• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.68 no.6
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• pp.747-760
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• 2018

In the present study, a methodology for developing fragilities of arch concrete dams to assess their performance against seismic hazards is introduced. Firstly, the probability risk and fragility curves are presented, followed by implementation and representation of the way this method is used. Amirkabir arch concrete dam was subjected to non-linear dynamic analyses. A modified three dimensional rotating smeared crack model was used to take the nonlinear behavior of mass concrete into account. The proposed model considers major characteristics of mass concrete. These characteristics are pre-softening behavior, softening initiation criteria, fracture energy conservation, suitable damping mechanism and strain rate effect. In the present analysis, complete fluid-structure interaction is included to account for appropriate fluid compressibility and absorptive reservoir boundary conditions. In this study, the Amirkabir arch concrete dam is subjected to a set of 8 three-component earthquakes each scaled to 10 increasing intensity levels. Using proposed nonlinear smeared crack model, nonlinear analysis is performed where the structure is subjected to a large set of scaled and un-scaled ground motions and the maximum responses are extracted for each one and plotted. Based on the results, fragility curves were plotted according to various and possible damages indexes. Discrete damage probabilities were calculated using statistical methods for each considered performance level and incremental nonlinear analysis. Then, fragility curves were constructed based on the lognormal distribution assumption. Two damage indexes were introduced and compared to one another. The results indicate that the dam has a proper stability under earthquake conditions at MCE level. Moreover, displacement damages index is more conservative and impractical in the fragility analysis than tensional damage index.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.149-158
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• 2022

As a bridge ages, its mechanical properties and structural performance deteriorate, degrading its seismic performance during a strong earthquake. In this study, the aging of piers and bridge bearings was quantified in several stages and reflected in the analysis model, enabling the evaluation of the member-level seismic fragility of these bearings. Moreover, by assuming that the failure mechanism of a bridge system is a series system, a method for evaluating the system-level seismic fragility based on the member-level seismic fragility analysis result is formulated and proposed. For piers with rubber and lead-rubber bearings (members vulnerable to aging effects), five quantitative degrees of aging (0, 5, 10, 25, and 40%) are assumed to evaluate the member-level seismic fragility. Then, based on the result, the system-level seismic fragility evaluation was implemented. The pier rather than the bridge bearing is observed to have a dominant effect on the system-level seismic fragility. This means that the seismic fragility of more vulnerable structural members has a dominant influence on the seismic fragility of the entire bridge system.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.385-399
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• 2021

Among human-induced seismicity, fluid production has been one of the causes. In this report, the mechanism that causes an earthquake due to a decrease in the fluid pressure inside the reservoir during fluid extraction is summarized. As case studies, the Lacq gas field in France, the Cerro Prieto geothermal field in Mexico, and the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands, which have become issue recently, were introduced. It is showed that fluid production, ground subsidence, and the presence of existing faults were closely related with the induced seismicity. Therefore, for the development of oil or gas field and geothermal field, it is important to investigate the presence of faults that may cause earthquakes in the reservoir, to monitor ground subsidence during production in real time, and to control production.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.613-625
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• 2021

Non-seismically designed eccentric reinforced concrete beam-column joints were extensively used in existing reinforced concrete frame buildings, which were found to be vulnerable to seismic action in many incidences. To provide a fundamental understanding of the seismic performance and failure mechanism of the joints, three 2/3-scale exterior beam-column joints with non-seismically designed details were cast and tested under reversed cyclic loads simulating earthquake excitation. In this investigation, particular emphasis was given on the effects of the eccentricity between the centerlines of the beam and the column. It is shown that the eccentricity had significant effects on the damage characteristics, shear strength, and displacement ductility of the specimens. In addition, shear deformation and the strain of joint hoops were found to concentrate on the eccentric face of the joint. The results demonstrated that the specimen with an eccentricity of 1/4 column width failed in a brittle manner with premature joint shear failure, while the other specimens with less or no eccentricity failed in a ductile manner with joint shear failure after beam flexural yielding. Test results are compared with those predicted by three seismic design codes and two non-seismic design codes. In general, the codes do not accurately predict the shear strength of the eccentric joints with non-seismic details.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.973-979
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• 2024

