• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.267-278
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• 2018

Structures may need retrofitting as a result of design and calculation errors, lack of proper implementation, post-construction change in use, damages due to accidental loads, corrosion and changes introduced in new editions of construction codes. Retrofitting helps to compensate weakness and increase the service life. Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) is a modern material for retrofitting steel elements. This study aims to investigate the effect of deficiency location on the axial behavior of compressive elements of Circular Hollow Section (CHS) steel short columns. The deficiencies located vertically or horizontally at the middle or bottom of the element. A total of 43 control column and those with deficiencies were investigated in the ABAQUS software. Only 9 of them tested in the laboratory. The results indicated that the deficiencies had a significant effect on the increase in axial deformation, rupture in deficiency zone (local buckling), and decrease in ductility and bearing capacity. The damages of steel columns were responsible for resistance and stiffness drop at deficiency zone. Horizontal deficiency at the middle and vertical deficiency at the bottom of the steel columns were found to be the most critical. Using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) as the most effective material in retrofitting the damaged columns, significantly helped the increase in resistance and rupture control around the deficiency zone.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제9권6호
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• pp.1233-1250
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• 2015

The behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) columns made from high strength materials was investigated experimentally. Six high-strength concrete specimen columns (1:4 scale), which included three with high-strength transverse reinforcing bars and three with normal-strength transverse reinforcement, were tested under double curvature bending load. The effects of yielding strength and ratio of transverse reinforcement on the cracking patterns, hysteretic response, shear strength, ductility, strength reduction, energy dissipation and strain of reinforcement were studied. The test results indicated that all specimens failed in splitting failure, and specimens with high-strength transverse reinforcement exhibited better seismic performance than those with normal-strength transverse reinforcement. It also demonstrated that the strength of high-strength lateral reinforcing bars was fully utilized at the ultimate displacements. Shear strength formula of short concrete columns, which experienced a splitting failure, was proposed based on the Chinese concrete code. To enhance the applicability of the model, it was corroborated with 47 short concrete columns selected from the literature available. The results indicated that, the proposed method can give better predictions of shear strength for short columns that experienced a splitting failure than other shear strength models of ACI 318 and Chinese concrete codes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권5호
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• pp.1051-1065
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• 2020

Safety analysis of nuclear power plant (NPP) especially in accident conditions is a basic and necessary issue for applications and commercialization of reactors. Many previous researches and development works have been conducted. However, most achievements focused on the safety reliability of primary pressure system vessels. Few literatures studied the structural safety of huge concrete structures surrounding primary pressure system, especially for the fourth generation NPP which allows existing of through cracks. In this paper, structural safety reliability of concrete structures of HTR-PM in accidental double-ended break of hot gas ducts was studied by Exceedance Probability Method. It was calculated by Monte Carlo approaches applying numerical simulations by Abaqus. Damage parameters were proposed and used to define the property of concrete, which can perfectly describe the crack state of concrete structures. Calculation results indicated that functional failure determined by deterministic safety analysis was decided by the crack resistance capability of containment buildings, whereas the bearing capacity of concrete structures possess a high safety margin. The failure probability of concrete structures during an accident of double-ended break of hot gas ducts will be 31.18%. Adding the consideration the contingency occurrence probability of the accident, probability of functional failure is sufficiently low.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.291-301
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• 2019

Pure torsion loading conditions were not frequently occurred in practical engineering, but the torsional researches were important since it's the basis of mechanical property researches under complex loading. Then a 3D finite element model with precise material constitutive models was established, and the effectiveness was verified with test data. Parametric studies with varying factors as steel yield strength, concrete strength and sectional height-width ratio, were performed. Internal stress state and the interaction effect between encased steel tube and the core concrete were analyzed. Results indicated that due to the confinement effect between steel tube and core concrete, the torsional strength of CFT columns was greatly improved comparing to plain concrete columns. The steel ratio would greatly influence the torque share between the steel tube and the core concrete. Then the torsional strength calculation formulas for core concrete and the whole CFT column were proposed. The proposed formula could be simpler and easier to use with guaranteed accuracy. Related design codes were more conservative than the proposed formula, but the proposed formula presented more satisfactory agreement with experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.149-158
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• 2019

The force-deformation behavior, strain distribution and failure modes of a variable damping self-centering brace (VD-SCB) are theoretically analyzed, experimentally studied, and numerically simulated to guide its design. The working principle of the brace is explained by describing the working stages and the key feature points of the hysteretic curve. A large-scale brace specimen was tested under different sinusoidal excitations to analyze the recentering capability and energy dissipation. Results demonstrate that the VD-SCB exhibits a full quasi-flag-shaped hysteretic response, high ultimate bearing capacity, low activation force and residual deformation, and excellent recentering and energy dissipation capabilities. Calculation equations of the strain distribution in different parts of the brace are proposed and are compared with the experimental data and simulated results. The developments of two failure modes are compared. Under normal circumstances, the brace fails due to the yielding of the spring blocking plates, which are easily replaced to restore the normal operating conditions of the brace. A brief description of the design procedure of the brace is proposed for application.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.357-373
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• 2022

