper investigated the structural behavior of three precast reinforced concrete shear walls, with different levels of connection (i.e., full connection, partial connection, and no connection), subjected to quasi-static lateral loading. The specimens were subjected to a constant vertical load, resulting in an axial load ratio of 0.4. The crack pattern, failure modes, load-displacement relationships, ductility, and energy dissipation characteristics are presented and discussed. The resultant seismic performances of the three tested specimens were compared in terms of skeleton curve, load-bearing capacity, stiffness, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, and viscous damping. The seismic performance of the partially connected shear wall was found to be comparable to that of the fully connected shear wall, exhibiting 1.7% and 3.5% higher yield and peak load capacities, 9.2% higher deformability, and similar variation in stiffness, energy dissipation capacity and viscous damping at increasing load levels. In comparison, the seismic performance of the non-connected shear wall was inferior, exhibiting 12.8% and 16.4% lower loads at the yield and peak load stages, 3.6% lower deformability, and significantly lower energy dissipation capacity at lower displacement and lower viscous damping.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.329-348
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• 2019

The main objective of this experimental research was to investigate the Seismic performance of reinforced concrete frames infilled with perforated clay brick masonry wall of a type commonly used in Algeria. Four one story-one bay reinforced concrete infilled frames of half scale of an existing building were tested at the National Earthquake Engineering Research Center Laboratory, CGS, Algeria. The experiments were carried out under a combined constant vertical and reversed cyclic lateral loading simulating seismic action. This experimental program was performed in order to evaluate the effect and the contribution of the infill masonry wall on the lateral stiffness, strength, ductility and failure mode of the reinforced concrete frames. Numerical models were developed and calibrated using the experimental results to match the load-drift envelope curve of the considered specimens. These models were used as a bench mark to assess the effect of normalized axial load on the seismic performance of the RC frames with and without masonry panels. The main experimental and analytical results are presented in this paper.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.477-487
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• 2021

This study focuses on the influence of strong ground motion duration on the response and collapse probability of reinforced concrete walls with a predominant response in flexure. Walls with different height and mass were used to account for a broad spectrum of configurations and fundamental periods. The walls were designed following the specifications of the Chilean design code. Non-linear models of the reinforced concrete walls using a distributed plasticity approach were performed in OpenSees and calibrated with experimental data. Special attention was put on modeling strength and stiffness degradation. The effect of duration was isolated using spectrally equivalent ground motions of long and short duration. In order to assess the behavior of the RC shear walls, incremental dynamic analyses (IDA) were performed, and fragility curves were obtained using cumulative and non-cumulative engineering demand parameters. The spectral acceleration at the fundamental period of the wall was used as the intensity measure (IM) for the IDAs. The results show that the long duration ground motion set decreases the average collapse capacity in walls of medium and long periods compared to the results using the short duration set. Also, it was found that a lower median intensity is required to achieve moderate damage states in the same medium and long period wall models. Finally, strength and stiffness degradation are important modelling parameters and if they are not included, the damage in reinforced concrete walls may be greatly underestimated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.2135-2146
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• 2022

A nuclear energy facility is one of the most critical facilities to be safely protected during and after operation because the physical destruction of its barriers by an external attack could release radioactivity into the environment and can cause harmful effects. The barrier walls of nuclear energy facilities should be sufficiently robust to protect essential facilities from external attack or sabotage. Physical protection system (PPS) vulnerability assessment of a typical small nuclear research reactor was carried out by simulating an external attack with a tri-nitro toluene (TNT) shaped charge and results are presented. The reinforced concrete (RC) barrier wall of the research reactor located at a distance of 50 m from a TNT-shaped charge was the target of external attack. For the purpose of the impact assessment of the RC barrier wall, a finite element method (FEM) is utilized to simulate the destruction condition. The study results showed that a hole-size of diameter 342 mm at the front side and 364 mm at the back side was created on the RC barrier wall as a result of a 143.35 kg TNT-shaped charge. This aperture would be large enough to let at least one person can pass through at a time. For the purpose of the PPS vulnerability assessment, an Estimate of Adversary Sequence Interruption (EASI) model was used, which enabled the determination of most vulnerable path to the target with a probability of interruption equal to 0.43. The study showed that the RC barrier wall is vulnerable to a TNT-shaped charge impact, which could in turn reduce the effectiveness of the PPS.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.135-153
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• 2013

