• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2013

Soft storey failure mechanism is a common collapse mode for masonry-infilled (MI) reinforced concrete (RC) buildings subjected to severe earthquakes. Simple analytical equations correlating global with local ductility demands are derived from pushover (PO) analyses for seismic assessments of regular MI RC frames, considering the critical interstorey drift ratio, number of storeys and lateral loading configurations. The reliability of the equations is investigated using incremental dynamic analyses for MI RC frames of up to 7 storeys. Using the analytical ductility relationship and a coefficient-based method (CBM), the response spectral accelerations and period shift factors of low-rise MI RC frames are computed. The results are verified through published shake table test results. In general applications, the analytical ductility relationships thus derived can be used to bypass the onerous PO analysis while accurately predicting the local ductility demands for seismic assessment of regular MI RC frames.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1999

Seismic evaluation of a 32-story reinforced concrete framed tube building is performed by checking damageability, safety, and toughness limit states. The evaluation is based on Standard 2800 (Iranian seismic code) which recommends equivalent lateral static force, modal superposition, or time history dynamic analysis methods to be applied. A three dimensional linearly elastic model checked by ambient vibration test results is used for the evaluation. Accelerograms of three earthquakes as well as linearly elastic design response spectra are used for dynamic analysis. Damageability is checked by considering story drift ratios. Safety is evaluated by comparing demands and capacities at the story and element force levels. Finally, toughness is studied in terms of curvature ductility of members. The paper explains the methodology selected and various aspects in detail.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.285-302
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• 2017

Buckling-restrained braced frames (BRBFs) are commonly used as the lateral force-resisting systems in building structures in the seismic regions. The nearly-symmetric hysteretic response and the delayed brace core fracture of buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) under the axial cyclic loading provide the adequate lateral force and deformation capacity to BRBFs under the earthquake excitation. However, the smaller axial stiffness of BRBs result in the undesirable higher residual drift response of BRBFs in the post-earthquake scenario. Two alternative approaches are investigated in this study to improve the elastic axial stiffness of BRBs, namely, (i) by shortening the yielding cores of BRBs; and (ii) by reducing the BRB assemblies and adding the elastic brace segments in series. In order to obtain the limiting yielding core lengths of BRBs, a modified approach based on Coffin-Manson relationship and the higher mode compression buckling criteria has been proposed in this study. Both non-linear static and dynamic analyses are carried out to analytically evaluate the seismic response of BRBFs fitted with short-core BRBs of two medium-rise building frames. Analysis results showed that the proposed brace systems are effective in reducing the inter-story and residual drift response of braced frames without any significant change in the story shear and the displacement ductility demands.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2019

In the structures with high level of ductility, the earthquake energy dissipation in structural components is an important factor that describes their seismic behavior. Since the connection details play a major role in the ductile behavior of structure, in this paper, the seismic response of 3-, 5- and 8-story steel special moment frames (SMFs) is investigated by considering the effects of panel zone modeling and the influence of forward-directivity near-field ground motions. To provide a reasonable comparison, selected records of both near and far-field are used in the nonlinear time-history analysis of models. The results of the comparison of the median maximum inter-story drift under excitation by near-field (NF) records and the far-field (FF) ground motions show that the inter-story drift demands can be obtained 3.47, 4.86 and 5.92 times in 3-, 5- and 8-story structures, respectively, undergoing near-field earthquakes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.791-818
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• 2013

The seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures with irregularities leading to soft first floor is studied using capacity assessment procedures. The soft first story effect is investigated for the cases: (i) slab-column connections without beams at the first floor, (ii) tall first story height and (iii) pilotis type building (open ground story). The effects of the first floor irregularity on the RC frame structure performance stages at global and local level (limit states) are investigated. Assessment based on the Capacity Spectrum Method (ATC-40) and on the Coefficient Method (FEMA 356) is also examined. Results in terms of failure modes, capacity curves, interstory drifts, ductility requirements and infills behaviour are presented. From the results it can be deduced that the global capacity of the structures is decreased due to the considered first floor morphology irregularities in comparison to the capacities of the regular structure. An increase of the demands for interstory drift is observed at the first floor level due to the considered irregularities while the open ground floor structure (pilotis type) led to even higher values of interstory drift demands at the first story. In the cases of tall first story and slab-column connections without beams soft-story mechanisms have also been observed at the first floor. Rotational criteria (EC8-part3) showed that the structure with slab-column connections without beams exhibited the most critical response.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.831-849
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• 2015

