• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제75권3호
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• pp.283-294
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• 2020

In general, the study of a high-rise building's behaviour when subjected to a horizontal load (wind or earthquake) is carried out through numerical modelling with finite elements method. This paper proposes a new, original approach based on the use of a multi-beams model. By redistributing bending and axial stiffness of horizontal elements (beams and slabs) along vertical elements, it becomes possible to produce a system of differential equations able to represent the structural behaviour of the whole building. In this paper this approach is applied to the study of bending behaviour in a 37-storey building (Torre Pontina, Latina, Italy) with a regular reinforced concrete structure. The load considered is the wind, estimated in accordance with Italian national technical rules and regulations. To simplify the explanation of the approach, the wind load was considered uniform on the height of building with a value equal to the average value of the wind load distribution. The system of differential equations' is assessed numerically, using Matlab, and compared with the obtainable solution from a finite elements model along with the obtainable solutions via classical Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The comparison carried out demonstrates, in the case study examined, an excellent approximation of structural behaviour.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.1-13
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• 2021

Failure of a Multi-storeyed reinforced concrete framed structure occurs when a primary vertical structural component is isolated or made fragile, due to artificial or natural hazards. Load carried by vertical component (column) is transferred to neighbouring columns in the structure, if the neighbouring column is incompetent of holding the extra load, this leads to the progressive failure of neighbouring members and finally to the failure of partial or whole structure. The collapsing system frequently seeks alternative load path in order to stay alive. One of the imperative features of collapse is that the final damage is not relative to the initial damage. In this paper, the effect on the column and beam adjacent to statically removed vertical element in terms of axial force, shear force and bending moment is investigated. Using Alternate load path method, numerical modelling of two dimensional one bay, two bay with variation in storey heights are analysed with FE model in order to obtain better understanding of failure mechanism of multi-storeyed reinforced concrete framed structure. The results indicate that the corner column is more susceptible to progressive collapse when compared to middle column, using this simplified methodology one can easily predict how the structure can be made to stay alive in case of sudden failure of any horizontal or vertical structural element before designing.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제7권6호
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• pp.1223-1240
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• 2014

Seismic isolation has been established as an effective earthquake-resistant design method and the lead rubber bearings (LRBs) are among the most commonly used seismic isolation systems. In the scientific literature, a sharp bilinear model is often used for capturing the hysteretic behaviour of the LRBs in the analysis of seismically isolated structures, although the actual behaviour of the LRBs can be more accurately represented utilizing smoothed plasticity, as captured by the Bouc-Wen model. Discrepancies between these two models are quantified in terms of the computed peak relative displacements at the isolation level, as well as the peak inter-storey deflections and the absolute top-floor accelerations, for the case of base-isolated buildings modelled as multi degree-of-freedom systems. Numerical simulations under pulse-like ground motions have been performed to assess the effect of non-linear parameters of the seismic isolation system and characteristics of both the superstructure and the earthquake excitation, on the accuracy of the computed peak structural responses. Through parametric analyses, this paper assesses potential inaccuracies of the computed peak seismic response when the sharp bilinear model is employed for modelling the LRBs instead of the more accurate and smoother Bouc-Wen model.

• 설비공학논문집
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.322-327
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• 2010

It is a critical task to keep the ventilation system working in a proper and efficient manner in large multi-storey buildings, and the enthalpy exchanger is becoming an increasingly important part of the ventilation system by playing the function of channeling heat and moisture. We present a computational study on the heat transfer performance of the cross-flow enthalpy exchanger, which is in large use for residential buildings. The ducts are considered whose cross-sectional shapes resemble triangle and longitudinal centerline a cosine wave. It is shown that, as the cross-sectional shape departs from triangle, the heat transfer performance of the duct tends to deteriorate. Also, applying the wave-like shape to the longitudinal centerline of the duct increases the rate of heat transfer and the applied pressure-gradient at the same time. The origin of the performance variations in the cases considered are quantitatively analyzed and discussed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.263-276
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• 2007

