• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.641-657
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• 2020

A unique lightweight string truss deployable bridge assembled by thin-walled fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) and metal profiles was designed for emergency applications. As a new structure, investigations into the static structural performance under the serviceability limit state are desired for examining the structural integrity of the developed bridge when subjected to unsymmetrical loadings characterized by combined torsion and bending. In this study, a full-scale experimental inspection was conducted on a fabricated bridge, and the combined flexural-torsional behavior was examined in terms of displacement and strains. The experimental structure showed favorable strength and rigidity performances to function as deployable bridge under unsymmetrical loading conditions and should be designed in accordance with the stiffness criterion, the same as that under symmetrical loads. In addition, a finite element model (FEM) with a simple modeling process, which considered the multi segments of the FRP members and realistic nodal stiffness of the complex unique hybrid nodal joints, was constructed and compared against experiments, demonstrating good agreement. A FEM-based numerical analysis was thereafter performed to explore the effect of the change in elastic modulus of different FRP elements on the static deformation of the bridge. The results confirmed that the change in elastic modulus of different types of FRP element members caused remarkable differences on the bending and torsional stiffness of the hybrid bridge. The global stiffness of such a unique bridge can be significantly enhanced by redesigning the critical lower string pull bars using designable FRP profiles with high elastic modulus.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1695-1705
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• 2014

In the present study, a total of 275 tested specimens (149 of non-seismically designed and 126 of seismically designed) for reinforced concrete bridge piers with circular section have been investigated in order to suggest drift limits probabilistically according to damage states in seismic fragility analysis. Thus, quantitative damage states of the piers have been evaluated depending on details of the piers. Nonlinear time-history analyses have been conducted for a damaged bridge in terms of using the suggested drift limits. Then, seismic fragility analysis for a reinforced concrete bridge structure has been conducted using both suggested and existing drift limits. Comparative analyses have revealed that median values by the suggested limits is smaller than those by the existing limits. This implies that seismic performance of the structure can be overestimated when the existing limits are used.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.15-27
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to investigate the seismic behavior of precast segmental PSC bridge columns. For the analysis of reinforced concrete structures, a computer program named RCAHEST (Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology) is used. To represent the interaction between tendon and concrete of a prestressed concrete member, a bonded or unbonded tendon element based on the finite element method is used. A joint element is modified to predict the inelastic behaviors of segmental joints. The solution of the equations of motion is obtained by numerical integration using Hilber-Hughes-Taylor (HHT) algorithm. The proposed numerical method gives a realistic prediction of seismic behavior throughout the input ground motions for numerical examples.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.473-490
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• 2009

This paper presents a new methodology to evaluate the load carrying capacity of deteriorated non-slender concrete bridge pier columns by construction of the full P-M interaction diagrams. The proposed method incorporates the actual material properties of deteriorated columns, and accounts for amount of corrosion and exposed corroded bar length, concrete loss, loss of concrete confinement and strength due to stirrup deterioration, bond failure, and type of stresses in the corroded reinforcement. The developed structural model and the damaged material models are integrated in a spreadsheet for evaluating the load carrying capacity for different deterioration stages and/or corrosion amounts. Available experimental and analytical data for the effects of corrosion on short columns subject to axial loads combined with moments (eccentricity induced) are used to verify the accuracy of proposed model. It was observed that, for the limited available experimental data, the proposed model is conservative and is capable of predicting the load carrying capacity of deteriorated reinforced concrete columns with reasonable accuracy. The proposed analytical method will improve the understanding of effects of deterioration on structural members, and allow engineers to qualitatively assess load carrying capacity of deteriorated reinforced concrete bridge pier columns.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.35-49
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• 2014

