• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.307-317
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• 2018

The current study explores the soil-structure interaction (SSI) effect on the potential seismic damage of mid-rise non-seismically designed reinforced concrete frames retrofitted by Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP). An 8-storey reinforced concrete frame poorly-confined due to transverse reinforcement deficiency is selected and then retrofitted by FRP wraps to provide external confinement. The poorly-confined and FRP retrofitted frames with/without SSI are modelled using hysteretic nonlinear elements. Inelastic time history and damage analyses are performed for these frames subjected to different seismic intensities. The results show that the FRP confinement significantly reduces one or two damage levels for the poorly-confined frame. More importantly, the SSI effect is found to increase the potential seismic damage of the retrofitted frame, reducing the effectiveness of FRP retrofitting. This finding, which is contrary to the conventionally beneficial concept of SSI governing for decades in structural and earthquake engineering, is worth taking into account in designing and evaluating retrofitted structures.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.537-552
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• 2013

Computation of flexural ductility of reinforced concrete beam sections has been proposed by taking into account strain rate sensitive constitutive behavior of concrete and steel, confinement of core concrete and degradation of cover concrete during load reversal under earthquake loading. The estimate of flexural ductility of reinforced concrete rectangular sections has been made for a wide range of tension and compression steel ratios for confined and unconfined concrete at a strain rate varying from $3.3{\times}10^{-5}$ to 1.0/sec encountered during normal and earthquake loading. The parametric studies indicated that flexural ductility factor decreases at increasing strain rates. Percentage decrease is more for a richer mix concrete with the similar reinforcement. The confinement effect has marked influence on flexural ductility and increase in ductility is more than twice for confined concrete (0.6 percent volumetric ratio of transverse steel) compared to unconfined concrete. The provisions in various codes for achieving ductility in moment resisting frames have been discussed.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 2020

The effectiveness and the sensitivity of a Wireless impedance/Admittance Monitoring System (WiAMS) for the prompt damage diagnosis of two single-storey single-span Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames under cyclic loading is experimentally investigated. The geometrical and the reinforcement characteristics of the RC structural members of the frames represent typical old RC frame structure without consideration of seismic design criteria. The columns of the frames are vulnerable to shear failure under lateral load due to their low height-to-depth ratio and insufficient transverse reinforcement. The proposed Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system comprises of specially manufactured autonomous portable devices that acquire the in-situ voltage frequency responses of a network of twenty piezoelectric transducers mounted to the RC frames. Measurements of external and internal small-sized piezoelectric patches are utilized for damage localization and assessment at various and increased damage levels as the magnitude of the imposed lateral cycle deformations increases. A bare RC frame and a strengthened one using a pair of steel crossed tension-ties (X-bracing) have been tested in order to check the sensitivity of the developed WiAMS in different structural conditions since crack propagation, damage locations and failure mode of the examined frames vary. Indeed, the imposed loading caused brittle shear failure to the column of the bare frame and the formation of plastic hinges at the beam ends of the X-braced frame. Test results highlighted the ability of the proposed SHM to identify incipient damages due to concrete cracking and steel yielding since promising early indication of the forthcoming critical failures before any visible sign has been obtained.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.699-718
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• 2015

The effect of reinforcing concrete members with high strength steel bars with yield strength up to 600 MPa on the overall seismic behavior of concrete moment frames was studied experimentally and numerically. Three geometrically identical plane frame models with two bays and two stories, where one frame model was reinforced with hot rolled bars (HRB) with a nominal yield strength of 335 MPa and the other two by high strength steel bars with a nominal yield strength of 600 MPa, were tested under simulated earthquake action considering different axial load ratios to investigate the hysteretic behavior, ductility, strength and stiffness degradation, energy dissipation and plastic deformation characteristics. Test results indicate that utilizing high strength reinforcement can improve the structural resilience, reduce residual deformation and achieve favorable distribution pattern of plastic hinges on beams and columns. The frame models reinforced with normal and high strength steel bars have comparable overall deformation capacity. Compared with the frame model subjected to a low axial load ratio, the ones under a higher axial load ratio exhibit more plump hysteretic loops. The proved reliable finite element analysis software DIANA was used for the numerical simulation of the tests. The analytical results agree well with the experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.579-597
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• 2006

The behaviour of reinforced concrete moment resisting frame structures in recent earthquakes all over the world has highlighted the consequences of poor performance of beam column joints. Large amount of research carried out to understand the complex mechanisms and safe behaviour of beam column joints has gone into code recommendations. This paper presents critical review of recommendations of well established codes regarding design and detailing aspects of beam column joints. The codes of practice considered are ACI 318M-02, NZS 3101: Part 1:1995 and the Eurocode 8 of EN 1998-1:2003. All three codes aim to satisfy the bond and shear requirements within the joint. It is observed that ACI 318M-02 requires smaller column depth as compared to the other two codes based on the anchorage conditions. NZS 3101:1995 and EN 1998-1:2003 consider the shear stress level to obtain the required stirrup reinforcement whereas ACI 318M-02 provides stirrup reinforcement to retain the axial load capacity of column by confinement. Significant factors influencing the design of beam-column joints are identified and the effect of their variations on design parameters is compared. The variation in the requirements of shear reinforcement is substantial among the three codes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.641-656
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• 2016

