• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.477-493
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• 2003

Masonry is not a simple material, the influence of mortar joints as a plane of weakness is a significant feature and this makes the numerical modelling of masonry very difficult especially when dynamic (seismic) analysis is involved. In order to develop a simple numerical model for masonry under earthquake load, an analytical model based on Distinct Element Method (DEM) is being developed. At the first stage, the model is applied to simulate the in-plane shear behaviour of an unreinforced masonry wall with and without opening where the testing results are available for comparison. In DEM, a solid is represented as an assembly of discrete blocks. Joints are modelled as interface between distinct bodies. It is a dynamic process and specially designed to model the behaviour of discontinuities. The numerical solutions obtained from the distinct element analysis are validated by comparing the results with those obtained from existing experiments and finite element modelling.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.171-181
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• 2003

This study concerns the prediction of shear capacity, as governed by concrete breakout failure, concrete pryout failure and steel failure, of single anchors located close to free edge and located far from a free edge and installed in uncracked, unreinforced concrete. For this purpose, the methods to evaluate the shear capacity of the single anchors in concrete are summarized and the experimental data are compared with capacities by the two present methods: the method of ACI 349-90 and concrete capacity design (CCD) method.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.237-260
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• 2005

This paper presents an experimental as well as a numerical analysis of the in-plane shear behaviour of hollow, $870{\times}840{\times}100mm$ masonry walls, externally strengthened with FRP composites. The experimental approach is devoted to the evaluation of the effectiveness of different composite strengthening configurations and the methodology consists in the diagonal compression of masonry walls. The numerical study assesses the stress and strain state distribution in the unreinforced and strengthened panels using a commercial finite element code. The effect of FRP reinforcement on the masonry behaviour and the capability of modelling to forecast a representative failure mode of the unreinforced and reinforced masonry walls is investigated.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.215-233
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• 2016

Exterior beam-column joints are structural elements that ensure connection between beams and columns. The joint strength is generally assumed to be governed by the structural element of lowest load capacity (beam or column), however, the joint may be the weakest link. The joint shear behavior is still not well understood due to the influence of several variables, such as geometry of the connection, stress level in the column, concrete strength and longitudinal beam reinforcement. A parametrical study based only on experiments would be impracticable and not necessarily exposes the failure mechanisms. This paper reports on a set of numerical simulations conducted in DIANA$^{(R)}$ software for the investigation of the shear strength of exterior joints. The geometry of the joints and stress level on the column are the variables evaluated. Results have led to empirical expressions that provide the shear strength of unreinforced exterior beam-column joints.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2021

Fiber-reinforced polymer reinforcement or polyurea reinforcement techniques are applied to strengthen unreinforced masonry walls (UMWs). The out-of-plane reinforcing effect of sprayed glass fiber-reinforced polyurea (GFRPU), which is a composite elastomer made of polyurea and milled glass fibers on UMW, is experimentally verified. The out-of-plane strengths and ductile behaviors based on various coating shapes are compared in this study. An empirical formula to describe the degree of reinforcement on the out-of-plane strength of the UMW is derived based on the experimental results. It is reported that the peak load-carrying capacity, ductility, and energy absorption capacity gradually improve with an increase in the strengthening degree or area. Compared with the existing masonry wall reinforcement method, the GFRPU technique is a construction method that can help improve the safety performance along with ease of construction and economic efficiency.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2022

The effect of discrete polypropylene fibre reinforcement on shear strength parameters, tensile properties and isotropic index of stabilized compacted residual subgrade was investigated. Composites of compacted subgrade were developed from polypropylene fibre dosage of 0%, 1%, 2.5% and 4% and 3% cement binder. Saturated compacted soil benefited from incremental fibre dosage, the mobilized friction coefficient increased to a maximum at 2.5% fibre dosage from 0.41 to 0.58 and the contribution due to further increase in fibre dosage was marginal. Binder stabilization increased the degree of isotropy for unreinforced soil at lower fibre dosage of 1% and then decreased with higher fibre dosage. Saturation of 3% binder stabilized soil decreased the soil friction angle and the degree of isotropy for both unstabilized and binder stabilized soil increased with fibre dosage. The maximum tensile stress of 3% binder stabilized fibre reinforced residual soil was 3-fold that of 3% binder stabilized unreinforced soil. The difference in computed and measured maximum tensile and tangential stress decreased with increase in fibre dosage and degree of stabilization and polypropylene fibre reinforced soil met local and international criteria for road construction subgrade.

