• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.355-365
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• 2008

Displacement caused by tunneling is difficult to predict since it is affected by many factors such as ground condition, excavation method and supplementary method of reinforcement. In this study, horizontal inclinometer was employed to monitor ground settlements above a tunnel face before and after the excavation. Monitoring results were analyzed to predict the preceding displacement and settlement of the surface structures. The result of the analysis can be used to establish a proper counter measure which keeps the serviceability of the surface structures. Based on the analysis of the monitoring result, ground properties of the site were deduced and the influence of the tunnel excavation on the settlement of the foundation above the tunnel is analyzed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.545-566
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• 2009

Bridge columns are subjected to combined actions of axial force, shear force and bending moment during earthquakes, caused by spatially-complex earthquake motions, features of structural configurations and the interaction between input and response characteristics. Combined actions can have significant effects on the force and deformation capacity of RC columns, resulting in unexpected large deformations and extensive damage that in turn influences the performance of bridges as vital components of transportation systems. This paper evaluates the seismic response of three prototype reinforced concrete bridges using comprehensive numerical models that are capable of simulating the complex soil-structural interaction effects and nonlinear behavior of columns. An analytical approach that can capture the shear-flexural interacting behavior is developed to model the realistic nonlinear behavior of RC columns, including the pinching behavior, strength deterioration and stiffness softening due to combined actions of shear force, axial force and bending moment. Seismic response analyses were conducted on the prototype bridges under suites of ground motions. Response quantities of bridges (e.g., drift, acceleration, section force and section moment etc.) are compared and evaluated to identify the effects of vertical motion, structural characteristics and the shear-flexural interaction on seismic demand of bridges.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.39-51
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• 1999

The dynamic response of buried pipelines has gained considerable importance because these pipelines perform vital role in conducting energy, water, communication and transportation. After realizing the magnitude of damage, and hence, the human uncomfort and the economical losses, researchers have paid sincere attention to this problem. A number of papers have appeared in the past which discuss the different aspects of the problem. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of non-axisymmetric dynamic response of buried orthotropic cylindrical shell subjected to a moving load along the axis of the shell. The orthotropic shell has been buried in a homogeneous, isotropic and elastic medium of infinite extent. A thick shell theory including the effects of rotary inertia and shear deformation has been used. A perfect bond between the shell and the surrounding medium has been assumed. Results have been obtained for very hard (rocky), medium hard and soft soil surrounding the shell. The effects of shell orthotropy have been brought out by varying the non-dimensional orthotropic parameters over a long range. Under these conditions the shell response is studied in axisymmetric mode as well as in the flexural mode. It is observed that the shell response is significantly affected by change in orthotropic parameters and also due to change of response mode. It is observed that axial deformation is large in axisymmetric mode as compared to that in flexural mode.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.29-48
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• 2011

Under large storm loads sections of a long pipeline on the seabed can be uplifted. Numerically this loss of contact is extremely difficult to simulate, but accounting for uplift and any subsequent recontact behaviour is a critical component in pipeline on-bottom stability analysis. A simple method numerically accounting for this uplift and reattachment, while utilising efficient force-resultant models, is provided in this paper. While force-resultant models use a plasticity framework to directly relate the resultant forces on a segment of pipe to the corresponding displacement, their historical development has concentrated on precisely modelling increasing capacity with penetration. In this paper, the emphasis is placed on the description of loss of penetration during uplifting, modelled by 'strain-softening' of the force-resultant yield surface. The proposed method employs uplift and reattachment criteria to determine the pipe uplift and recontact. The pipe node is allowed to become free, and therefore, the resistance to the applied hydrodynamic loads to be redistributed along the pipeline. Without these criteria, a localised failure will be produced and the numerical program will terminate due to singular stiffness matrix. The proposed approach is verified with geotechnical centrifuge results. To further demonstrate the practicability of the proposed method, a computational example of a 1245 m long pipeline subjected to a large storm in conditions typical of offshore North-West Australia is discussed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.121-129
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• 2012

All contemporary seismic Codes have adopted smooth design acceleration response spectra, which have derived by statistical analysis of many elastic response spectra of natural accelerograms. The above smooth design spectra are characterized by two main branches, an horizontal branch that is 2.5 times higher than the peak ground acceleration, and a declining parabolic branch. According to Eurocode EN/1998, the period range of the horizontal, flat branch is extended from 0.1 s, for rock soils, up to 0.8 s for softer ones. However, from many natural recorded accelerograms of important earthquakes, the real spectral amplification factor appears to be much higher than 2.5 and this means that the spectrum leads to an unsafe seismic design of the structures. This point is an issue open to question and it is the object of the present study. In the present paper, the spectral amplification factor of the smooth design acceleration spectra is re-calculated on the grounds of a known "reliability index" for a desired probability of exceedance. As a pilot scheme, the seismic area of Greece is chosen, as it is the most seismically hazardous area in Europe. The accelerograms of the 82 most important earthquakes, which have occurred in Greece during the last 38 years, are used. The soil categories are taken into account according to EN/1998. The results that have been concluded from these data are compared with the results obtained from other strong earthquakes reported in the World literature.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.595-611
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• 2013