Seismic-design procedures for walls require that the confinement in the critical (plastic hinge) regions should extend over a length in the compression zone of the cross section at the wall base where concrete strains in the Ultimate Limit State (ULS) exceed the limit of 0.0035. In a performance-based framework, confinement is linked to required curvature ductility so that the drift demand at the performance point of the structure for the design earthquake may be met. However, performance of flexural walls in the recent earthquakes in Chile (2010) and Christchurch (2011) indicates that the actual compression strains in the critical regions of many structural walls were higher than estimated, being responsible for several of the reported failures by toe crushing. In this study, the method of estimating the confined region and magnitude of compression strain demands in slender walls are revisited. The objective is to account for a newly identified kinematic interaction between the normal strains that arise in the compression zone, and the lumped rotations that occur at the other end of the wall base due to penetration of bar tension yielding into the supporting anchorage. Design charts estimating the amount of yield penetration in terms of the resulting lumped rotation at the wall base are used to quantify the increased demands for compression strain in the critical section. The estimated strain increase may exceed by more than 30% the base value estimated from the existing design expressions, which explains the frequently reported occurrence of toe crushing even in well confined slender walls under high drift demands. Example cases are included in the presentation to illustrate the behavioral parametric trends and implications in seismic design of walls.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.911-936
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• 2015

This work evaluates the performance of a number of seismic assessment procedures when applied to a case study reinforced concrete (RC) wall building. The performance of each procedure is evaluated through its ability to accurately predict deformation demands, specifically, roof displacement, inter-storey drift ratio and wall curvatures are considered as the key engineering demand parameters. The different procedures include Direct Displacement-Based Assessment, nonlinear static analysis and nonlinear dynamic analysis. For the latter two approaches both lumped and distributed plasticity modelling are examined. To thoroughly test the different approaches the case study building is considered in different configurations to include the effects of unequal length walls and plan asymmetry. Recommendations are made as to which methods are suited to different scenarios, in particular focusing on the balance that needs to be made between accurate prediction of engineering demand parameters and the time and expertise required to undertake the different procedures. All methods are shown to have certain merits, but at the same time a number of the procedures are shown to have areas requiring further development. This work also highlights a number of key aspects related to the seismic response of RC wall buildings that may significantly impact the results of an assessment. These include the influence of higher-mode effects and variations in spectral shape with ductility demands.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2016

Steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) have been shown to be efficient lateral force-resisting systems, which are increasingly used in new and retrofit construction. These structural systems are designed with either stiffened and stocky or unstiffened and slender web plates based on disparate structural and economical considerations. Based on some limited reported studies, on the other hand, employment of low yield point (LYP) steel infill plates with extremely low yield strength, and high ductility as well as elongation properties is found to facilitate the design and improve the structural behavior and seismic performance of the SPSW systems. On this basis, this paper reports system-level investigations on the seismic response assessment of multi-story SPSW frames under the action of earthquake ground motions. The effectiveness of the strip model in representing the behaviors of SPSWs with different buckling and yielding properties is primarily verified. Subsequently, the structural and seismic performances of several code-designed and retrofitted SPSW frames with conventional and LYP steel infill plates are investigated through detailed modal and nonlinear time-history analyses. Evaluation of various seismic response parameters including drift, acceleration, base shear and moment, column axial load, and web-plate ductility demands, demonstrates the capabilities of SPSW systems in improving the seismic performance of structures and reveals various advantages of use of LYP steel material in seismic design and retrofit of SPSW systems, in particular, application of LYP steel infill plates of double thickness in seismic retrofit of conventional steel and code-designed SPSW frames.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.17 no.5 s.89
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• pp.727-734
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• 2005

High-rise residential buildings these days tend to adopt a building frame system as primary earthquake resisting structural system for some architectural reasons. But there exist several ambiguities in designing such building frame systems according to current codes with regards to : the effective stiffness property of RC cracked section in static and dynamic analyses, analytical model to evaluate story drift ratio, and deformation compatibility requirements of frames. The comparative study for these issues by appling KBC 2005 to a typical building frame system shows that demands of member strength and story drift ratio can be different significantly depending on engineer's Interpretation and application of code requirements. And a building frame system can be noneconomical, compared with the dual system, because of higher demands on strength or ductility in both frames and shear walls.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.235-242
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• 2001

Inelastic seismic response of steel moment frame structures, which are usually quite gravity load and subject to large displacement under severe earthquake, may be severly influenced by the structure P-Δ effects. The P-Δ effect may have an important impact on the dynamic behavior of the structure in the nonlinear seismic analysis. In multi degree of freedom systems P-Δ effects may significantly affect only a subset of stories or a single story alone. Therefore, a story drift amplification of structure is happened by P-Δeffects and such nonlinear dynamic behaviors are very difficult to evaluate in the structures. In this study, two systems having different design methods of steel moment frame structures are investigated to evaluate the P-Δ effects due to gravity load. The plastic hinge formations, maximum rotational ductility demands, and energy distribution will be compared and evaluated following whether the P-Δ effects are considered or not. And design methods are proposed for the prevention of the instability of structures which due to the P-Δ effects.