• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.370-375
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• 2013

This paper attempts to estimate the city gas demand function in Korea over the period 1981-2012. As the city gas demand function provides us information on the pattern of consumer's city gas consumption, it can be usefully utilized in predicting the impact of policy variables such as city gas price and forecasting the demand for city gas. We apply lagged dependent variable model and ordinary least square method as a robust approach to estimating the parameters of the city gas demand function. The results show that short-run price and income elasticities of the city gas demand are estimated to be -0.522 and 0.874, respectively. They are statistically significant at the 1% level. The short-run price and income elasticities portray that demand for city gas is price- and income-inelastic. This implies that the city gas is indispensable goods to human-being's life, thus the city gas demand would not be promptly adjusted to responding to price and/or income change. However, long-run price and income elasticities reveal that the demand for city gas is price- and income-elastic in the long-run.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.5 s.39
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• pp.35-43
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• 2004

Small-scale models have been frequently used for seismic performance tests because of limited testing facilities and economic reasons. However, there are not enough studies on similitude law for analogizing prototype structures accurately with small-scale models, although conventional similitude law based on geometry is not well consistent in the inelastic seismic behavior. When fabricating prototype and small-scale model of reinforced concrete structures by using the same material, added mass is demanded from a volumetric change and scale factor could be limited due to aggregate size. Therefore, it is desirable that different material is used for small-scale models. Thus, a modified similitude law could be derived depending on geometric scale factor, equivalent modulus ratio and ultimate strain ratio. In this study, compressive strength tests are conducted to analyze the equivalent modulus ratio of micro-concrete to normal-concrete. Then, equivalent modulus ratios are divided into multi-phase damage levels, which are basically dependent on ultimate strain level. Therefore, an algorithm adaptable to the pseudodynamic test, considering equivalent multi-phase similitude law based on seismic damage levels, is developed. Test specimens, consisted of prototype structures and 1/5 scaled models as a reinforced concrete column, were designed and fabricated based on the equivalent modulus ratios already defined. Finally quasistatic and pseudodynamic tests on the specimens are carried out using constant and variable modulus ratios, and correlation between prototype and small-scale model is investigated based on their test results. It is confirmed that the equivalent multi-phase similitude law proposed in this study could be suitable for seismic performance tests on small-scale models.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.175-184
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• 2018

In this paper, comparative analysis of the 9.12 Gyeongju and 11.15 Pohang earthquakes was conducted in order to provide probable explanations and reasons for the damage observed in the 11.15 Pohang earthquake from both earthquake and structural engineering perspectives. The damage potentials like Arias intensity, effective peak ground acceleration, etc observed in the 11.15 Pohang earthquake were generally weaker than those of the 9.12 Gyeongju earthquake. However, in contrast to the high-frequency dominant nature of the 9.12 Gyeongju earthquake records, the spectral power of PHA2 record observed in the soft soil site was highly concentrated around 2Hz. The base shear around 2 Hz frequency was as high as 40% building weight. This frequency band is very close to the fundamental frequency of the piloti-type buildings severely damaged in the northern part of Pohang. Unfortunately, in addition to inherent vertical irregularity, most of the damaged piloti-type buildings had plan irregularity as well and were non-seismic. All these contributed to the fatal damage. Inelastic dynamic analysis indicated that PHA2 record demands system ductility capacity of 3.5 for a structure with a fundamental period of 0.5 sec and yield base shear strength of 10% building weight. The system ductility level of 3.5 seems very difficult to be achievable in non-seismic brittle piloti-type buildings. The soil profile of the PHA2 site was inversely estimated based on deconvolution technique and trial-error procedure with utilizing available records measured at several rock sites during the 11.15 Pohang earthquake. The soil profile estimated was very typical of soil class D, implying significant soil amplification in the 11.15 Pohang earthquake. The 11.15 Pohang earthquake gave us the expensive lesson that near-collapse damage to irregular and brittle buildings is highly possible when soil is soft and epicenter is close, although the earthquake magnitude is just minor to moderate (M 5+).