Steel frame structures have been widely used in multi-storey and high-rise buildings and the connections in these structures are critical. In the Northridge and Kobe Earthquake, beam-column connections suffered damage due to brittle fracture. According to seismic design codes, ductility of the beam to column connection is also necessary. A study on the behavior of a beam to column connection with the aim of improving ductility as well as preventing brittle failure was carried out. In order to control the position of a plastic hinge on the beam, a connection with a hole in the beam web was developed. Five specimens with different parameters under cyclic load were assessed. The results are presented in terms of the stress distribution of the beam, hysteretic behavior, and ultimate capacity. Furthermore, the finite element method was also used to analyze the model, and the results were compared with those obtained from the experiment. It is shown from the analysis and experimental results that this type of connection is effective in terms of improving ductility for a beam to column connection in low-rise buildings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.357-372
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• 2001

In this paper, cantilevered tall structures are treated as cantilever bars with varying cross-section for the analysis of their free longitudinal (or axial) vibrations. Using appropriate transformations, exact analytical solutions to determine the longitudinal natural frequencies and mode shapes for a one step non-uniform bar are derived by selecting suitable expressions, such as exponential functions, for the distributions of mass and axial stiffness. The frequency equation of a multi-step bar is established using the approach that combines the transfer matrix procedure or the recurrence formula and the closed-form solutions of one step bars, leading to a single frequency equation for any number of steps. The Ritz method is also applied to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes in the vertical direction for cantilevered tall structures with variably distributed stiffness and mass. The formulae proposed in this paper are simple and convenient for engineering applications. Numerical example shows that the fundamental longitudinal natural frequency and mode shape of a 27-storey building determined by the proposed methods are in good agreement with the corresponding measured data. It is also shown that the selected expressions are suitable for describing the distributions of axial stiffness and mass of typical tall buildings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.399-410
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• 2011

Base isolation, having quite simple contents, aims to protect the buildings from earthquake-induced damages by installing structural components having low horizontal stiffness between substructure and superstructure. In this study, an appropriate base isolation system for 2-D reinforced concrete frame is investigated. For different structural heights, the structural systems of 2, 3 and 4 bays are modeled by applying base isolation systems and results are compared with conventional structural systems. 1999 Marmara earthquake data is used for applying the model by time history method in SAP2000 package. Results of various parameters such as base shear force, structure drift ratio, structure period and superstructure acceleration are discussed for all models.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제1권3호
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• pp.341-354
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• 2001

This paper provides a state-of-the-art review on advanced analysis models for investigating the load-displacement and ultimate load behaviour of steel and composite frames subjected to static gravity and lateral loads. Various inelastic analysis models for steel and composite members are reviewed. Composite beams under positive and negative moments are analysed using a moment-curvature relationship which captures the effects of concrete cracking and steel yielding along the members length. Beam-to-column connections are modeled using rotational spring. Building core walls are modeled using thin-walled element. Finally, the nonlinear behaviour of a complete multi-storey building frame consisting of a centre core-wall and the perimeter frames for lateral-load resistance is investigated. The performance of the total building system is evaluated in term of its serviceability and ultimate limit states.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.243-256
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• 1999

Using appropriate transformations, the differential equation for flexural free vibration of a cantilever bar with variably distributed mass and stiffness is reduced to a Bessel's equation or an ordinary differential equation with constant coefficients by selecting suitable expressions, such as power functions and exponential functions, for the distributions of stiffness and mass. The general solutions for flexural free vibration of one-step bar with variable cross-section are derived and used to obtain the frequency equation of multi-step cantilever bars. The new exact approach is presented which combines the transfer matrix method and closed form solutions of one step bars. Two numerical examples demonstrate that the calculated natural frequencies and mode shapes of a 27-storey building and a television transmission tower are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data. It is also shown through the numerical examples that the selected expressions are suitable for describing the distributions of stiffness and mass of typical tall buildings and high-rise structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.309-331
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• 2013

An integrated superelement concept is proposed to improve the computational efficiency when analyzing structural responses during progressive collapses of large-scale structures, such as multi-storey reinforced concrete buildings. While the proposed methodology is straightforward and can be implemented into an existing finite element program with little effort, it is able to significantly reduce the computational cost without the loss of any critical information of the structural responses. Compared with the models without superelement, significant saving in computational cost and satisfactory prediction accuracy can be obtained with the proposed approach.