The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor pebble-bed module project is the first commercial Generation-IV NPP(Nuclear Power Plant) in China. A new joint is used for the vertical support of RPV(Reactor Pressure Vessel). The steel corbel is integrally embedded into the reactor-cabin wall through eight asymmetrically arranged pre-stressed high-strength bolts, achieving the different path transmission of shear force and moment. The vertical monotonic loading test of two specimens is conducted. The results show that the failure mode of the joint is bolt fracture. There is no prominent yield stage in the whole loading process. The stress of bolts is linearly distributed along the height of corbel at initial loading. As the load increases, the height of neutral axis of bolts gradually decreases. The upper and lower edges of the wall opening contact the corbel plate to restrict the rotation of the corbel. During the loading, the pre-stress of some bolts decreases. The increase of the pre-stress strength ratio of bolts has no noticeable effect on the structure stiffness, but it reduces the ultimate bearing capacity of the joint. A simplified calculation model for the elastic stage of the joint is established, and the estimation results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.87-104
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• 2024

In practical engineering, the design process for most retaining walls necessitates careful consideration of seismic resistance. The prevention of retaining wall overturning is of paramount importance, especially in cases where the foundation's bearing capacity is limited. To research the seismic active earth pressure (ES) of a relieving retaining wall rotating around base (RB), the shear dissipation graphs across various operating conditions are analyzed by using Optum software, and the earth pressure in each region was derived by the inclined strip method combined with the limit equilibrium method. By observing shear dissipation graphs across various operating conditions, the distribution law of each sliding surface is summarized, and three typical failure modes are obtained. The corresponding calculation model was established. Then the resultant force and its action point were obtained. By comparing the theoretical and numerical solutions with the previous studies, the correctness of the derived formula is proved. The variation of earth pressure distribution and resultant force under seismic acceleration are studied. The unloading plate's position, the wall heel's length, and seismic acceleration will weaken the unloading effect. On the contrary, the length of the unloading plate and the friction angle of the filling will strengthen the unloading effect. The derived formula proposed in this study demonstrates a remarkable level of accuracy under both static and seismic loading conditions. Additionally, it serves as a valuable design reference for the prevention of overturning in relieving retaining walls.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.427-446
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• 2024

The I-shaped steel reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (SRRC) composite structure has the advantages of high bearing capacity and environmental protection, and the interfacial bond strength is an important theory. To this end, the I-shaped SRRC bond strength and its calculation based on artificial neural network (ANN) will be studied. Firstly, 39 push out tests of I-shaped SRRC were conducted, the load-slip curve has obvious regularity, which is divided into 4 segments by 3 regular points. Three bond strengths were defined based on these three rule points, and the approximate ranges of their values and the laws of influence of each factor on them were found. Secondly, the Elman ANN model used for the prediction of bond strength was established, and the parameters of Elman ANN predicting I-shaped SRRC bond strength were studied, and the effects of detailed parameters on the prediction results were revealed. Finally, the bond strength of SRRC was predicted using Elman and BP (back propagation) neural network models, both of which showed good prediction results. This study is a theoretical basis for the design and fine simulation of I-shaped SRRC composite structures.

• 한국지반환경공학회 논문집
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.5-12
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• 2016

쇄석말뚝공법은 비교적 강성이 크고 압축성이 작은 쇄석을 연약한 점성토 지반 및 느슨한 사질토 지반에 치환 후 다져 시공함으로써 연약한 지반의 지지력 증가와 침하량 감소, 압밀배수에 의한 지반개량 효과에 더불어 사질토 지반에서는 지진 발생시 액상화 방지에 효과적인 공법이다. 쇄석말뚝공법은 여러 토목분야에서 활용되고 국제적으로 상당히 많은 시공실적을 보이고 있으나, 아직까지 정형화된 침하량 산정방법은 없다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 쇄석말뚝공법의 합리적인 침하량을 예측하기 위하여 기존에 제안되어 사용되고 있는 침하량 이론식들을 비교 분석하여 적용성을 평가하였다. 그 결과 Hook's law 식이 수치해석과 가장 근접하는 것으로 확인되었다.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.59-71
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• 2023

Corrosion of the headed studs shear connectors is an important factor in the reduction of the durability and mechanical properties of the steel-concrete composite structure. In order to study the effect of stud corrosion on the mechanical properties in the negative moment region of steel-concrete composite beams, the corrosion of stud was carried out by accelerating corrosion method with constant current. Static monotonic loading was adopted to evaluate the cracking load, interface slip, mid-span deflection, and ultimate bearing capacity of four composite beams with varying corrosion rates of headed studs. The effect of stud corrosion on the stiffness of the composite beam's hogging moment zone during normal service stage was thoroughly examined. The results indicate that the cracking load decreased by 50% as the corrosion rate of headed studs increase to 10%. Meanwhile, due to the increase of interface slip and mid-span deflection, the bending stiffness dropped significantly with the same load. In comparison to uncorroded specimens, the secant stiffness of specimens with 0.5 times ultimate load was reduced by 25.9%. However, corrosion of shear studs had no obvious effect on ultimate bending capacity. Based on the experimental results and the theory of steel-concrete interface slip, a method was developed to calculate the bending stiffness in the negative bending moment region of composite beams during normal service stage while taking corrosion of headed studs into account. The validity of the calculation method was demonstrated by data analysis.