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.17 no.1 s.74
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• pp.63-71
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• 2005

There were already several studies conducted on the steel-concrete (SC) composite column, which was developedcomplement the weaknesses and maintain the advantages of previous composite columns. The axial compressive capacity of the SC composite column was estimated by the tests in previous studies, but the experiments for the large-scale column could not be performed because of the limitation with the laboratory's capacity. In this study, the analytical study was performed using the general finite element analysis program to reflect the interaction of concrete and steel and the local buckling of steel flange composed of the non-compact section. The appropriateness of the analytical model was verified by the comparison between experimental and analytical results. The nonlinear behavior of full-scale SC composite column was analyzed using the verified analytical model. From these analytical studies, it was concluded that the width-to-thickness ratio of the steel cross-section of the SC composite column should not exceed 25:0. The section area of the link is best when it is over 0.025 dt, and the link distance is to be less than D/2 or 300mm.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.257-286
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• 2017

This paper estimates the effects of imaginary repeated increases in excise duties on fuel oil consumption and on their income redistribution according to changes in consumer price index, if the inflation indexation system was introduced right after the second Energy Tax Reform ended in July, 2007 in Korea. In fact, nominal excise rates have not been adjusted since 2007. As a result, the real excise rates on fuel oils have been diminished inversely proportional to the consumer price index. Own- and cross-price elasticities of fuel oils such as gasoline and diesel oil are estimated under the general equilibrium framework based on the linear expenditure system. Counterfactual analyses through microsimulation in a static model are adopted to estimate the effects of introducing inflation indexation into the fuel tax in 2007 when the second Energy Tax reform ended on the fuel consumption and income redistribution in 2014. Microsimulations suggest that its introduction could have reduced the consumption of gasoline and diesel oil by 8.8% and 5.4%, respectively, ending up with increased excise revenue by 11.9%. The revenue increase in spite of decreased consumption is mainly because their demands are price inelastic. It could also have increased positive income redistributive effect by 0.01%p (from 0.12% to 0.13%), which is measured in terms of percentage decrease in Gini coefficient. In other words, the fuel excise on the two fuel oils decreased by 0.13% the Gini coefficient of before and after fuel tax income in 2014. This implies that the inflation indexation could have enlarged the income redistributive effect up to 0.13% in 2014, if it is introduced in 2007.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.569-577
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• 2015

Recently, the concept of seismic design has changed from prescriptive to performance based design. For the performance based design with the specified target performance of the structure, it is necessary to execute the inelastic structural analysis to predict precisely the actual behavior of the structure. To address this issue, the seismic performance of the 5-story RC moment-resisting frames designed in accordance with KBC2009 is evaluated through push-over analysis and economic analysis is conducted focused on the direct construction costs. The results show that the ordinary and the intermediate moment-resisting frame are evaluated to meet the required performance design criteria and that the direct construction costs of the two frames are similar. However, although the special moment-resisting frame designed with strong column-weak girder philosophy satisfies the required performance design criteria, the direct construction cost is uneconomical compared with other frames. Therefore, although the intermediate moment-resisting frame of design category D is prohibited in IBC2012, the ordinary and the intermediate moment-resisting frame are estimated to be more reasonable than the special moment-resisting frame for the design of 5-story RC moment-resisting frame.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.16 no.4 s.82
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• pp.451-458
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• 2004

This study describes the basic concept and the applicability of Hybrid Reinforcement System using conventional steel reinforcing bars and Fiber Reinforced Polymer bars. The concrete bridge decks are assumed to be supported by beams and reinforced with two layers of reinforcing bars. In concrete bridge deck using HRS, the top tensile force for negative moment zone on beam supports is assumed to be resisted by FRP reinforcing bars, and the bottom tensile force for positive moment zone in the middle of hem supports is assumed to be resisted by conventional steel reinforcing bars, respectively. The FRP reinforcing bars are non-corrosive. Thus, the steel reinforcement is as far away as possible from the top surface of the deck and protected from intrusion of corrosive agent. HRS concrete bridge deck has sufficient ductility at ultimate state as the following reasons; 1) FRP bars have lower elastic modulus and higher ultimate strain than steel re-bars have, 2) FRP bars have lower ultimate strain if provided higher reinforcement ratio, 3) ultimate strain of FRP bars can be reduced if FRP bars are unbonded. Test results showed that FRP and HRS concrete slabs are not failed by FRP bar rupture, but failed by concrete compression in the range of ordinary reinforcement ratio. Therefore, in continuous concrete bridge deck using HRS, steel reinforcing bars for positive moment yield and form plastic hinge first and compressive concrete fail in the bottom of supports or in the top of the middle of supports last. Thus, bridge deck consumes significant inelastic strain energy before its failure.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.544-552
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• 2001