This study investigates the direct displacement based design (DDBD) approach for different types of reinforced concrete structural systems including single moment-resisting, dual wall-frame and dual steel-braced systems. In this methodology, the displacement profile is calculated and the equivalent single degree of freedom system is then modeled considering the damping characteristics of each member. Having calculated the effective period and secant stiffness of the structure, the base shear is obtained, based on which the design process can be carried out. For each system three frames are designed using DDBD approach. The frames are then analyzed using nonlinear time-history analysis with 7 earthquake accelerograms and the damage index is investigated through lateral drift profile of the models. Results of the analyses and comparison of the nonlinear time-history analysis results indicate efficiency of the DDBD approach for different reinforced concrete structural systems.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.111-123
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• 2005

The ductility of reinforced concrete bearing walls subjected to high axial loading and moment can be enhanced by improving the deformability of the compression zone or by reducing the neutral axis depth. The current state-of-the-art procedure evaluating the confinement effect prompts a consideration of the spaces between the transverse and longitudinal reinforcing bars, and a provision of tie bars. At the same time, consideration must also be given to the thickness of the walls. However, such considerations indicate that the confinement effect cannot be expected with the current practice of detailing wall ends in Korea. As an alternative, a comprehensive method for dimensioning boundary elements is proposed so that the entire section of a boundary element can stay within the compression zone when the full flexural strength of the wall is developed. In this comprehensive method, the once predominant code approach for determining the compression zone has been advanced by considering the rectangular stress block parameters varying with the extreme compression fiber strain. Moreover, the size of boundary elements can also be determined in relation to the architectural requirement.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.511-539
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• 2015

The main objective of this study is to analytically investigate the effectiveness of different strengthening solutions in upgrading the seismic performance of existing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in Nepal. For this, four building models with different structural configurations and detailing were considered. Three possible rehabilitation solutions were studied, namely: (a) RC shear wall, (b) steel bracing, and (c) RC jacketing for all of the studied buildings. A numerical analysis was conducted with adaptive pushover and dynamic time history analysis. Seismic performance enhancement of the studied buildings was evaluated in terms of demand capacity ratio of the RC elements, capacity curve, inter-storey drift, energy dissipation capacity and moment curvature demand of the structures. Finally, the seismic safety assessment was performed based on standard drift limits, showing that retrofitting solutions significantly improved the seismic performance of existing buildings in Nepal.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2023

Reinforced concrete flat slab (RCFS) with columns is a standard gravity floor system for tall buildings in North America. Typically, RCFS-column connections are designed to resist gravity loads, and their contribution to resisting seismic forces is ignored. However, past experimental research has shown that RCFS-column connections have some strength and ductility, which may not be ignored. Advanced numerical models have been developed in the past to determine the nonlinear cyclic behavior of RCFS-column connections. However, these models are either too complicated for nonlinear dynamic analysis of an entire building or not developed to model the behavior of modern RCFS-column connections. This paper proposes a new nonlinear model suitable for modern RCFS-column connections. The numerical model is verified using experimental data of specimens with various material and reinforcement properties. A 40-story RC shear wall building was designed and analyzed to investigate the influence of RCFS on the global response of tall concrete buildings. The seismic responses of the building with and without the RCFS were modelled and compared. The results show that the modelling of RCFS has a significant impact on the inter-story drifts and force demands on both the seismic force-resisting and gravity elements.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.811-828
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• 2016

This study aims to present nonlinear time history analysis results of double leaf cavity wall (DLCW) reinforced concrete structure exposed to shake table tests. Simulation of the model was done by a Finite Element (FE) program. Shake table experiment was performed at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory in Lisbon, Portugal. The results of the experiment were compared with numeric DLCW model and numeric model of reinforced concrete structure with unreinforced masonry wall (URM). Both DLCW and URM models have two bays and two stories. Dimensions of the tested structure and finite element models are 1:1.5 scaled according to Cauchy Froude similitude law. The URM model has no experimental results but the purpose is to compare their performance level with the DLCW model. Results of the analysis were compared with experimental response and were evaluated according to ASCE/SEI 41-06 code.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.5A
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• pp.277-287
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• 2012

The shear wall with openings built with reinforced concrete (RC) have been elaborately studied by many researchers, whereas the steel plate concrete (SC) wall structure has not been investigated as much. The recent SC wall structures developed in Korea have been partly applied to nuclear power plant structures, although its design specification or guideline for the SC wall structure with openings has not been completed yet. This study based on numerical analysis evaluates the effects of opening on the structural resistance of the SC structure in nuclear power plant. As a result from nonlinear analysis, since the strengthening for openings significantly affect the overall strength of SC wall, the openings should be considered to strengthen them around adjacent area. It is also proved that the strengthened openings have the sufficient resistance and ductility regardless their size, shape, location, and quantity.