• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2022

This study proposes a low-cycle fatigue life derived from measurement points on pipe elbows, which are components that are vulnerable to seismic load in the interface piping systems of nuclear power plants that use seismic isolation systems. In order to quantitatively define limit states regarding leakage, i.e., actual failure caused by low-cycle fatigue, in-plane cyclic loading tests were performed using a sine wave of constant amplitude. The test specimens consisted of SCH40 6-inch carbon steel pipe elbows and straight pipes, and an image processing method was used to measure the nonlinear behavior of the test specimens. The leakage lines caused by low-cycle fatigue and the low-cycle fatigue curves were compared and analyzed using the relationship between the relative deformation angles, which were measured based on each of the measurement points on the straight pipe, and the moment, which was measured at the center of the pipe elbow. Damage indices based on the combination of ductility and dissipation energy at each measurement point were used to quantitatively express the time at which leakage occurs due to through-wall cracking in the pipe elbow.

• Composites Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

CNT-polypropylene (PP) composites were compounded by solvent dispersion method with uniform dispersion by using twin screw extruder. Damage sensing effects based on conductive carbon nanotubes (CNT) were evaluated to monitor the internal damage of CNT-PP composites using electrical resistance measurement. Mechanical and interfacial properties of CNT-PP composites were investigated and compared with neat PP. The mechanical properties of PP matrix were improved after adding CNT, because of the reinforcing effect of CNT fillers. In order to monitor the internal damage of CNT-PP composite, the change in electrical resistance of the composites was measured under fatigue loading and bending tests. CNT fillers exhibited good sensing under electrical resistance measurements. It is shown that CNT-PP composites with low CNT contents allow identifying critical cyclic loading, which are found to be accompanied with the internal failure.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.131-149
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• 2013

Various types of reinforcement splicing methods have been developed and implemented in reinforced concrete construction projects for achieving the continuity of reinforcements. Due to the complicated reinforcement arrangements and the difficulties in securing bar spacing, the traditional lap splicing method, which has been widely used in reinforced concrete constructions, often shows low constructability and difficulties in quality control. Also, lap spliced regions are likely to be over-reinforced, which may not be desirable in seismic design. On the other hand, mechanical splicing methods can offer simple and clear arrangements of reinforcement. In order to utilize the couplers for the ribbed-deformed bars, however, additional screw processing at the ends of reinforcing bars is typically required, which often lead to performance degradations of reinforced concrete members due to the lack of workmanship in screw processing or in adjusting the length of reinforcing bars. On the contrary, the use of screw-ribbed reinforcements can easily solve these issues on the mechanical splicing methods, because it does not require the screw process on the bar. In this study, the mechanical coupler suitable for the screw-ribbed reinforcements has been developed, in which any gap between the reinforcements and sleeve device can be removed by grouting high-flow inorganic mortar. This study presents the uniaxial tension tests on the screw-ribbed reinforcement with the mechanical sleeve devices and the cyclic loading tests on RC columns with the developed coupler. The test results show that the mechanical sleeve connection developed in this study has an excellent splicing performance, and that it is applicable to reinforced concrete columns with a proper confinement by hoop reinforcement.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.601-612
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• 2013

In the present study, details of the TSC beam-to-PSRC column connection for low and middle seismic zones were developed. For ease construction, the top and bottom flanges of the steel section of the TSC beam were discontinuous at the joint face on purpose, while the web passes through the joint. Thus, tensile resistance of the top and bottom flanges is not considered in the calculation of nominal strength of the connection. Cyclic loading tests on two interior connections and an exterior connection were performed to verify the seismic performance. The test parameter for two interior connections was the depth of the TSC beams: 600 and 700 mm including the slab depth. The test results showed that the nominal strength of the connections predicted by KBC 2009 correlated well with the test results. The connection specimens exhibited relatively good deformation and energy dissipation capacities, greater than the requirements for the ordinary and intermediate moment frames. Ultimately, the connection specimens were failed at the story drift ratios of 3.0 to 4.0 % due to local buckling and tensile fracture of the web of the TSC beam passing through the joint. By modifying the existing provisions of ASCE, the joint shear strength of the TSC beam-PSRC column connection was evaluated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.519-530
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• 2013

Cyclic tests on modular building units for low-rise buildings composed of stud panels and a light-weight steel perimeter frame, were performed to evaluate the earthquake resistance such as stiffness, load-carrying capacity, ductility, and energy dissipation per load cycle. The strap-braced and sheeted stud panels were used as the primary lateral load-resistant element of the modular building units. Test results showed that the modular building units using the strap-braced and sheeted stud panels exhibited excellent post-yield ductile behaviors. The maximum drift ratios were greater than 5.37% and the displacement ductility ratios were greater than 5.76. However, the energy dissipation per load cycle was poor due to severe pinching during cyclic loading. Nominal strength, stiffness, and yield displacement of the modular building units were predicted based on plastic mechanisms. The predictions reasonably and conservatively correlated with the test results. However, the elastic stiffness of the strap-braced stud panel was significantly overestimated. For conservative design, the elastic stiffness of the strap-braced stud panel needs be decreased to 50% of the nominal value.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.30-39
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• 2022

