• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.307-321
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• 2020

The slim-floor solution provides an efficient alternative to the classic slab-over-beam configuration due to architectural and structural benefits. Two deficiencies can be identified in the current state-of-art: (i) the technique is limited to nonseismic applications and (ii) the lack of information on moment-resisting slim-floor beam-to-column joints. In the seismic design of framed structures, continuous beam-to-column joints are required for plastic hinges to form at the ends of the beams. The present paper proposes a slim-floor technical solution capable of expanding the current application of slim-floor joints to seismic-resistant composite construction. The proposed solution relies on a moment-resisting connection with a thick end-plate and large-diameter bolts, which are used to fulfill the required strength and stiffness characteristics of continuous connections, while maintaining a reduced height of the configuration. Considering the proposed novel solution and the variety of parameters that could affect the behavior of the joint, experimental and numerical validations are compulsory. Consequently, the current paper presents the experimental and numerical investigation of two slim-floor beam-to-column joint assemblies. The results are discussed in terms of moment-rotation curves, available rotational capacity and failure modes. The study focuses on developing reliable slim-floor beam joints that are applicable to steel building frame structures located in seismic regions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.323-339
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• 2020

In steel framed-tube structures (SFTSs), the plastic hinges at beam-ends cannot be adequately improved because of the large cross sections of spandrel beams, which results in the lower ductility and energy dissipation capacities of traditional SFTSs. To address this drawback, high-strength steel fabricated SFTSs with bolted web-connected replaceable shear links (HSFTS-SLs) have been proposed. In this system, shear links use conventional steel and are placed in the middle of the deep spandrel beams to act as energy dissipative components. In this study, 2/3-scaled HSFTS-SL specimens were fabricated, and cyclic loading tests were carried out to study the seismic performance of both specimens. The finite element models (FEMs) of the two specimens were established and the numerical results were compared with the test results. The results showed that the specimens had good ductility and energy dissipation capacities due to the reliable deformation capacities. The specimens presented the expected failure modes. Using a shorter shear link can provide a higher load-carrying capacity and initial elastic lateral stiffness but induces lower ductility and energy dissipation capacity in HSFTS-SLs. The performance of the specimens was comparable to that of the original sub-structure specimens after replacing shear links. Additionally, the expected post-earthquake recoverability and resilience of the structures could be achieved by replacing shear links. The acceptable residual interstory drift that allows for easy replacement of the bolted web-connected shear link was 0.23%. The bolted web-connected shear links had reliable hysteretic responses and deformation capacities. The connection rotation had a notable contribution to total link rotation. The results of the numerical analysis run for the proposed FEMs were consistent with the test results. It showed that the proposed FEMs could be used to investigate the seismic performance of the HSFTS-SL.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.187-192
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• 2016

While structures are designed within elastic range by other designs, plastic behavior of structures should be verified and controlled in order to prevent structural collapse by the earthquake resistant design. No Collapse Requirement for typical bridges is to avoid falling down of superstructure by way of plastic behavior of certain structural elements and to operate emergency vehicles after earthquake. Such plastic behavior is restricted to connections or pier columns and appropriate measures are required for each case. Earthquake Resistant Design part of Roadway Bridge Design Code provides design processes for Ductile Collapse Mechanism by forming plastic hinges at pier columns. Also for bridges with reinforced concrete piers ductility-based design processes are provided as an appendix constructing Brittle Collapse Mechanism with connection yielding. In this study, a typical bridge with steel bearing connections and reinforced concrete piers is selected and No Collapse Design procedure considering both Ductile and Brittle Collapse Mechanism is proposed together with revisions required for the Earthquake Resistant Design part.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.17 no.1 s.74
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• pp.103-113
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• 2005

In the present study, the Direct Inelastic Design (DID) for steel structures developed in the previous study was improved to expand it applicability. The proposed design method can perform inelastic designs that address the design characteristics of steel structures: Group member design, discrete member sizes, variation of moment-carrying capacity according to axial force, connection types, and multiple design criteria and load conditions. The design procedure for the proposed method was established, and a computer program incorporating the design procedure was developed. The design results from the conventional elastic method and the DID were compared and verified by the existing computer program for nonlinear analysis. Compared with the conventional elastic design, the DID addressing the inelastic behavior reduced the total weight of steel members and enhanced the deformability of the structure. The proposed design method is convenient because it can directly perform inelastic design by using linear analysis for secant stiffness. Also, it can achieve structural safety and economical design by controlling deformations of the plastic hinges.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 2020

The effectiveness and the sensitivity of a Wireless impedance/Admittance Monitoring System (WiAMS) for the prompt damage diagnosis of two single-storey single-span Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames under cyclic loading is experimentally investigated. The geometrical and the reinforcement characteristics of the RC structural members of the frames represent typical old RC frame structure without consideration of seismic design criteria. The columns of the frames are vulnerable to shear failure under lateral load due to their low height-to-depth ratio and insufficient transverse reinforcement. The proposed Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system comprises of specially manufactured autonomous portable devices that acquire the in-situ voltage frequency responses of a network of twenty piezoelectric transducers mounted to the RC frames. Measurements of external and internal small-sized piezoelectric patches are utilized for damage localization and assessment at various and increased damage levels as the magnitude of the imposed lateral cycle deformations increases. A bare RC frame and a strengthened one using a pair of steel crossed tension-ties (X-bracing) have been tested in order to check the sensitivity of the developed WiAMS in different structural conditions since crack propagation, damage locations and failure mode of the examined frames vary. Indeed, the imposed loading caused brittle shear failure to the column of the bare frame and the formation of plastic hinges at the beam ends of the X-braced frame. Test results highlighted the ability of the proposed SHM to identify incipient damages due to concrete cracking and steel yielding since promising early indication of the forthcoming critical failures before any visible sign has been obtained.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2020

