• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.481-492
• /
• 2019

Due to the underground openings, the tangentially concentrated stress of the tunnel remains larger at excavation boundary and decreases toward the interior of the surrounding rock with a certain gradient. In order to study the effect of different gradient stress on rockburst, the true-triaxial gradient and hydraulic-pneumatic combined test apparatus were carried out to simulate the rockburst processes. Under the different gradient stress conditions, the rock-like specimen (gypsum) was tested independently through three principal stress directions loading--fast unloading of single surface--top gradient and hydraulic-pneumatic combined loading, which systematically analyzed the macro-mesoscopic damage phenomena, force characteristics and acoustic emission (AE) signals of the specimen during rockburst. The experimental results indicated that the rockburst test under the gradient and hydraulic-pneumatic combined loading conditions could perfectly reflect the rockburst processes and their stress characteristics; Relatively high stress loading could cause specimen failure, but could not determine its mode. The rockburst under the action of gradient stress suggested that the failure mode of specimen mainly depended on the stress gradient. When the stress gradient was lower, progressive and static spalling failure occured and the rockburst grades were relatively slight. On the other hand, shear fractures occurred in rockbursts accounted for increasingly large proportion as the stress gradient increased and the rockburst occurred more intensely and suddenly, the progressive failure process became unconspicuous, and the rockburst grades were moderate or even stronger.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.209-219
• /
• 2019

Unbonded Post-Tensioned (UPT) precast concrete systems have been shown to provide excellent seismic resistance. In order to improve understanding of the dynamic response of UPT systems, a series of snap back tests on four UPT systems was undertaken consisting of one Single Rocking Wall (SRW) and three Precast Wall with End Columns (PreWEC) systems. The snap back tests provided both a static pushover and a nonlinear free vibration response of a system. As expected the SRW exhibited an approximate bi-linear inertia force-drift response during the free vibration decay and the PreWEC walls showed an inertia force-drift response with increased strength and energy dissipation due to the addition of steel O-connectors. All walls exhibited negligible residual drifts regardless of the number of O-connectors or the post-tensioning force. When PreWEC systems of the same strength were compared the inclusion of further energy dissipating O-connectors was found to decrease the measured peak wall acceleration. Both the local and global wall parameters measured at pseudo-static and dynamic loading rates showed similar behaviour, which demonstrates that the dynamic behaviour of UPT walls is well represented by pseudo-static tests. The SRW was found to have Equivalent Viscous Damping (EVD) between 0.9-3.8% and the three PreWEC walls were found to have maximum EVD of between 14.7-25.8%.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.293-304
• /
• 2019

The optimum cost of a reinforced concrete plane and space frames have been found by using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) method. The design procedure is subjected to many constraints controlling the designed sections (beams and columns) based on the standard specifications of the American Concrete Institute ACI Code 2011. The design variables have contained the dimensions of designed sections, reinforced steel and topology through the section. It is obtained from a predetermined database containing all the single reinforced design sections for beam and columns subjected to axial load, uniaxial or biaxial moments. The designed optimum beam sections by using GAs have been unified through MATLAB to satisfy axial, flexural, shear and torsion requirements based on the designed code. The frames' functional cost has contained the cost of concrete and reinforcement of steel in addition to the cost of the frames' formwork. The results have found that limiting the dimensions of the frame's beams with the frame's columns have increased the optimum cost of the structure by 2%, declining the re-analysis of the optimum designed structures through GA.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.251-259
• /
• 2021

Current seismic fragility functions for buildings were developed by defining damage state threshold based on story drift concerning foreign references and using the capacity spectrum method based on spectral displacement. In this study, insufficient details and dependence on the core location of piloti-type buildings were not reflected in the fragility function because it was developed before the Pohang earthquake. In order to develop an improved one for piloti-type buildings, several types of core were selected, damage state threshold was determined based on the capacity of structural members, and three-dimensional analyses were utilized. As a result, seismic fragility functions based on spectral acceleration were developed for various core locations and different shear strengths of the column stirrup. The fragility of piloti-type buildings significantly varied according to core location, an additional single wall, and whether the contribution of column stirrup was included or not. To estimate fragility more reasonably, it is necessary to prepare the parameters to reflect actual state well.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.77 no.1
• /
• pp.57-74
• /
• 2021

The thermal eigenvalue responses of the graded sandwich shell structure are evaluated numerically under the variable thermal loadings considering the temperature-dependent properties. The polynomial type rule-based sandwich panel model is derived using higher-order type kinematics considering the shear deformation in the framework of the equivalent single-layer theory. The frequency values are computed through an own home-made computer code (MATLAB environment) prepared using the finite element type higher-order formulation. The sandwich face-sheets and the metal core are discretized via isoparametric quadrilateral Lagrangian element. The model convergence is checked by solving the similar type published numerical examples in the open domain and extended for the comparison of natural frequencies to have the final confirmation of the model accuracy. Also, the influence of each variable structural parameter, i.e. the curvature ratios, core-face thickness ratios, end-support conditions, the power-law indices and sandwich types (symmetrical and unsymmetrical) on the thermal frequencies of FG sandwich curved shell panel model. The solutions are helping to bring out the necessary influence of one or more parameters on the frequencies. The effects of individual and the combined parameters as well as the temperature profiles (uniform, linear and nonlinear) are examined through several numerical examples, which affect the structural strength/stiffness values. The present study may help in designing the future graded structures which are under the influence of the variable temperature loading.

