• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.149-156
• /
• 2021

FRP has been proposed to replace the steel as a reinforcement in the concrete structures for addressing the corrosion issue. However, FRP-Rebar does not behave in the same manner as steel because the properties of FRP are different. For example, FRP-Rebar has a high tensile strength, low stiffness, and linear elastic behavior which results in a difference bonding mechanism to transfer the load between the reinforcement and the surrounding concrete. Therefore, bonding behavior between FRP-Rebar and concrete has to be investigated using the bonding test. So, Pull-out test has been used to estimate bond behavior because it is simple. However, the results of pull-out test have a difference with flexural-boding behavior of FRP-Rebar concrete member. So, it is needed to evaluate the real fleuxral-bonding behavior. In this study, the evaluation method to flexural-bonding behavior of FRP-Rebar concrete member was reviewed and compared. It was found that the most accurate evaluation method for the fleuxral-bonding behavior of FRP-Rebar concrete member was splice beam test, however, the size and length of specimen have to increase than other test method and the design and analysis of splice beam is complex. Meanwhile, characteristics of concrete could be reflected by using arched beam test, unlike hinged beam test which is based on the ignored change of moment arm length in equilibrium equation. However, the possibility of shear failure exists before the flexural-bonding failure occur.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.141-155
• /
• 2018

Recently, the number of ground subsidence resulting from underground cavity has been increased. Accordingly, the importance of restoration of stress release zone around the underground cavity has been emphasized. The stress release zone is composed of low density soils having extremely low stiffness and degree of compaction, which can lead to additional cavity expansion and collapse of overlying ground. Therefore, in this study, the suitability of restoration method of underground cavity using expansive material for reinforcement of stress release zone around the cavity is verified. The basic physical properties and expansion characteristics of the expansive material were examined. The experiment equipment capable simulating of stress release zone was developed and is used to investigate the effect of expanding material on stress release zone. The stress release zone was simulated using the spring in numerical analysis. The factors of the volume ratio of the underground cavity to the expansion material, the degree of stress relaxation, and the shape of the cavity were varied in numerical simulations, and the behavior of stress release zone was analyzed based on the numerical analysis results. Analysis variables are factors that affect each other. Also, filling of underground cavity and capacity of restoration of stress release zone were confirmed when the expansive material was inserted into underground cavity.

• Clinical and Molecular Hepatology
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.384-391
• /
• 2018

Backgrounds/Aims: The objective of our study was to determine the epidemiological, laboratory, and serological characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and normal transaminases. The study also aimed to evaluate liver damage by measuring the liver fibrosis (LF) grade and to identify possible factors associated with the presence of fibrosis. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in patients with chronic HBV infection and classified as inactive carriers or immune-tolerant. Epidemiological variables of age, sex, immigrant, alcohol consumption, and body mass index (BMI), as well as virological variables (HBV DNA) and transaminase level were collected throughout the follow-up. The LF grade was evaluated by transient elastography. The cutoff value for significant fibrosis (SF) was liver stiffness ${\geq}7.9kPa$. Results: A total of 214 patients were included in the analysis, and 62% of them had a BMI ${\geq}25kg/m^2$. During follow-up, 4% of patients showed transaminase elevation (<1.5 times normal). Most patients had a viral DNA level <2,000 IU/mL (83%). Data on LF were available in 160 patients; of these, 14% had SF, 9% F3, and 6% F4. The variables associated with the presence of SF were transaminase alteration during follow-up, as 23% of patients with SF had elevated transaminases versus 3% of patients without SF (P<0.005), and BMI, as the vast majority of patients with SF (88%) had a BMI ${\geq}25kg/m^2$ versus 56% of patients without SF (P<0.05). Conclusions: In patients with chronic HBV infection and normal transaminases, liver damage does not seem to be related to DNA levels, alcohol consumption, or immigrant status. SF seems to be associated with transaminase alteration during follow-up and elevated BMI. It is therefore recommended to measure LF grade with validated non-invasive methods in such patients.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.76 no.6
• /
• pp.687-708
• /
• 2020

