• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.57-71
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• 2015

This study investigates the feasibility of retrofitting an existing building by connecting the existing building to a new building using connecting dampers. The new building is base-isolated and viscoelastic dampers are assigned as connecting dampers. Scaled models are tested under three different earthquake records using a shaking table. The existing building and the new building are 9 and 8 stories respectively. The existing building model shows more than 3% increase in damping ratio. The maximum dynamic responses and the root mean square responses of the existing building model to earthquakes are substantially reduced by at least 20% and 59% respectively. Further, numerical models are developed by conducting time-history analysis to predict the performance of the proposed seismic mitigation system. The predictions agree well with the test results. Numerical simulations are carried out to optimize the properties of connecting dampers and base isolators. It is demonstrated that more than 50% of the peak responses can be reduced by properly adjusting the properties of connecting dampers and base isolators.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제4권6호
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• pp.649-670
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• 2013

It is known that a base-isolated building exhibits a large response to a long-duration, long-period wave and an inter-connected system without base-isolation shows a large response to a pulse-type wave. To compensate for each deficiency, a new hybrid passive control system is investigated in which a base-isolated building is connected to another building (free wall) with oil dampers. It is demonstrated that the present hybrid passive control system is effective both for pulse-type ground motions and long-duration and long-period ground motions and has high redundancy and robustness for a broad range of disturbances.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제3권3_4호
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• pp.315-340
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• 2012

There are many types of seismic isolation devices that are being used today for structural control of earthquake response in buildings. The most commonly used are sliding bearings and elastomeric bearings, the latter with or without lead core. An alternative solution is the use of steel springs combined with viscoelastic fluid dampers, which is the case discussed in this paper. An analytical study of a three-story building supported on helical steel springs and viscoelastic fluid dampers, GERB Control System (GCS), subjected to near-fault earthquakes is presented. Several earthquakes records have been obtained by the acceleration network installed in the isolated building and in its non-isolated twin since they were finished. These experimental results are analysed and discussed. The aim is to show that the spring-based system can be an alternative for base isolation of small building located near active faults.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.603-623
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• 2015

The scale and nature of the recent earthquakes in the world and the related earthquake disaster index coerce the concerned community to become anxious about it. Therefore, it is crucial that seismic lateral load effect will be appropriately considered in structural design. Application of seismic isolation system stands as a consistent alternative against this hazard. The objective of the study is to evaluate the structural and economic feasibility of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings with base isolation located in medium risk seismic region. Linear and nonlinear dynamic analyses as well as linear static analysis under site-specific bi-directional seismic excitation have been carried out for both fixed based (FB) and base isolated (BI) buildings in the present study. The superstructure and base of buildings are modeled in a 3D finite element model by consistent mass approach having six degrees of freedom at each node. The floor slabs are simulated as rigid diaphragms. Lead rubber bearing (LRB) and High damping rubber bearing (HDRB) are used as isolation device. Change of structural behaviors and savings in construction costing are evaluated. The study shows that for low to medium rise buildings, isolators can reduce muscular amount of base shears, base moments and floor accelerations for building at soft to medium stiff soil. Allowable higher horizontal displacement induces structural flexibility. Though incorporating isolator increases the outlay, overall structural cost may be reduced. The application of base isolation system confirms a potential to be used as a viable solution in economic building design.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.261-272
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• 2020

Recent severe earthquakes in and around the vital public places worldwide indicate the severe vulnerability of ground excitation to be assailed. Reducing the effect of seismic lateral load in structural design is an important conception. Essentially, seismic isolation is required to shield the superstructure in such a way that the building superstructure would not move when the ground is shaking. This study explores the effectiveness, design, and practical feasibility of base isolation systems to reduce seismic demands on buildings of varying elevations. Thus, static and dynamic analyses were conducted based on site-specific bi-directional earthquakes for base-isolated as well as fixed-based buildings. Remarkably, it was discovered that isolators used in low-rise to high-rise structures tend to significantly decrease the structural responses of seismic prone buildings. The higher allowable horizontal displacement induces structural flexibility and ensure good structural health of the building stories. Reinforcement from vertical and horizontal members can be reduced in significant amounts for BI buildings. Thus, although incorporating base isolators increases the initial outlay, it considerably diminishes the total structural cost.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.267-277
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• 2017