This paper studies the behaviour of deteriorated reinforced concrete (RC) beams attacked by various forms of simulated acid rain. An artificial rainfall simulator was firstly designed and evaluated. Eleven RC beams ($120mm{\times}200mm{\times}1800mm$) were then constructed in the laboratory. Among them, one was acting as a reference beam and the others were subjected to three accelerated corrosion methods, including immersion, wetting-drying, and artificial rainfall methods, to simulate the attack of real acid rain. Acid solutions with pH levels of 1.5 and 2.5 were considered. Next, ultrasonic, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic, and three-point bending tests were performed to investigate the mechanical properties of concrete and flexural behaviour of the RC beams. It can be concluded that the designed artificial simulator can be effectively used to simulate the real acid rainfall. Both the immersion and wetting-drying methods magnify the effects of the real acid rainfall on the RC beams.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.953-964
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• 2015

A model has been proposed that can predict the ultimate torsional strength of single-box multi-cell reinforced concrete box girder under combined loading of bending, shear and torsion. Compared with the single-cell box girder, this model takes the influence of inner webs on the distribution of shear flow into account. According to the softening truss theory and thin walled tube theory, a failure criterion is presented and a ultimate torsional strength calculating procedure is established for single-box multi-cell reinforced concrete box girder under combined actions, which considers the effect of tensile stress among the concrete cracks, Mohr stress compatibility and the softened constitutive law of concrete. In this paper the computer program is also compiled to speed up the calculation. The model has been validated by comparing the predicted and experimental members loaded under torsion combined with different ratios of bending and shear. The theoretical torsional strength was in good agreement with the experimental results.

• Composites Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2009

This paper suggested the electric potential method with a bridge circuit concept for the detection of the location and crack growth of carbon fiber reinforced composites to reduce the measurement numbers. 2 pairs of electrodes were fabricated on the center cracked thin composite plates, and potential changes at one pair of adjacent electrodes were observed while external voltage input was applied to the other pair of adjacent electrodes. The effects of the size and interval of electrodes, location and propagating direction of center cracks were investigated by experiments and finite element analyses. Detectable crack size was influenced by the electrode interval rather than the electrode size, and crack detection was enhanced as the size and interval of electrodes were smaller. Besides, output potential changes were larger as the crack grew and was nearer the voltage input electrodes.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.356-363
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• 2000

The objectives of this study are to investigate seismic performance of spirally reinforced bridge columns and to provide test result for developing improved seismic design criteria. Quasi-static test was conducted for 12 columns of which variables were transverse reinforcement ratio and spacing, longitudinal reinforcement ratio, and axial load level. Sufficient seismic performance was observed from the test for the columns with greater confinement steel amount than the requirement of the Korean Bridge Design Specification. The columns with 0.84% of the confinement steel requirement provided adequate performance under less than 0.2 of axial load level, but showed lower ductility under 0.3 of axial load level. The current provision for the region of confinement steel distribution may be non-conservative under high axial load level, therefore a modified provision is proposed.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.296-303
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to find inelastic behavior and ductility capacity of reinforced concrete bridge columns under earthquake. Material nonlinearity is taken into account by comprising tensile, compressive and shear models of cracked concrete and a model of reinforcing steel. The smeared crack approach is incorporated. In boundary plane at which each member with different thickness is connected, due to the abrupt change in their stiffness local discontinuous deformation can be taken into account by introducing interface element. Also an analytical model is developed to express the confining effects of lateral tie which depend on the existence or nonexistence and the amounts of transverse confinement, etc. The proposed numerical method for inelastic behavior and ductility capacity of reinforced concrete bridge columns will be verified by comparison with reliable experimental results.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.1220-1226
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to assess the seismic performance of a reinforced concrete pier using ductility demand-based seismic design method and nonlinear earthquake analysis. A computer program named MIDAS/Civil(MIDAS IT,2009) for the analysis of the reinforced concrete pier was used. The bridge pier was designed by the ductility demand-based seismic design. In addition, a seismic performance was evaluated through both capacity spectrum method and nonlinear time history method. In order to determine the seismic performance of the bridge pier, the maximum response values from the capacity spectrum method and nonlinear time history analysis were compared each other.