One of the most suitable methods in structural design is seismic separator. Lead-Rubber Bearing (LRB) is one of the most well-known separation systems which can be used in different types of structures. This system mitigates the earthquake acceleration prior to transferring to the structure efficiently. However, the performance of this system in concrete structures with different heights have not been evaluated thoroughly yet. This paper aims to evaluate the performance of LRB separation system in concrete structures with different heights. For this purpose, three, 16, and 23 story concrete structures are equipped by LRB and exposed to a far-field earthquake. Next, a time history analysis is conducted on each of the structures. Finally, the performance of the concrete structures is compared with each other in the term of their response to the earthquakes and the formation of plastic hinges. The results of the paper show that the rate of change in acceleration response and the ratio of drift along the height of 8 and 23 stories concrete structures are more than those of the 16-stories, and the use of LRB reduces the formation of plastic joints.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.718-725
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• 2002

A wall type friction damper is newly Proposed in this paper to improve the performance of R/C framed structures under earthquake loads. Although traditional dampers are usually placed as bracing members, the application ot bracing-type dampers into R/C structures is not as simple as those of steel structures due to the connection between R/C members and dampers and the stress concentration in connection region. Proposed damper is consisted of Teflon-sheet slider and R/C shear wall. The damper can also avoid stress concentration and reduce P-Δ effect. To evaluate the performance of proposed damper, nonlinear dynamic analyses are carried on 10 story and 3 bay R/C structures with numerical model for the damper. It is shown that the damper reduces the inter-story drifts and the time-historic responses; especially the damper prevents from forming plastic hinges on the lower columns.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.239-247
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• 2011

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the corresponding national low-carbon policy should be grounded on the scientific understanding of climate sensitivity to the increase in CO2 concentration. This is, however, precluded by the fact that current estimates of the climate sensitivity highly vary. To understand the scientific background, limitations, and prospects of the climate sensitivity study, this paper reviews, as objectively as possible, the most recent results on the sensitivity issue. Theoretically, the climate sensitivity hinges on climate feedbacks from various atmospheric and surface physical processes. Especially cloud and sea-ice processes associated with shortwave radiation are known to have largest uncertainty, resulting in an inaccurate estimation of climate sensitivity. For this reason, recent observational studies using satellite data suggest sensitivity lower than or similar to those estimated by climate models (2-5 K per doubled CO2).

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.123-129
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to test performances of 14 types of root barrier materials by applying testing plant: and soils suitable for weather and natural features of Korea. For testing Plants, Plioblastus pygmaed Mitford A and Pyracantha angustifolia have been selected. For testing soil, mixture of pearlite and peat moss in 3:1 ratio Testing container has been fabricated with duplicated structure having inner and outer containers. And the outer container has 2 hinges on its side wall to allow opening and closing. Wet rock wool with 50mm in thickness has been inserted between inner and outer containers to allow root to penetrate through root barrier material and continue to grow. We planted 12 Plioblastus pygmaed Mitford A. and 4 Pyracantha angustifolia per one testing container. Three testing samples have been made for 1 type of root barrier material, which become a total 42 specimens. Planted testing samples have been installed within the greenhouse, which will be observed regularly for 2 years from now on. We started test from July 11, 2008 and had performed intermediate observations every month for initial 3 months. From the 3rd intermediate observation on Sept. 18, we confirmed that 6 types of roe barrier materials have penetrated roots. Even though two types of them have been generally used as root barrier materials for roof planting system, all of three testing samples have a lot of penetrated roots. This result proves that it is not reasonable to introduce testing methods of root barrier from Europe. USA or Japan.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1475-1481
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• 2008

B3 antibody specifically binds the $Lewis^Y$-related carbohydrate antigen of many carcinomas, and it is used as a model antibody in this study. In a previous study, the Fab fragment of the antibody was fused to a 38 kDa truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin A, PE38, to make Fab-PE38, where PE38 is fused to the Fd fragment of the Fab domain. This parent monomer molecule, Fab-PE38, had no cysteine in the hinge region, and it could not make a disulfide bond to form a disulfide bond bridged homodimer. In this study, we constructed three different kinds of divalent Fab-toxin fusion homodimers where the toxin is fused to the light chain of Fab, $(Fab-PE38fl)_2$. In addition to the PE38 toxin fused to the light chain, these three molecules have different hinge sequences hi, h2, and h3 making Fabh1-, Fabh2-, and Fabh3-PE38fl monomers, respectively. These hinges contain only one cysteine on different positions of the hinge sequence. The disulfide bond between the hinge region of two monomers forms homodimers $(Fabh1-PE38fl)_2$, $(Fabh2-PE38fl)_2$, and $(Fabh3-PE38fl)_2$. The refolding yields of these dimers were 5-16-fold higher than a previously constructed dimer where the PE38 was fused to the Fd fragment $(Fabh2-PE38)_2$ [8]. Our data suggest that the steric repulsion between the two PE38s in $(Fabh1-PE38)_2$ during disulfide bridge formation is relieved by fusing it at the end of the light chain. The best cytotoxicity value of these dimers showed about 2.5-fold higher on an MCF7 cell line than that of the monovalent reference molecule in ng/ml scale, which is 15-fold higher in pM scale.