• Advances in nano research
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.43-57
• /
• 2021

In this study, thermally induced bifurcation buckling of shallow composite cylindrical panels reinforced with aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes is investigated. Distribution of carbon nanotubes across the thickness of the cylindrical panel as reinforcements may be either uniform or functionally graded. Thermo-mechanical properties of the matrix and reinforcements are considered to be temperature dependent. Properties of the cylindrical panel are obtained using a refined micromechanical approach which introduces the auxiliary parameters into the rule of mixtures. The governing equations are obtained by using the static version of the Hamilton principle based on the first-order shear deformation theory and considering the linear strain-displacement relation. An energy-based Ritz method and an iterative process are used to obtain the critical buckling temperature of composite cylindrical panel with temperature dependent material properties. In addition, the effect of various parameters such as the boundary conditions, different geometrical conditions, distribution pattern of CNTs across the thickness and their volume fraction are studied on the critical buckling temperature and buckled pattern of cylindrical panels. It is shown that FG-X type of CNT dispersion is the most influential type in thermal stability.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.77 no.4
• /
• pp.463-472
• /
• 2021

Fully rigid floor diaphragm is one of the main assumptions that are widely used in common practices due to its simple application. However, determining the exact degree of diaphragms flexibility cannot be easily accomplished without finite element modeling, which is an expensive and time-consuming procedure. Therefore, it is always possible that apparently rigid diaphragms, based on prescriptive limitations of seismic codes, experience some degrees of flexibility during the earthquakes. Since diaphragm flexibility has more uncertainties in asymmetric-plan structures, this study focuses on errors resulting from probable floor diaphragm flexibility of torsionally restrained structures. The analytical models used in this study were single-story buildings with asymmetric plan and RC shear walls. Although floor system is not considered explicitly, a wide range of considered diaphragm flexibility, from fully rigid to quite flexible, allows the results to be generalizable to a lot of lateral load resisting systems as well as floor systems. It has been shown that in addition to previously known effects of diaphragm flexibility, presence of orthogonal side elements during design procedure with rigid diaphragm assumption and rapid reduction in their absorbed forces can also be an important source to increase errors due to flexibility. Accordingly, from the obtained results the authors suggest designers to consider the possibility of diaphragm flexibility and its adverse effects, especially in torsionally restrained systems in their common designs.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.165-172
• /
• 2022

This study is conducted to verify the seismic reinforcement effects of internally inserted buckling-restrained braces supported laterally by buckling-restrained rings for the seismic reinforcement of existing reinforced concrete buildings with non-seismic details. First, to evaluate the performance of KDS, the hysteretic characteristics of buckling-restrained braces are verified, and it is discovered that they satisfy the conformance criteria of the displacement-dependent damping device. Three full-scale, two-story reinforced concrete framework specimens are prepared to verify the seismic reinforcement effects, and the proposed buckling-restrained braces are bolstered with single diagonal and V-shaped braces to be compared with non-reinforced specimens. By performing a comparison with non-reinforced specimens that present intensive shear cracks at the bottom of first-floor columns, it is revealed that the maximum load and energy dissipation of specimens reinforced with the proposed buckling restrained braces, in which the structural damage extends evenly throughout the system, are approximately 4 and 6.2 times higher, respectively, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed seismic reinforcement method.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.603-623
• /
• 2022

This article is dedicated to predict the natural frequencies of joined conical shell structures made of Functionally Graded Material (FGM). The structure includes two conical segments. The equivalent material properties are found by using the rule of mixture based on Voigt model. In addition, three well-known patterns are employed for distribution of material properties throughout the thickness of the structure. The main objective of the present research is to propose a novel exponential pattern and obtain the related equivalent material properties. Furthermore, the Donnell type shell theory is used to obtain the governing equations of motion. Note that these equations are obtained by employing First-order Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT). In order to discretize the governing system of differential equations, well-known and efficient semi-analytical scheme, namely Generalized Differential Quadrature Method (GDQM), is utilized. Different boundary conditions are considered for various types of single and joined conical shell structures. Moreover, an applicable modification is considered for the continuity conditions at intersection position. In the first step, the proposed formulation is verified by solving some well-known benchmark problems. Besides, some new numerical examples are analyzed to show the accuracy and high capability of the suggested technique. Additionally, several geometric and material parameters are studied numerically.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.641-652
• /
• 2022

Fluid-conveying tubes are widely used to transport oil and natural gas in industries. As an advanced composite material, functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composites (FG-CNTRC) have great potential to empower the industry. However, nonlinear free vibration of the FG-CNTRC fluid-conveying pipe has not been attempted in thermal environment. In this paper, the nonlinear free vibration characteristic of functionally graded nanocomposite fluid-conveying pipe reinforced by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in thermal environment is investigated. The SWCNTs gradient distributed in the thickness direction of the pipe forms different reinforcement patterns. The material properties of the FG-CNTRC are estimated by rule of mixture. A higher-order shear deformation theory and Hamilton's variational principle are employed to derive the motion equations incorporating the thermal and fluid effects. A two-step perturbation method is implemented to obtain the closed-form asymptotic solutions for these nonlinear partial differential equations. The nonlinear frequencies under several reinforcement patterns are presented and discussed. We conduct a series of studies aimed at revealing the effects of the flow velocity, the environment temperature, the inner-outer diameter ratio, and the carbon nanotube volume fraction on the nature frequency.