• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.667-684
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• 2008

Numerous devices exist for reducing or eliminating seismic damage to structures. These include passive dampers, semi-active dampers, and active control devices. The performance of structural systems with these devices has often been evaluated using numerical simulations. Experiments on structural systems with these devices, particularly at large-scale, are lacking. This paper describes a real-time hybrid testing facility that has been developed at the Lehigh University NEES Equipment Site. The facility enables real-time large-scale experiments to be performed on structural systems with rate-dependent devices, thereby permitting a more complete evaluation of the seismic performance of the devices and their effectiveness in seismic hazard reduction. The hardware and integrated control architecture for hybrid testing developed at the facility are presented. An application involving the use of passive elastomeric dampers in a three story moment resisting frame subjected to earthquake ground motions is presented. The experiment focused on a test structure consisting of the damper and diagonal bracing, which was coupled to a nonlinear analytical model of the remaining part of the structure (i.e., the moment resisting frame). A tracking indictor is used to track the actuator ability to achieve the command displacement during a test, enabling the quality of the test results to be assessed. An extension of the testbed to the real-time hybrid testing of smart structures with semi-active dampers is described.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.479-500
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• 2016

Seismic design criteria allow enhancing the structural ductility and controlling the damage distribution. Therefore, detailing rules and design requirements given by current seismic codes might be also beneficial to improve the structural robustness. In this paper a comprehensive parametric study devoted to quantifying the effectiveness of seismic detailing for steel Moment Resisting Frames (MRF) in limiting the progressive collapse under column loss scenarios is presented and discussed. The overall structural performance was analysed through nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. With this regard the following cases were examined: (i) MRF structures designed for wind actions according to Eurocode 1; (ii) MRF structures designed for seismic actions according to Eurocode 8. The investigated parameters were (i) the number of storeys; (ii) the interstorey height; (iii) the span length; (iv) the building plan layout; and (v) the column loss scenario. Results show that structures designed according to capacity design principles are less robust than wind designed ones, provided that the connections have the same capacity threshold in both cases. In addition, the numerical outcomes show that both the number of elements above the removed column and stiffness of beams are the key parameters in arresting progressive collapse.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.1171-1186
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• 2014

Damping is one of the parameters that control the performance of structures when they are subjected to seismic, wind, blast or other transient shock and vibration disturbances. By adding supplemental viscous dampers, the energy input from a transient deformation is absorbed, not only by the structure itself, but also by the supplemental dampers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the values of both damping and ductility reduction factors for steel moment resisting frames with supplemental linear viscous dampers. Two-dimensional finite element models have been established for a range of low to mid rise buildings with different parameters: number of floors; number of bays; and number of dampers with different supplemental damping ratios (from 5% to 30%). A parametric study has been performed using time history analyses and a well-documented research method (N2-method). In addition, an equation has been proposed for each reduction factor based on regression analysis for the obtained results. The results of the Time history analyses are compared with those of a modified N2-method. Moreover, a comparison with values specified in the European code EC8 and the Egyptian code ECP-201 has been performed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.10 no.2 s.35
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• pp.253-261
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• 1998

The buckling length of exterior beam-columns of the first floor in moment resisting steel frames with weak beams is uncertain when plastic hinges occur at the ends of weak beams due to seismic loads. The objective of this study is to investigate the buckling strength of concrete-filled tubular beam-columns and to suggest the reduced buckling length of them to apply to the beam-column design code. The exterior beam-columns are modelized with horizontal displacement restraint springs. Their strength and reduced buckling length are evaluated by numerical analysis.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2004

Dynamic analyses were carried out to study the seismic response of high-rise steel moment-resisting frames in sixteen story buildings. The frames are intentionally designed by three different design procedures; strength controlled design. strong column-weak beam controlled design. and drift controlled design. The seismic performances of the so-designed frames with vertical mass irregularities were discussed in view of drift ratio. plastic hinge rotation, hysteretic energy input and stress demand. A demand curve of hysteretic energy inputs was also presented with two earthquake levels in peak ground accelerations for a future design application.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.589-611
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• 2016

