• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.701-721
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• 2014

In the assessment of existing RC buildings, the reliable appraisal of the compressive strength of in-situ concrete is a fundamental step. Unfortunately, the data that can be obtained by the available testing methods are typically affected by a high level of uncertainty. Moreover, in order to derive indications about the degradation and ageing of the materials by on site tests, it is necessary to have the proper terms of comparison, that is to say, to know the reference data measured during the construction phases, that are often unavailable when the building is old. In the cases when such a comparison can be done, the in situ strength values typically turn out to be lower than the reference strength values (tests performed on taken samples during the construction). At this point, it is crucial to discern and quantify the specific effect induced by different factors: ageing of the materials; poor quality of the placement, consolidation or cure of the concrete during the construction phases; damage due to drilling. This paper presents a procedure for correlating the destructive compressive tests and non-destructive tests (ultrasonic pulse velocity tests) with the data documenting the compressive strength tested during the construction phases. The research work is aimed at identifying the factors that induce the difference between the in-situ strength and cubes taken from the concrete casting, and providing, so, useful information for the assessment procedure of the building.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.555-565
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• 2020

The main objective of seismic codes is to prevent structural collapse and ensure life safety. Collapse probability of a structure is usually assessed by making a series of analytical model assumptions. This paper investigates the effect of finite element modeling (FEM) assumptions on the estimated collapse capacity of a reinforced concrete (RC) frame building and points out the modeling limitations. Widely used element formulations and hysteresis models are considered in the analysis. A full-scale, three-story RC frame building was utilized as the experimental model. Alternative finite element models are established by adopting a range of different modeling strategies. Using each model, the collapse capacity of the structure is evaluated via Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA). Results indicate that the analytically estimated collapse capacities are significantly sensitive to the utilized modeling approaches. Furthermore, results also show that models that represent stiffness degradation lead to a better correlation between the actual and analytical responses. Results of this study are expected to be useful for in developing proper models for assessing the collapse probability of RC frame structures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.245-248
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• 2001

During the core drilling for the design of a railway bridge crossing over the inferred fault system along the river, fracture zone, extends vertically more than the bottom of borehole, filled with fault gouge was found. The safety of bridge could be threatened by the excessive subsidence or the reduced bearing capacity of bedrock, if a fault would be developed under or around the pier foundation. Thus, a close examination of the fault was required to rearrange pier locations away from the fault or to select a reinforcement method if necessary. Geophysical methods, seismic reflection method and electrical resistivity survey over the water covered area, were applied to delineate the weak zone associated with the fault system. The results of geophysical survey clearly showed a number of faults extending vertically more than 50m. Reinforcement was not desirable because of the high cost and the water contamination, etc. The pier locations were thus rearranged based on the results of geophysical surveys to avoid the undesirable situations, and additional core drillings on the rearranged pier locations were carried out. The bedrock conditions at the additional drilling sites turned out to be acceptable for the construction of piers.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2018

The corrosion environments in a steel structure are significantly different depending on the individual parts of the members. To ensure the safety of weathering steel structures, it is important to evaluate the time-dependent corrosion behavior. Thus, the progress and effect of corrosion damage on weathering steel members should be evaluated; however, the predicted corrosion depth, which is affected by the corrosion environment, has not been sufficiently considered until now. In this study, the time-dependent thicknesses of the corrosion product layer were examined to quantifiably investigate and determine the corrosion depth of the corroded surface according to the exposure periods and corrosion environments. Thus, their atmospheric exposure tests were carried out for 4 years under different corrosion environments. The relationship between the thickness of the corrosion product layers and mean corrosion depth was examined based on the corrosion environment. Thus, the micro corrosion environments on the skyward and groundward surfaces of the specimens were monitored using atmospheric corrosion monitor sensors. In addition, the evaluated mean corrosion depth was calculated based on the thickness of the corrosion product layer in an atmospheric corrosion environment, and was verified through a comparison with the measured mean corrosion depth.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2018

One of the significant problems in the design of onshore pipelines in seismic areas is their stability in case of liquefaction. Several model tests and numerical analyses allow investigating the behavior of pipelines when the phenomenon of liquefaction occurs. While experimental tests contribute significantly toward understanding the liquefaction mechanism, they are costly to perform compared to numerical analyses; on the other hand, numerical analyses are difficult to execute, because of the complexity of the soil behavior in case of liquefaction. This paper reports an overview of the existing computational methods to evaluate the stability of onshore pipelines in liquefied soils, with particular attention to the development of excess pore water pressures and the floatation of buried structures. The review includes the illustration of the mechanism of floating and the description of the available calculation methods that are classified in static and dynamic approaches. We also highlighted recent trends in numerical analyses. Moreover, for the static condition, referring to the American Petroleum Institute (API) Specification, we computed and compared the uplift safety factors in different cases that might have a relevant practical use.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.186-192
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• 1999

