• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.539-566
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• 2013

This paper summarises the results of a numerical study on the non linear response of steel concentric braced frames under monotonic and cyclic loads, using force-based finite elements with section fibre discretisation. The first part of the study is addressed to analyse the single brace response. A parametric analysis was carried out and discussed to evaluate the accuracy of the model, examining the influence of the initial camber, the material modelling, the type of force-based element, the number of integration points and the number of fibers. The second part of the paper is concerned with the modelling issues of whole braced structures. The effectiveness of the modelling approach is verified against the nonlinear static and dynamic behaviour of different type of bracing configurations. The model sensitivity to brace-to-brace interaction and the capability of the model to mimic the response of complex bracing systems is analyzed. The influence of different approaches for modelling the inertia, the equivalent viscous damping and the brace hysteretic response on the overall structural response are also investigated. Finally, on the basis of the performed numerical study general modelling recommendations are proposed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.21-34
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• 2023

In order to analyze the effect of the cyclic lateral loading on the response of a pile-soil system, a full-scale single steel pile was subjected to one-way cyclic loading. The test pile was driven into a bi-layered soil consisting of a normally consolidated saturated clay overlying a silty sandy layer, the site being submerged by water up to one meter above the mudline in order to reproduce the conditions of an offshore pile foundation. The aim of this paper is to present the main results of interpretation of the cyclic lateral tests in terms of pile deflections, bending moment, and cyclic P-Y curves. From these latter an absolute secant reaction modulus E_AS,N was derived and a simple calculation model of the test single pile is proposed based on this modulus. Two applications of the proposed model are carried out, one with a 2D finite element modelling, and the second with a load transfer curves-based method.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.377-386
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• 2018

This paper focuses on the development of a new non-linear macro-element for the modelling of soil-foundation interaction. Material and geometrical nonlinearities (soil yielding and foundation uplift respectively) are taken into account in the present macro-element to examine the response of shallow foundations under monotonic and cyclic loads. Several applications of soil-foundation systems are studied. The results obtained from these applications are in very favourable agreement with those obtained through other numerical models in the literature.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.439-455
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• 1998

A three-dimensional static nonlinear finite element analysis was performed on the NUPEC large-scale flanged shear wall, which was the subject of an international study program. Details of the constitutive models and analysis procedures used are provided, and the results of the analysis are presented and discussed. The analytical results are compared to the experimentally observed behaviour, and reasonable correlation is observed. Deficiencies in the modelling are identified. In addition, a parametric study is undertaken to investigate factors and mechanisms influencing both the observed behaviour and the calculated response. Finally, a cyclic load analysis of the wall is described and discussed. The paper serves to point out aspects in modelling that are critical to both producing realistic results, and correctly interpreting those results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.561-580
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• 2020

Buckling restrained braces (BRBs) were developed as an enhanced alternative to conventional braces by restraining their global buckling, thus allowing development of a stable quasi-symmetric hysteretic response. A wider adoption of buckling restrained braced frames is precluded due to proprietary character of most BRBs and the code requirement for experimental qualification. To overcome these problems, BRBs with capacities corresponding to typical steel multi-storey buildings in Romania were developed and experimentally tested in view of prequalification. In the second part of this paper, a complex nonlinear numerical model for the tested BRBs was developed in the finite element environment Abaqus. The calibration of the numerical model was performed at both component (material models: steel, concrete, unbonding material) and member levels (loading, geometrical imperfections). Geometrically and materially nonlinear analyses including imperfections were performed on buckling restrained braces models under cyclic loading. The calibrated models were further used to perform a parametric study aiming at assessing the influence of the strength of the buckling restraining mechanism, concrete class of the infill material, mechanical properties of steel used for the core, self-weight loading, and frame effect on the cyclic response of buckling restrained braces.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.97-112
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• 2023

The Finite Element (FE) modeling of Reinforced Concrete (RC) under seismic loading has a sensitive impact in terms of getting good contribution compared to experimental results. Several idealized model types for simulating the nonlinear response have been developed based on the plasticity distribution alone the model. The Continuum Models are the most used category of modeling, to understand the seismic behavior of structural elements in terms of their components, cracking patterns, hysteretic response, and failure mechanisms. However, the material modeling, contact and nonlinear analysis strategy are highly complex due to the joint operation of concrete and steel. This paper presents a numerical simulation of a chosen RC column under monotonic and cyclic loading using the FE Abaqus, to assessthe hysteretic response and failure mechanisms in the RC columns, where the perfect bonding option is used for the contact between concrete and steel. While results of the numerical study under cyclic loading compared to experimental tests might be unsuccessful due to the lack of bond-slip modeling. The monotonic loading shows a good estimation of the envelope response and deformation components. In addition, this work further demonstrates the advantage and efficiency of the damage distributions since the obtained damage distributions fit the expected results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.411-427
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• 2016