This paper presents a three-dimensional (3D) integrated numerical model where the wave-induced pore pressures in a porous seabed around breakwater heads were investigated. Unlike previous research, the Navier-Stokes equation is solved with internal wave generation for the flow model, while Biot's dynamic seabed behaviour is considered in the seabed model. With the present model, a parametric study was conducted to examine the effects of wave and soil characteristics and breakwater configuration on the wave-induced pore pressure around breakwater heads. Based on numerical examples, it was found that the wave-induced pore pressures at breakwater heads are greater than that beneath a breakwater. The wave-induced seabed response around breakwater heads become more important with: (i) a longer wave period; (ii) a seabed with higher permeability and degree of saturation; and (iii) larger angle between the incident waves and breakwater. Furthermore, the relative difference of wave-induced pore pressure between fully-dynamic and quasi-static solutions are larger at breakwater heads than that beneath a breakwater.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.417-437
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• 2017

This paper shows a comparative study for design of reinforced concrete boundary combined footings of trapezoidal and rectangular forms supporting two columns and each column transmits an axial load and a moment around of the axis X (transverse axis of the footing) and other moment around of the axis Y (longitudinal axis of the footing) to foundation to obtain the most economical combined footing. The real soil pressure acting on the contact surface of the footings is assumed as a linear variation. Methodology used to obtain the dimensions of the footings for the two models consider that the axis X of the footing is located in the same position of the resultant, i.e., the dimensions is obtained from the position of the resultant. The main part of this research is to present the differences between the two models. Results show that the trapezoidal combined footing is more economical compared to the rectangular combined footing. Therefore, the new model for the design of trapezoidal combined footings should be used, and complies with real conditions.

• International Journal of Railway
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.95-106
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• 2013

Earthborne vibrations are induced by construction operation such as pile driving, roadbed compaction, and blasting and also by transit activities such as truck and trains. The earthborne vibration creates the stress waves traveling outward from the source and can structurally damage nearby buildings and structures in the forms of direct damage to structure and damage due to dynamic settlement. The wave propagation characteristics depends on impact or vibration energy, distance from the source, and soil characteristics. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review on the mechanistic of earthborne vibration and the current practice of vibration control and mitigation measures. The paper describes the state of knowledge in the areas of: (1) mechanics of earthborne vibration, (2) damage mechanism by earthborne vibration, (3) calculation, prediction of ground vibration, (4) the criteria of vibration limits, (5) vibration mitigation measures and their performance, and (6) the current practice of vibration control and mitigation measures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1055-1086
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• 2015

The dynamic response of two-dimensional unbounded domain on the rigid bedrock in the time domain is numerically obtained. It is realized by the modified scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) in which the original scaling center is replaced by a scaling line. The formulation bases on expanding dynamic stiffness by using the continued fraction approach. The solution converges rapidly over the whole time range along with the order of the continued fraction increases. In addition, the method is suitable for large scale systems. The numerical method is employed which is a combination of the time domain SBFEM for far field and the finite element method used for near field. By using the continued fraction solution and introducing auxiliary variables, the equation of motion of unbounded domain is built. Applying the spectral shifting technique, the virtual modes of motion equation are eliminated. Standard procedure in structural dynamic is directly applicable for time domain problem. Since the coefficient matrixes of equation are banded and symmetric, the equation can be solved efficiently by using the direct time domain integration method. Numerical examples demonstrate the increased robustness, accuracy and superiority of the proposed method. The suitability of proposed method for time domain simulations of complex systems is also demonstrated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.491-506
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• 2015

Propagation of the generalized Rayleigh waves in an initially stressed elastic half-space covered by an elastic layer is investigated. It is assumed that the initial stresses are caused by the uniformly distributed normal compressional forces acting on the face surface of the covering layer. Two different cases where the compressional forces are "dead" and "follower" forces are considered. Three-dimensional linearized theory of elastic waves in initially stressed bodies in plane-strain state is employed and the elasticity relations of the materials of the constituents are described through the Murnaghan potential where the influence of the third order elastic constants is taken into consideration. The dispersion equation is derived and an algorithm is developed for numerical solution to this equation. Numerical results for the dispersion of the generalized Rayleigh waves on the influence of the initial stresses and on the influence of the character of the external compressional forces are presented and discussed. These investigations provide some theoretical foundations for study of the near-surface waves propagating in layered mechanical systems with a liquid upper layer, study of the structure of the soil of the bottom of the oceans or of the seas and study of the behavior of seismic surface waves propagating under the bottom of the oceans.