Reinforced concrete frame buildings with masonry infill walls are one of the most popular structural systems in the world. In most cases, the effects of masonry infill walls are not considered in structural models. The results of earthquakes show that infill walls have a significant effect on the seismic response of buildings. In some cases, the buildings collapsed as a result of the formation of a soft story. This study developed a simple method, called corner opening, by replacing the corner of infill walls with a very flexible material to enhance the structural behavior of walls. To evaluate the proposed method a series of experiments were conducted on masonry infill wall and reinforced concrete frames with and without corner openings. Two 1:4 scale masonry infill walls with and without corner openings were tested under diagonal tension or shear strength and two RC frames with full infill walls and with corner opening infill walls were tested under monotonic horizontal loading up to a drift level of 2.5%. The experimental results revealed that the proposed method reduced the strength of infill wall specimens but considerably enhanced the ductility of infill wall specimens in the diagonal tension test. Moreover, the corner opening in infill walls prevented the slid shear failure of the infill wall in RC frames with infill walls.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.761-778
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• 2015

The objective of this paper is to report the result of an experimental program conducted on the strengthening of nonductile RC frames by using external mesh reinforcement and plaster application. The main objective was to test an alternative strengthening technique for reinforced concrete buildings, which could be applied with minimum disturbance to the occupants. Generic specimen is two floors and one bay RC frame in 1/2 scales. The basic aim of tested strengthening techniques is to upgrade strength, ductility and stiffness of the member and/or the structural system. Six specimens, two of which were reference specimens and the remaining four of which had deficient steel detailing and poor concrete quality were strengthened and tested in an experimental program under cyclic loading. The parameters of the experimental study are mesh reinforcement ratio and plaster thickness of the infilled wall. The effects of the mesh reinforced plaster application for strengthening on behavior, strength, stiffness, failure mode and ductility of the specimens were investigated. Premature and unexpected failure mode has been observed at first and second specimens failed due to inadequate plaster thickness. Also third strengthened specimen failed due to inadequate lap splice of the external mesh reinforcement. The last modified specimen behaved satisfactorily with higher ultimate load carrying capacity. Externally reinforced infill wall composites improve seismic behavior by increasing lateral strength, lateral stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity of reinforced concrete buildings, and limit both structural and nonstructural damages caused by earthquakes.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.31-38
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the seismic performance of gravity-designed post tensioned (PT) flat plate frames with and without slab bottom reinforcement passing through the column. In low and moderate seismic regions, buildings are often designed considering only gravity loads. This study focuses on the seismic performance of gravity load designed PT flat plate frames. For this purpose, 3-, 6- and 9-story PT flat plate frames are designed considering only gravity loads. For reinforced concrete flat plate frames, continuous slab bottom reinforcement (integrity reinforcement) passing through the column should be placed to prevent progressive collapse; however, for the PT flat plate frames, the slab bottom reinforcement is often omitted since the requirement for the slab bottom reinforcement for PT flat plates is not clearly specified in ACI 318-08. This study evaluates the seismic performance of the model frames, which was evaluated by conducting nonlinear time history analyses. For conducting nonlinear time history analyses, six sets of ground motions are used as input ground motions, which represent two different hazard levels (return periods of 475 and 2475 years) and three different locations (Boston, Seattle, and L.A.). This study shows that gravity designed PT flat plate frames have some seismic resistance. In addition, the seismic performance of PT flat plate frames is significantly improved by the placement of slab bottom reinforcement passing through the column.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.513-518
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• 1997

In this study, nine reinforced concrete infilled frames involved bare frames were tested during vertical and cyclic loads simultaneously. This test programs were carried to investigate the horizontal strength and the crack propagation in variance with hoop reinforcement ratio. All specimens were modeling in one-third scale size. In this experimental program structural performance of reinforced concrete shear wall were focus at connection types. Based on the test results, the following conclusions are made. In the boundary column member of reinforced concrete shear wall, increasing the ratio of hoop bar in two or three times, in the fully babel type, the shear and horizontal strength of specimens were increased 1.1-1.2 times than that of fully rigid frame. And infilled shear wall specimen were increased 1.17-1.27 times than that. Fully rigid babel type shear wall specimens were increased 5.7~8.0 times, and infilled shear wall specimens were increased about 4.0~5.6 times than that of infilled shear wall specimens.

• Magazine of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 1991

Slippage of beam longitudinal reinforcement at beam-column connections is an important cause of damage to reinforced concrete frames under static and dynamic loads, This paper summarizes the results of an experimen¬tal study on the effects of confinements and compressive strength of concrete on the local bond stress-slip cha¬racteristics of deformed bars. I t is concluded from experimental results that, as far as the bond splittmg cracks are restrained by the vertical column reinforcement, confinement of concrete by transverse reinforcement has insignigicant direct effect on the local bond behavior. The ultimate bond strength, however, Increases pro¬portionally with the square root of concrete compressive strength. An empirical model was developed for local bond st ressslip relationslip of deformed bars in confined concrete of different compressive strengths.