While the cyclic behaviour of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-confined columns is studied rather extensively, the cyclic response especially the energy dissipation of FRP-confined damaged and undamaged square RC columns is not yet fully understood. In this paper, an experimental and numerical investigation was conducted to study the cyclic behavior of two different types of Carbon FRP (CFRP)-confined square RC columns: strengthened and repaired. The main variables investigated are initial damage, confinement of CFRP, longitudinal steel reinforcement ratio. The experimental results show that lower initial damage, added confinement with CFRP and longitudinal reinforcement enhance the ductility, energy dissipation capacity and strength of the columns, decrease the stiffness and strength degradation rates of all CFRP-confined square RC columns. Two hysteretic constitutive models were developed for confined damaged and undamaged concrete and cast into the non-linear beam-column fiber-based models in the software Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (OpenSees) to analyze the cyclic behavior of CFRP-confined damaged and undamaged columns. The results of the numerical models are in good agreement with the experiments.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2023

Reinforced concrete flat slab (RCFS) with columns is a standard gravity floor system for tall buildings in North America. Typically, RCFS-column connections are designed to resist gravity loads, and their contribution to resisting seismic forces is ignored. However, past experimental research has shown that RCFS-column connections have some strength and ductility, which may not be ignored. Advanced numerical models have been developed in the past to determine the nonlinear cyclic behavior of RCFS-column connections. However, these models are either too complicated for nonlinear dynamic analysis of an entire building or not developed to model the behavior of modern RCFS-column connections. This paper proposes a new nonlinear model suitable for modern RCFS-column connections. The numerical model is verified using experimental data of specimens with various material and reinforcement properties. A 40-story RC shear wall building was designed and analyzed to investigate the influence of RCFS on the global response of tall concrete buildings. The seismic responses of the building with and without the RCFS were modelled and compared. The results show that the modelling of RCFS has a significant impact on the inter-story drifts and force demands on both the seismic force-resisting and gravity elements.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.735-748
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• 2018

In this paper, the cyclic behavior of steel beam-concrete encased steel (CES) column joints was investigated experimentally and numerically. Three frame middle joint samples with varying concrete slab widths were constructed. Anti-symmetrical low-frequency cyclic load was applied at two beam ends to simulate the earthquake action. The failure modes, hysteretic behavior, ultimate load, stiffness degradation, load carrying capacity degradation, displacement ductility and strain response were investigated in details. The three composite joints exhibited excellent seismic performance in experimental tests, showing high load-carrying capacity, good ductility and superior energy dissipation ability. All three joint samples reached their ultimate loads due to shear failure. Numerical results from ABAQUS modelling agreed well with the test results. Finally, the effect of the concrete slab on ultimate load was analyzed through a parametric study on concrete strength, slab thickness, as well as slab width. Numerical simulation showed that slab width and thickness played an important role in the load-carrying capacity of such joints. As a comparison, the influence of concrete grade was not significant.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.281-298
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• 2013

Composite special moment frame is one of the systems that are utilized in areas with low to high seismicity to deal with earthquake forces. Composite moment frames are composed of reinforced concrete columns (RC) and steel beams (S); therefore, the connection region is a combination of steel and concrete materials. In current study, a three dimensional finite element model of composite connections is developed. These connections are used in special composite moment frame, between reinforced concrete columns and steel beams (RCS). Finite element model is discussed as a most reliable and low cost method versus experimental procedures. Based on a tested connection model by Cheng and Chen (2005), the finite element model has been developed under cyclic loading and is verified with experimental results. A good agreement between finite element model and experimental results was observed. The connection configuration contains Face Bearing Plates (FBPs), Steel Band Plates (SBPs) enveloping around the RC column just above and below the steel beam. Longitudinal column bars pass through the connection with square ties around them. The finite element model represented a stable response up to the first cycles equal to 4.0% drift, with moderately pinched hysteresis loops and then showed a significant buckling in upper flange of beam, as the in test model.