Safety-related equipments of nuclear power plant must be seismically qualified to demonstrate their ability to function as required during and/or after the earthquake, The seismic qualification is usually achieved through analysis and testing. Analysis method is preferably adopted for structurally simple equipments which are easy to be mathematically modeled. However even for relatively complex equipments analysis method is occasionally used for computing the input motion or supporting information for the component test followed. Electrical cabinet is a typical example for which analysis method is combinedly used with test to get modal properties of the enclosing cabinet structure. Usually the structural elements and doors of the cabinet are loosely interconnected with small-size bolts or spot welding. Therefore cabinet-type equipment usually has high and complex nonlinear properties which are not easily idealized by simple practical modeling techniques. in this paper with respect to a typical cabinet-type structure(instrumentation cabinet of nuclear power plant) a comparative study has been performed between three different state-of-the -art modeling techniques: lumped mass model frame model and FEM modal. Form the study results it has been found that modal properties of the cabinet-type structure in the elastic behavior range can be reasonably computed through any type of modeling techniques in the practice with slight modification of model properties to get better accuracy. However it needs additional modeling techniques to get reasonable results up to nonlinear range.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.271-283
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• 2013

This paper introduces the current status of high-rise building design in Japan, with reference to some recent projects. Firstly, the design approval system and procedures for high-rise buildings and structures in Japan are introduced. Then, performance-based wind-resistant design of a 300 m-high building, Abeno Harukas, is introduced, where building configuration, superstructure systems and various damping devices are sophisticatedly integrated to ensure a higher level of safety and comfort against wind actions. Next, design of a 213 m-high building is introduced with special attention to habitability against the wind-induced horizontal motion. Finally, performance-based wind-resistant design of a 634 m-high tower, Tokyo Sky Tree, is introduced. For this structure, the core column system was adopted to satisfy the strict design requirements due to the severest level of seismic excitations and wind actions.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.881-896
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• 2015

The authors' research group has developed a noncontact type of sensors which directly measure the inter-story drift displacements of a building during a seismic event. Soon after that event, such seismically-induced drift displacement data would provide structural engineers with useful information to judge how the stories have been damaged. This paper presents a scheme of estimating the story cumulative plastic deformation ratios based on such measured drift displacement information toward the building safety monitoring. The presented scheme requires the data of story drift displacements and the ground motion acceleration. The involved calculations are rather simple without any detailed information on structural elements required: the story hysteresis loops are first estimated and then the cumulative plastic deformation ratio of each story is evaluated from the estimated hysteresis. The effectiveness of the scheme is demonstrated by utilizing the data of full-scale building model experiment performed at E-defense and conducting numerical simulations.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.749-766
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• 2012

Structural control through integration of passive damping devices within the building structure has been increasingly implemented internationally in the last years and has proven to be a most promising strategy for earthquake safety. In the present paper an alternative configuration of an innovative energy dissipation mechanism that consists of slender tension only bracing members with closed loop and a hysteretic damper is investigated in its dynamic behavior. The implementation of the adaptable dual control system, ADCS, in frame structures enables a dual function of the component members, leading to two practically uncoupled systems, i.e., the primary frame, responsible for the normal vertical and horizontal forces and the closed bracing-damper mechanism, for the earthquake forces and the necessary energy dissipation. Three representative international earthquake motions of differing frequency contents, duration and peak ground acceleration have been considered for the numerical verification of the effectiveness and properties of the SDOF systems with the proposed ADCS-configuration. The control mechanism may result in significant energy dissipation, when the geometrical and mechanical properties, i.e., stiffness and yield force of the integrated damper, are predefined. An optimum damper ratio, DR, defined as the ratio of the stiffness to the yield force of the hysteretic damper, is proposed to be used along with the stiffness factor of the damper's- to the primary frame's stiffness, in order for the control mechanism to achieve high energy dissipation and at the same time to prevent any increase of the system's maximum base shear and relative displacements. The results are summarized in a preliminary design methodology for ADCS.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.147-168
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• 2011

To ensure safety and long term performance, structural control has rapidly matured over the past decade into a viable means of limiting structural responses to strong winds and earthquakes. Nonlinear response history analysis requires rigorous procedure to compute seismic demands. Therefore the simplified nonlinear analysis procedures are useful to determine performance of the structure. In this investigation, application of improved capacity demand diagram method in the control of structural system is presented for the first time. Developed pole assignment method (DPAM) in structural systems control is introduced. Genetic algorithm (GA) is employed as an optimization tool for minimizing a target function that defines values of coefficient matrices providing the placement of actuators and optimal control forces. The ground acceleration is modified under induced control forces. Due to this, performance of structure based on improved nonlinear demand diagram is selected to threshold of nonlinear behavior of structure. With small energy consumption characteristics, semi-active devices are especially attractive solutions for limiting earthquake effects. To illustrate the efficiency of DPAM, a 30-story steel moment frame structure employing the semi-active control devices is applied. In comparison to the widely used linear quadratic regulation (LQR), the DPAM controller was shown to be just as effective and better in the reduction of structural responses during large earthquakes.