The primary objectives of this research are to investigate the energy factor response of steel moment resisting frame (MRF) systems equipped with fuses subject to ground motions and to develop an energy-based evaluation approach for evaluating the damage-control behavior of the system. First, the energy factor of steel MRF systems with fuses below the resilience threshold is derived utilizing the energy balance equation considering bilinear oscillators with significant post-yielding stiffness ratio, and the effect of structural nonlinearity on the energy factor is investigated by conducting a parametric study covering a wide range of parameters. A practical transformation approach is also proposed to associate the energy factor of steel MRF systems with fuses with classic design spectra based on elasto-plastic systems. Then, the energy balance is extended to structural systems, and an energy-based procedure for damage-control evaluation is proposed and a damage-control index is also derived. The approach is then applied to two types of steel MRF systems with fuses to explore the applicability for quantifying the damage-control behavior. The rationality of the proposed approach and the accuracy for identifying the damage-control behavior are demonstrated by nonlinear static analyses and incremental dynamic analyses utilizing prototype structures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1177-1195
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• 2015

Six specimens are tested to investigate the cyclic behavior of beam-to-column abnormal joints in steel moment-resisting frames, which are designed according to the principle of strong-member and weak-panel zone. Key parameters include the axial compression ratio of column and the section depth ratio of beams. Experimental results indicate that four types of failure patterns occurred during the loading process. The $P-{\Delta}$ hysteretic loops are stable and plentiful, but have different changing tendency at the positive and negative direction in the later of loading process due to mechanical behaviors of specimens. The ultimate strength tends to increase with the decrease of the section depth ratio of beams, but it is not apparent relationship to the axial compression ratio of column, which is less than 0.5. The top panel zone has good deformation capacity and the shear rotation can reach to 0.04 rad. The top panel zone and the bottom panel zone don't work as a whole. Based on the experimental results, the equation for shear strength of the abnormal joint panel zone is established by considering the restriction of the bottom panel zone to the top panel zone, which is suitable for the abnormal joint of H-shaped or box column and beams with different depths.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.561-580
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• 2014

After strong earthquakes conventional frames used worldwide in multi - story steel buildings (e.g. moment resisting frames) are not well positioned according to reparability. Two innovative systems for seismic resistant steel frames incorporated with dissipative fuses were developed within the European Research Program "FUSEIS" (Vayas et al. 2013). The first, FUSEIS1, resembles a vertical Vierendeel beam and is composed of two closely spaced strong columns rigidly connected to multiple beams. In the second system, FUSEIS2, a discontinuity is introduced in the composite beams of a moment resisting frame and the dissipative devices are steel plates connecting the two parts. The FUSEIS system is able to dissipate energy by means of inelastic deformations in the fuses and combines ductility and architectural transparency with stiffness. In case of strong earthquakes damage concentrates only in the fuses which behave as self-centering systems able to return the structure to its initial undeformed shape. Repair work after such an event is limited only to replacing the fuses. Experimental and numerical investigations were performed to study the response of the fuses system. Code relevant design rules for the seismic design of frames with dissipative FUSEIS and practical recommendations on the selection of the appropriate fuses as a function of the most important parameters and member verifications have been formulated and are included in a Design Guide. This article presents the design and performance of building frames with FUSEIS 1-1 based on models calibrated on the experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.579-597
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• 2006

The behaviour of reinforced concrete moment resisting frame structures in recent earthquakes all over the world has highlighted the consequences of poor performance of beam column joints. Large amount of research carried out to understand the complex mechanisms and safe behaviour of beam column joints has gone into code recommendations. This paper presents critical review of recommendations of well established codes regarding design and detailing aspects of beam column joints. The codes of practice considered are ACI 318M-02, NZS 3101: Part 1:1995 and the Eurocode 8 of EN 1998-1:2003. All three codes aim to satisfy the bond and shear requirements within the joint. It is observed that ACI 318M-02 requires smaller column depth as compared to the other two codes based on the anchorage conditions. NZS 3101:1995 and EN 1998-1:2003 consider the shear stress level to obtain the required stirrup reinforcement whereas ACI 318M-02 provides stirrup reinforcement to retain the axial load capacity of column by confinement. Significant factors influencing the design of beam-column joints are identified and the effect of their variations on design parameters is compared. The variation in the requirements of shear reinforcement is substantial among the three codes.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.132-137
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• 2011

A relationship between resisting moment and the structure of an automatic closure device is introduced for analyzing the effect of opening and closing condition on various fire door sizes in the pressurized room for smoke control system. The larger the size of fire door is, the more force is required for reaching to opening and closing conditions and there exists the design range of fire door in the pressurized room reflecting the closing time of fire door, rotative velocity, a relation between rotative angle and force and the efficiency of the automatic closure device.