In the framework of the Generation IV research and development project, in which the French Commission of Alternative and Atomic Energies (CEA) is involved, a main objective for the design of Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) is to meet the safety goals for severe accidents. Among the severe ones, the Unprotected Transient OverPower (UTOP) accidents can lead very quickly to a global melting of the core. UTOP accidents can be considered either as slow during a Control Rod Withdrawal (CRW) or as fast. The paper focuses on fast UTOP accidents, which occur in a few milliseconds, and three different scenarios are considered: rupture of the core support plate, uncontrolled passage of a gas bubble inside the core and core mechanical distortion such as a core flowering/compaction during an earthquake. Several levels and rates of reactivity insertions are also considered and the thermal-mechanical behavior of an ASTRID fuel pin from the ASTRID CFV core is simulated with the GERMINAL code. Two types of fuel pins are simulated, inner and outer core pins, and three different burn-up are considered. Moreover, the feedback from the CABRI programs on these type of transients is used in order to evaluate the failure mechanism in terms of kinetics of energy injection and fuel melting. The CABRI experiments complete the analysis made with GERMINAL calculations and have shown that three dominant mechanisms can be considered as responsible for pin failure or onset of pin degradation during ULOF/UTOP accident: molten cavity pressure loading, fuel-cladding mechanical interaction (FCMI) and fuel break-up. The study is one of the first step in fast UTOP accidents modelling with GERMINAL and it has shown that the code can already succeed in modelling these type of scenarios up to the sodium boiling point. The modeling of the radial propagation of the melting front, validated by comparison with CABRI tests, is already very efficient.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.18
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• pp.27-62
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• 2002

The international sale contract is the central contracts in export-import transactions. A good sale contract or set of general conditions of sale will cover all the principal elements of the transaction, so that uncertainties are avoided. The parties' respective duties as concern the payment mechanism, transport contract and insurance responsibilities, inter alia, will all be clearly detailed in the contract. The following key clauses should be included in international contracts of sale and general conditions of sale: ${\bullet}$ preamble ${\bullet}$ identification of parties ${\bullet}$ description of goods ${\bullet}$ price and payment conditions ${\bullet}$ delivery periods and conditions ${\bullet}$ inspection of the goods - obligations and limitations ${\bullet}$ quantity or quality variations in the products delivered ${\bullet}$ reservation of title and passing of property rights ${\bullet}$ transfer of risk - how accomplished ${\bullet}$ seller's warranties and buyer's complaints ${\bullet}$ assignment of rights ${\bullet}$ force majeure clause and hardship clause ${\bullet}$ requirement that amendments and modifications be in writing ${\bullet}$ choice of law ${\bullet}$ choice of dispute resolution mechanism Under most systems of law, a party can be excused from a failure to perform a contract obligation which is caused by the intervention of a totally unforeseeable event, such as the outbreak of war, or an act of God such as an earthquake or hurricane. Under the American commercial code (UCC) the standard for this relief is one of commercial impracticability. In contrast, many civil law jurisdictions apply the term force majeure to this problem. Under CISG, the standard is based on the concept of impediments to performance. Because of the differences between these standards, parties might be well advised to draft their own force majeure, hardship, or excusable delays clause. The ICC publication, "Force Majeure and Hardship" provides a sample force majeure clause which can be incorporated by reference, as well as a hardship clause which must be expressly integrated in the contract. In addition, the ICC Model provides a similar, somewhat more concise formulation of a force majeure clause. When the seller wishes to devise his own excusable delays clause, he will seek to anticipate in its provision such potential difficulties as those related to obtaining government authorisations, changes in customs duties or regulations, drastic fluctuations in labour, materials, energy, or transportation prices, etc.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.16 no.6 s.73
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• pp.793-805
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• 2004