Openings in steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) are usually used for decorative designs, crossing locations of multiple utilities and/or structural objectives. However, earlier studies showed that generating an opening in an SPSW has a negative effect on the cyclic performance of the SPSW. Therefore, this study proposes tripling or doubling the steel-sheet-plate (SSP) layer and stiffening the opening of the SPSW to provide a solution to undesirable opening effects, improve the SPSW performance and provide the infill option of potential strengthening measures after the construction stage. The study aims to investigate the impact of SSP doubling with a stiffened opening on the cyclic behaviour, expand the essential data required by structural designers and quantify the SPSW performance factors. Validated numerical models were adopted to identify the influence of the chosen parameters on the cyclic capacity, energy dissipation, ductility, seismic performance factors (SPF) and stiffness of the suggested method. A finite Element (FE) analysis was performed via Abaqus/CAE software on half-scale single-story models of SPSWs exposed to cyclic loading. The key parameters included the number of SSP layers, the opening size ratios corresponding to the net width of the SSP, and the opening shape. The findings showed that the proposed assembly method found a negligible influence in the shear capacity with opening sizes of 10, 15, 20%. However, a deterioration in the wall strength was observed for openings with sizes of 25% and 30%. The circular opening is preferable compared with the square opening. Moreover, for all the models, the average value of the obtained ductility did not show substantial changes and the ultimate shear resistance was achieved after reaching a drift ratio of 4.36%. Additionally, the equivalent sectional area of the SSP in the twin and triple configuration of the SPSWs demonstrated approximately similar results. Compared with the single SSP layer, the proposed configuration of the twin SSP layer with a stiffened opening suggest to more sufficiency create SSP openings in the SPSW compared to that of other configurations. Finally, a tabular SPF quantification is exhibited for SPSWs with openings.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
• /
• v.35 no.5
• /
• pp.277-286
• /
• 2022

The elastic and inelastic responses obtained from the experimental and analytical results of two RC building structures under the service level earthquake (SLE) and maximum considered earthquake (MCE) in Korea were used to weinvestigate the characteristics of the mechanisms resisting shear and torsional behavior in torsionally unbalanced structures. Equations representing the interactive effect of translational drift and torsional deformation on the shear force and torsional moment were proposed. Because there is no correlation in the behavior between elastic and inelastic forces and strains, the incremental shear forces and incremental torsional moments were analyzed in terms of their corresponding incremental drifts and incremental torsional deformations with respect to the yield, unloading, and reloading phases around the maximum edge-frame drift. In the elastic combination of the two dominant modes, the translational drift mainly contributes to the shear force, whereas the torsional deformation contributes significantly to the overall torsional moment. However, this phenomenon is mostly altered in the inelastic response such that the incremental translational drift contributes to both the incremental shear forces and incremental torsional moments. In addition, the given equation is used to account for all phenomena, such as the reduction in torsional eccentricity, degradation of torsional stiffness, and apparent energy generation in an inelastic response.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.86-94
• /
• 2022

Replacement of FRP rod as steel reinforcement has been attracted significantly to prevent the degradation of the concrete structure due to corrosion. So, the technology development to extend the structure's service life by improving FRP properties has been proceeded worldwide. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop Korea's CFRP rod and CFRP grid, including the manufacturing techniques to improve the properties of high-strength and high-stiffness. Moreover, the research should be conducted to evaluate the structural behavior of the beams using the CFRP rod or grid. This study investigates the flexural and shear behavior of reinforced concrete beam using demonstrated CFRP rod as reinforcement according to the reinforcement ratio and shear span to depth ratio. From the results, when the reinforcement ratio is out of a specific range, it is seemed that the effect on performance improvement of the beam using CFRP rod is cancelled or not significant. Meanwhile, when the CFRP rod was used as reinforcement, the possibility of shear failure occurred, even steel stirrups were installed in the beam with CFRP rod as tensile reinforcement according to the Korean Design Standard. Therefore, when the CFRP rod is used as tensile reinforcement in a beam, it should be prepared that a specific limitation of reinforcement ratio and an investigation against shear failure. Also, the ductility of the beam using the CFRP rod is determined by the deformation energy evaluation method. So, the ductility should be investigated by applying the deformation energy evaluation method that reflects the structural behavior of the beam.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.507-522
• /
• 2021