Base-isolation is now being adopted as a retrofitting strategy to improve seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete (r.c.) framed structures subjected to far-fault earthquakes. However, the increase in deformability of a base-isolated framed building may lead to amplification in the structural response under the long-duration horizontal pulses of high-magnitude near-fault earthquakes, which can become critical once the strength level of a fire-weakened r.c. superstructure is reduced. The aim of the present work is to investigate the nonlinear seismic response of fire-damaged r.c. framed structures retrofitted by base-isolation. For this purpose, a five-storey r.c. framed building primarily designed (as fixed-base) in compliance with a former Italian seismic code for a medium-risk zone, is to be retrofitted by the insertion of elastomeric bearings to meet the requirements of the current Italian code in a high-risk seismic zone. The nonlinear seismic response of the original (fixed-base) and retrofitted (base-isolated) test structures in a no fire situation are compared with those in the event of fire in the superstructure, where parametric temperature-time curves are defined at the first level, the first two and the upper levels. A lumped plasticity model describes the inelastic behaviour of the fire-damaged r.c. frame members, while a nonlinear force-displacement law is adopted for the elastomeric bearings. The average root-mean-square deviation of the observed spectrum from the target design spectrum together with a suitable intensity measure are chosen to select and scale near- and far-fault earthquakes on the basis of the design hypotheses adopted.

• 콘크리트학회논문집
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.643-651
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• 2008

본 연구의 목적은 면진장치 설계 절차 체계화에 따른 면진건물의 응답특성을 사용지진 기록에 따라 평가하는데 있다. 이를 위한 대상 건물은 면진에 적합한 기초 면진 적용한 20층 주거 건물로, 지진기록 사용에 따른 응답특성을 평가하였다. 그 결과 면진건물의 시간이력해석을 위한 지진파의 선정은 응답 결과에 많은 차이가 발생할 수 있으므로 관련기준의 제정이 필요한 것으로 판단된다. 본 연구에서 제안한 지진기록을 이용한 면진구조물의 시간이력해석 결과, 면진층 변위, 층간변위비, 면진장치의 거동이 적절한 것으로 평가되었다. 결론적으로 본 연구에서 제안한 지진기록 및 면진장치 선정 결과, 설계된 면진건물의 지진저항 성능이 우수함을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Wind and Structures
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

Interference effects in five square tall buildings arranged in an L- or T-shaped pattern are investigated in the wind tunnel. Mean and fluctuating shear forces, overturning moments and torsional moment are measured on each building with a force balance mounted at its base. Results are obtained at two values of clear separation between adjacent buildings, at half and a quarter building breadth. It is found that strong interference effect exists on all member buildings, resulting in significant modifications of wind loads as compared with the isolated single building case. Sheltering effect is observed on wind loads acting along the direction of an arm of the "L" or "T" on the inner buildings. However, increase in these wind loads from the isolated single building case is found on the most upwind edge building in the arm when wind blows at a slight oblique angle to the arm. The corner formed by two arms of buildings results in some wind catchment effect leading to increased wind pressure on windward building faces. Interesting interference phenomena such as negative drag force are reported. Interference effects on wind load fluctuations, load spectra and dynamic building responses are also studied and discussed.

• Wind and Structures
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• 제10권5호
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• pp.481-494
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• 2007

Downbursts are transient phenomena that produce wind profiles that are distinctly different from synoptic boundary layers. Wind field data from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of isolated downburst-like impinging jets, are used to investigate structural loads of tall buildings due to these high intensity winds. The base shear forces and base moments of tall buildings of heights between 120 and 250 m produced by downburst winds of various scales are compared with the forces from the equivalent boundary layer gust winds, with matched 10-metre wind velocity. The wind profiles are mainly functions of the size of the downburst and the radial distance from the centre of the storm. Wind forces due to various downburst profiles are investigated by placing the building at different locations relative to the storm center as well as varying the size of the downburst. Overall it is found that downbursts larger than approx. 2,000 m in diameter might produce governing design wind loads above those from corresponding boundary layer winds for tall buildings.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.29-48
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• 2015

The main purpose of this work is to compare different criteria for the seismic strengthening of RC framed buildings in order to find the optimal combinations of these retrofitting techniques. To this end, a numerical investigation is carried out with reference to the town hall of Spilinga (Italy), an RC framed structure with an L-shaped plan built at the beginning of the 1960s. Five structures are considered, derived from the first by incorporating: carbon fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)-wrapping of all columns; base-isolation, with high-damping-laminated-rubber bearings (HDLRBs); added damping, with hysteretic damped braces (HYDBs); FRP-wrapping of the first storey columns combined with base-isolation or added damping. A three-dimensional fibre model of the primary and retrofitted structures is considered; bilinear and trilinear laws idealize, respectively, the behaviour of the HYDB, providing that the buckling be prevented, and the FRP-wrapping, without resistance in compression, while the response of the HDLRB is simulated by using a viscoelastic linear model. The effectiveness of the retrofitting solutions is tested with nonlinear dynamic analyses based on biaxial accelerograms, whose response spectra match those in the Italian seismic code.