• Magazine of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.51-57
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• 2007

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.5 s.39
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• pp.1-14
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• 2004

The seismic behavior of a 1/3-scale model of a two-story unreinforced masonry (URM) structure typically used in constructing low-rise residential buildings in Korea is studied through a shaking table test. The purposes of this study are to investigate seismic behavior and damage patterns of the URM structure that was not engineered against seismic loading and to provide its experimental test results. The test structure was symmetric about the transverse axis but asymmetric to some degrees about longitudinal axis and had a relatively strong diaphragm of concrete slab. The test structure was subjected to a series of differentlevels of earthquake shakings that were applied along the longitudinal direction. The measured dynamic response of the test structure was analyzed in terms of various global parameters (i.e., floor accelerations, base shear, floor displacements and storydrift, and torsional displacements) and correlated with the input table motion. Moreover, different levels of seismic performance were suggested for performance-based design approach. The results of the shaking table test revealed that the shear failure was dominant on a weak side of the 1stfloor while the upper part of the test model remained as a rigid body. Also, it was found that substantial strength and deformation capacity existed after cracking.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.195-215
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• 2016

Rehabilitation of historical unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings is a priority in many parts of the world, since those buildings are a living part of history and a testament of human achievement of the era of their construction. Many of these buildings are still operational; comprising brittle materials with no reinforcements, with spatially distributed mass and stiffness, they are not encompassed by current seismic assessment procedures that have been developed for other structural types. To facilitate the difficult task of selecting a proper rehabilitation strategy - often restricted by international treaties for non-invasiveness and reversibility of the intervention - and given the practical requirements for the buildings' intended reuse, this paper presents a practical procedure for assessment of seismic demands of URM buildings - mainly historical constructions that lack a well-defined diaphragm action. A key ingredient of the method is approximation of the spatial shape of lateral translation, ${\Phi}$, that the building assumes when subjected to a uniform field of lateral acceleration. Using ${\Phi}$ as a 3-D shape function, the dynamic response of the system is evaluated, using the concepts of SDOF approximation of continuous systems. This enables determination of the envelope of the developed deformations and the tendency for deformation and damage localization throughout the examined building for a given design earthquake scenario. Deformation demands are specified in terms of relative drift ratios referring to the in-plane and the out-of-plane seismic response of the building's structural elements. Drift ratio demands are compared with drift capacities associated with predefined performance limits. The accuracy of the introduced procedure is evaluated through (a) comparison of the response profiles with those obtained from detailed time-history dynamic analysis using a suite of ten strong ground motion records, five of which with near-field characteristics, and (b) evaluation of the performance assessment results with observations reported in reconnaissance reports of the field performance of two neoclassical torsionally-sensitive historical buildings, located in Thessaloniki, Greece, which survived a major earthquake in the past.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.233-256
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• 2011

This paper investigates the applicability of newly developed Cu-Al-Mn shape memory alloy (SMA) bars to retrofitting of historical masonry constructions by performing quasi-static tests of half-scale brick walls subjected to cyclic out-of-plane flexure. Problems associated with conventional steel reinforcing bars lie in pinching, or degradation of stiffness and strength under cyclic loading, and in their inability to restrain residual deformations in structures during and after intense earthquakes. This paper attempts to resolve the problems by applying newly developed Cu-Al-Mn SMA bars, characterized by large recovery strain, low material cost, and high machinability, as partial replacements for steel bars. Three types of brick wall specimens, unreinforced, steel reinforced, and SMA reinforced specimens are prepared. The specimens are subjected to quasi-static cyclic loading up to rotation angle enough to cause yielding of reinforcing bars. Corresponding nonlinear finite element models are developed to simulate the experimental observations. It was found from the experimental and numerical results that both the steel reinforced and SMA reinforced specimens showed substantial increment in strength and ductility as compared to the unreinforced specimen. The steel reinforced specimen showed pinching and significant residual elongation in reinforcing bars while the SMA reinforced specimen did not. Both the experimental and numerical observations demonstrate the superiority of Cu-Al-Mn SMA bars to conventional steel reinforcing bars in retrofitting historical masonry constructions.