Specific survey objectives often cannot be met using only one geophysical method, as each method's results are influenced by the specific physical properties of subsurface materials. In particular, areas susceptible to geological hazards require investigation using more than one method in order to reduce risks to life and property. Instead of analyzing the results from each method separately, this work develops a four-quadrant criterion for classifying areas of levees as safe or weak. The assessment is based on statistically determined thresholds of seismic velocity (P-wave velocity from seismic refraction and S-wave velocity from multichannel analysis of surface waves) and electrical resistivity. Thresholds are determined by subtracting the standard deviation from the mean during performance testing of this correlation technique applied to model data of four horizontal and inclined fracture zones. Compared with results from the crossplot of resistivity and P-wave velocity, crossplot analysis using resistivity and S-wave velocity data provides more reliable information on the soil type, ground stiffness, and lithological characteristics of the levee system. A loose and sandy zone (represented by low S-wave velocity and high resistivity) falling within the second quadrant is interpreted to be a weak zone. This interpretation is well supported by the N values from standard penetrating test for the central core.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.101-109
• /
• 2022

This study describes the results of model experiment to analyze the effect of backfill material types on the behavior of underground facility. In the model experiment, backfill materials around the existing underground facility were applied with soil (Jumunjin standard sand) and CLSM. The displacement of underground facility was analyzed for each excavation stage considering the separation distance between the excavation surface and the backfill area based on the experimental results. When soil was applied as a backfill material, the soil on the back of the excavation surface collapsed by excavation and formed an angle of repose, and the process of slope stability was repeated at each excavation stage. In addition, the displacement of underground facility began to occur in the excavation stage that the failure line of soil passes the installation location of the underground facility. When CLSM was applied as a backfill material, there was almost no horizontal and vertical displacement of the ground regardless of the separation distance from the excavation surface even when excavation proceeded to the backfill depth. Therefore, this result showed that it can have a resistance effect against the lateral earth pressure generated and the collapse of the original ground by adjacent excavation, if a backfill material with high stiffness such as CLSM is applied.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.57-64
• /
• 2022

This study investigated the structural performance of the RC boundary beam-wall system subjected to axial loads that required lesser construction quantity and smaller floor height in comparison with the conventional RC transfer girder system. Four specimens of 1/2 scale were constructed, and their peak strengths under axial loads and failure characteristics were compared and analyzed. Test parameters included the ratio of the lower to the upper wall length, lower wall thickness, and stirrup details of the lower wall. In addition, three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis was performed to verify the effectiveness of the boundary beam-wall system. The peak strength of each specimen was similar to the nominal axial strength of the lower wall, indicating that the axial load was transferred smoothly from the upper to the lower wall. The contribution of the lower wall cross-section was high if the ratio of the lower to the upper wall length was small; the contribution was low if the out-of-plane eccentricity existed in the lower wall. The specimen with smaller stirrup distance and cross-ties in the lower wall showed higher initial stiffness and peak load than other specimens.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.24 no.9
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2023

The lateral load which is applied to the pile foundation supporting the superstructure during an earthquake is divided into the inertia force of the upper structure and the kinematic force of the ground. The inertia force and the kinematic force could cause failure to the pile foundation through different complex mechanisms. So it is necessary to predict and evaluate interaction of the ground-pile-structure properly for the seismic design of the foundation. The interaction is affected by the lateral behavior of the structure, the length of the pile, the boundary conditions of the head, and the relative density of the ground. Confining pressure and ground stiffness change accordingly when the relative density changes, and it results that the coefficient of subgrade reaction varies depending on each system. Horizontal bearing behavior and capacity of the pile foundation vary depending on lateral load condition and relative density of the sandy soil. Therefore, the 1g shaking table tests were conducted to confirm the effect of the relative density of the dried sandy soil to dynamic behavior of the group pile supporting the superstructure. The result shows that, as the relative density increases, maximum acceleration of the superstructure and the pile cap increases and decreases respectively, and the slope of the p-y curve of the pile decreases.