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the ductility and strength factors that are key components of the response modification factor for special steel moment-resistant frames. The ductility factors for special steel moment-resistant frames were calculated by multiplying the ductility factor for SDOF systems and the MDOF modification factors. Ductility factors were computed for elastic and perfectly plastic SDOF systems undergoing different levels of inelastic deformation and periods when subjected to a large number of recorded earthquake ground motions. Based on the results of the regression analysis, simplified expressions were proposed to compute the ductility factors. Based on previous studies, the MDOF modification factors were also proposed to account for the MDOF systems. Strength factors for special steel moment resisting frames were estimated from the results of the nonlinear static analysis. A total of 36 sample steel frames were designed to investigate the ductility and strength factors considering design parameters such as number of stories (4, 8, and 16 stories), seismic zone factors (Z = 0.075, 0.2, and 0.4), framing system (Perimeter Frames, PF and Distributed Frames, DF), and failure mechanism (Strong-Column Weak Beam, SCWB, and Weak-Column Strong-Beam, WCSB). The effects of these design parameters on the ductility and strength factors for special steel moment-resisting frames were investigated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.16 no.6 s.73
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• pp.781-792
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• 2004

Experiments were performed to study the cyclic behavior of framed steel walls with thin web plates. Five specimens of single-bay and three-story steel plate walls were tested for cyclic lateral load. The parameters for the test specimens included the plate thickness and the column strength. Based on the test results, the strength, deformability, and energy dissipation capacity of the framed steel walls were studied. The test results showed that the behavioral characteristics of the framed steel walls with thin web plates were different in many aspects from those of the conventional braced frame, and the steel wall with a stiffened web plate exhibited cantilever action, high strength, and low ductility. With the framed steel plate walls, local plate buckling and tension-field action developed in the thin web plates, and plastic deformation was uniformly distributed along the wall's height. As a result, the framed steel plate walls exhibited combined flexural and shear deformation, but they also showed high strength and energy dissipation capacity. Moreover, such walls have high deformability, which was equivalent to that of the conventional moment frame. Frame members such as columns and beams, however, must be designed to resist the tension-field action of the thin web plates. If the column does not have sufficient strength, and if its sections are not compact enough, the overall strength of the framed steel wall might be significantly decreased by the development of the soft-story mechanism. The framed steel walls with thin web plates have advantages, such as high deformability and high strength. Therefore, they can be used as ductile elements in earthquake-resistant systems.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.377-387
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• 2014

This study mainly treats a new type of the bracing friction damper system, which is able to minimize structural damage under earthquake loads. The slotted bolt holes are placed on the shear faying surfaces with an intention to dissipate considerable amount of friction energy. The superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) wire strands are installed crossly between two plates for the purpose of enhancing recentering force that are able to reduce permanent deformation occurring at the friction damper system. The smart recentering friction damper system proposed in this study can be expected to reduce repair cost as compared to the conventional damper system because the proposed system mitigates the inter-story drift of the entire frame structure. The response mechanism of the proposed damper system is firstly investigated in this study, and then numerical analyses are performed on the component spring models calibrated to the experimental results. Based on the numerical analysis results, the seismic performance of the recentering friction damper system with respect to recentering capability and energy dissipation are investigated before suggesting optimal design methodology. Finally, nonlinear dynamic analyses are conducted by using the frame models designed with the proposed damper systems so as to verify superior performance to the existing damper systems.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2003

One of the reasons for brittle failure in reinforced concrete structures subjected to severe earthquake is due to large local bond-slippage of bars resulting in fast bond degradation between reinforcing bars and concrete. This study aims to evaluate effects of bar deformation height on bond performance, specially, bond degradation under cyclic loading. Bond test specimens were constructed with machined bars with high relative rib areas. The degree of confinement by transverse bars is also another key parameters in this bond test. From test results, amounts of energy dissipation are calculated and compared for each parameter. Test results show that bond strength and stiffness drops significantly as cycles increases. The confinement and high relative rib area are effective to delay bond degradation, as the reduction of bond strength of cyclic loading compared to monotonic loading decreased for bars with large confinement and high relative rib areas. The energy dissipation also increases as the degree of confinement and relative rib area increases. However, tested bars with very high rib areas show that the bond may be damaged at relatively small slip because of high stiffness. The study will help to understand the bond degradation mechanism due to bar deformation height under cyclic loading and be useful to develop new deformed bars with high relative rib areas.