Maintaining structural integrity of major apparatuses in a nuclear power plant, including piping system, is recognized as a critical safety issue. The integrity of piping system is also a critical matter related to the safety of a nuclear power plant. The actual failure mode of a piping system due to a seismic load is the leakage due to a fatigue crack, and the structural damage mechanism is the low-cycle fatigue due to large relative displacement that may cause plastic deformation. In this study, in-plane cyclic loading tests were conducted under various constant amplitudes using specimens composed of steel straight pipes and a steel pipe tee in the piping system of a nuclear power plant. The loading amplitude was increased to consider the relative displacement generated in the piping system under seismic loads, and the test was conducted until leakage, which is the limit state of the steel pipe tee, occurred due to fatigue cracks. The limit state of the steel pipe tee was expressed using a damage model based on the damage index that used the force-displacement relationship. As a result, it was confirmed that the limit state of the steel pipe tee can be quantitatively expressed using the damage index.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.482-490
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• 2013

Although the flat plate system is an efficient structural type due to the simplicity of its construction, the low story height, and the various plan design, the slab-column connections are vulnerable to punching shear failure from gravity load and eccentric shear failure from lateral load. To prevent the structure collapse, various construction methods of slab-column connection reinforcement are developed but none of these satisfies all of structural performance, economics, and constructability. This paper presents the reinforcement of slab-column connection with lattice bars. The structural performance is confirmed with the interior slab-column connection tests subjected to cyclic loading, and the economic feasibility is demonstrated from the structural design under the same condition with lattice bars, stud rails, and stirrups.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.103-115
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• 2020

The cold-formed steel storage racks are extensively employed in various industries applications such as storing products in reliable places and storehouses before distribution to the market. Racking systems lose their stability under lateral loads, such as seismic actions due to the slenderness of elements and low ductility. This justifies a need for more investigation on methods to improve their behavior and increase their capacity to survive medium to severe loads. A standardized connection could be obtained through investigation on the moment resistance, value of original rotational stiffness, ductility, and failure mode of the connection. A total of six monotonic tests were carried out to determine the behavior of the connection of straight 2.0 mm, and 2.6 mm thickness connects to 5 lug end connectors. Then, the obtained results are benched mark as the original data. Furthermore, an extreme learning machine (ELM) technique has been employed to verify and predict both moment and rotation results. Out of 4 connections, increase the ultimate moment resistance of connection by 13% and 18% for 2.0 mm and 2.6 mm upright connection, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

Improving the earthquake resistance of buildings through seismic retrofitting using steel braces can result in brittle failure at the connection between the brace and the building, as well as buckling failure of the braces. In this study, a non-compression cross-bracing system using the Carbon Fiber Composite Cable (CFCC), which consists of CFCC bracing and bolt connection was proposed to replace the conventional steel bracing. This paper presented the seismic resistance of a reinforced concrete frame strengthened using CFCC X-bracing. Cyclic loading tests were carried out, and the maximum load carrying capacity and ductility were investigated, together with hysteresis of the lateral load-drift relations. Test results revealed that the CFCC X-bracing system installed RC frames enhanced markedly the strength capacity and no buckling failure of the bracing was observed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.451-464
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• 2018

This paper presents some quasi-static tests for 4 mixed columns composed of CFST column and RC column. The seismic performance and failure mode were studied under low-cyclic revised loading. The failure mode was observed under different axial compression ratios. The hysteretic curve and skeleton curve were obtained. The effects of axial compression ratio on yield mechanism, displacement ductility, energy dissipation, stiffness and strength attenuation were analyzed. The results indicate that the failure behavior of CFST-RC mixed column with archaized style is mainly caused by bending failure and accompanied by some shear failure. The axial compression ratio performs a control function on the yielding order of the upper and lower columns. The yielding mechanism has a great influence on the ductility and energy dissipation capacity of specimens. Based on the experiment, finite element analysis was made to further research the seismic performance by ABAQUS software. The variable parameters were stiffness ratio of upper and lower columns, axial compression ratio, yielding strength of steel tube, concrete strength and rebar ratio. The simulation results show that with the increase of stiffness ratio of the upper and lower columns, the bearing capacity and ductility of specimens can correspondingly increase. As the axial compression ratio increases, the ductility of the specimen decreases gradually. The other three parameters both have positive effect on the bearing capacity but have negative effect on the ductility. The results can provide reference for the design and engineering application of mixed column consisted of CFST-RC in Chinese archaized buildings.