Korea is classified into low and moderate seismic zone from the view-point of seismic hazard level. Korean seismic provisions has been developed based on UBC and ATC 3-06. Thus, in calculation of design base shear according to Korean provisions response modification factor (R) is included in the formula of design base shear. The major role of this factor is to reduce the elastic design base shear whereby structures can behave in inelastic range during design level earthquake ground motions(mean return period of 475 yrs.). R factor is assigned according to material and structural systems. In this study, R factor for bearing wall system is considered. Most of the walls of apartment buildings in Korea resist gravity and seismic loads simultaneously so that this wall system can be classified into bearing wall system. Structural details of these walls are different from those used in Japan and U.S.. They are all rectangular in sectional shape rather than barbell in shape, and also have special lateral reinforcement details at the boundaries of a wall. In Korean seismic design provisions(1988), two different values(3.0 and 3.5) of R factor are assigned to the bearing wall systems according to the wall details. However, in updated seismic provisions(2000), only one value is assigned to R factor(3.0) irrespective of wall details. In this study, the design base shear values in Korean seismic design provisions(1988, 2000), ATC 3-06, UBC are compared. Also experimental study was carried out to evaluate the seismic performance of structural walls. For this purpose, five test specimens were made which have special details used in apartment bearing wall systems in Korea. Based on the results of this study, response modification factor for bearing wall system is discussed.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.683-692
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• 2011

In piloti-type low-rise RC residential buildings, severe damages have been usually concentrated at piloti stories under the earthquake. In this study, a piloti story was retrofitted by installation of buckling-restrained braces (BRB's) to increase strength and stiffness of piloti story and by application of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) sheet on columns to avoid the brittle shear and axial failure of columns. To verify this retrofit performance, reversed cyclic lateral load tests were performed on 1:5 scale bare and retrofitted frames. The test results showed that yield strength (43.2 kN) appeared to be significantly larger than design value (30 kN) due to the increase of strength in the compression side, but the stiffness value (11.6 kN/mm) turned out to be approximately one-half of the design value (24.2 kN/mm). The reasons for this difference in stiffness were due to slippage at joint between the frame and the BRB's, displacement and rotation at footing. The energy absorption capacity of the retrofitted frame was 7.5 times larger than that of the bare frame. The change of the number of load cells under the footing from 2 to 1 reduced lateral stiffness from 11.6 kN/mm to 6 kN/mm, which was only three times larger than that of the bare frame (2.1 kN/mm).

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.91-102
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• 2007

Through lessons in recent earthquakes, the bridge engineering community recognizes the need for new seismic design methodologies based on the inelastic structural performance of RC bridge structures. This study represents results of performance-based fragility analysis of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge. Monte carlo simulation is performed to study nonlinear dynamic responses of RC bridge. Two-parameter log-normal distribution function is used to represent the fragility curves. These two-parameters, referred to as fragility parameters, are estimated by the traditional maximum likelihood procedure, which is treated each event of RC bridge pier damage as a realization of Bernoulli experiment. In order to formulate the fragility curves, five different damage states are described by two practical factors: the displacement and curvature ductility, which are mostly influencing on the seismic behavior of RC bridge piers. Five damage states are quantitatively assessed in terms of these seismic ductilities on the basis of numerous experimental results of RC bridge piers. Thereby, the performance-based fragility curves of RC bridge pier are provided in this paper. This approach can be used in constructing the fragility curves of various bridge structures and be applied to construct the seismic hazard map.