• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.109-132
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• 2013

Current codes incorporate simplified methods for the prediction of acceleration demands on secondary structural and non-structural elements at different levels of a building. While the use of simple analysis methods should be advocated, damage to both secondary structural and non-structural elements in recent earthquakes have highlighted the need for improved design procedures for such elements. In order to take a step towards the formation of accurate but simplified methods of predicting floor spectra, this work examines the floor spectra on elastic and inelastic single-degree of freedom systems subject to accelerograms of varying seismic intensity. After identifying the factors that appear to affect the shape and intensity of acceleration demands on secondary structural and non-structural elements, a new series of calibrated equations are proposed to predict floor spectra on single degree of freedom supporting structures. The approach uses concepts of dynamics and inelasticity to define the shape and intensity of the floor spectra at different levels of damping. The results of non-linear time-history analyses of a series of single-degree of freedom supporting structures indicate that the new methodology is very promising. Future research will aim to extend the methodology to multi-degree of freedom supporting structures and run additional verification studies.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.29-36
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• 2017

A recent global trend in the increase of earthquake-related disasters has become so frequent as to cause various damages to a wide range of mid- to high-rise buildings. Particularly, more attention is being paid to the effect of horizontal load in high-rise buildings not only on the key structural elements of the structures, but also on the possibility of the secondary damages to them due to the failure of exterior panels, which are non-structural elements, but such damages are difficult to cope with as they may be caused by unexpected changes. The present study examined exterior panels using moving clips to prevent such secondary damages on the non-structural elements and analyzed the structural performance of these exterior panels through the finite element analysis and the shaking table test. The analysis results showed that the exterior panels using moving clips satisfied the structural performance against the allowable story drift of KBC2009 and the safety of the exterior panels was verified by the shake table test.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.565-581
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• 2018

This paper proposes a new analytical formulation for computing the seismic input at various levels of a structure in terms of floor response spectra. The approach, which neglects the dynamic interaction between primary structure and secondary element, is particularly useful for the seismic assessment of secondary and non-structural elements. The proposed formulation has a robust theoretical basis and it is based on few meaningful dynamic parameters of the main building. The method has been validated in the linear and nonlinear behavior of the main building through results coming from both experimental tests (available in literature) and parametric numerical analyses. The conditions, for which the Floor Spectrum Approach and its simplified assumptions are valid, have been derived in terms of specific interval ratios between the mass of the secondary element and the participant mass of the main structure. Finally, a practice-oriented formulation has been derived, which could be easily implementable also at code level.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-38
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• 2014

As the desire for high performance buildings increases, it is increasingly evident that engineers require reliable methods for the estimation of seismic demands on both structural and non-structural components. To this extent, improved tools for the prediction of floor spectra would assist in the assessment of acceleration sensitive non-structural and secondary components. Recently, a new procedure was successfully developed and tested for the simplified construction of floor spectra, at various levels of elastic damping, atop single-degree-of-freedom structures. This paper extends the methodology to multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) supporting systems responding in the elastic range, proposing a simplified modal combination approach for floor spectra over upper storeys and accounting for the limited filtering of the ground motion input that occurs over lower storeys. The procedure is tested numerically by comparing predictions with floor spectra obtained from time-history analyses of RC wall structures of 2- to 20-storeys in height. Results demonstrate that the method performs well for MDOF systems responding in the elastic range. Future research should further develop the approach to permit the prediction of floor spectra in MDOF systems that respond in the inelastic range.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.491-500
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• 2012

The dissimilar metal joints welded between Ni-based alloy, Alloy 690 and low alloy steel, A533 Gr. B with Alloy 152 filler metal were characterized by using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, secondary ion mass spectrometry and 3-dimensional atom probe tomography. It was found that in the weld root region, the weld was divided into several regions including unmixed zone in Ni-base alloy, fusion boundary, and heat-affected zone in the low alloy steel. The result of nanostructural and nanochemical analyses in this study showed the non-homogeneous distribution of elements with higher Fe but lower Mn, Ni and Cr in A533 Gr. B compared with Alloy 152, and the precipitation of carbides near the fusion boundary.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.365-374
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• 2003

Various deleterious chemicals can be introduced to existing concrete structures from various external sources. The deterioration of concrete by seawater attack is involved in complex processes due to various elements contained in seawater. In the present study, attention was paid to the formation of secondary minerals and characteristics of mineralogical and micro-structural changes involved in concrete deterioration caused by the influence of major seawater composition. The characteristics of deterioration occurred in existing concrete structures was carefully observed and samples were collected at many locations of coastal areas in Busan-Kyungnam. The petrographic, XRD, SEM/EDAX analyses were conducted to determine chemical, mineralogical and micro-structural changes in the aggregate and cement paste of samples. The experimental concrete deteriorations were performed using various chloride solutions (NaCl, CaCl, $MgCl_2$ and $Na_2SO_4$ solution. The experimental results were compared with the observation results in order to determine the effect of major elements in seawater on the deterioration. The alkalies in seawater appear to accelerate alkali-silica reaction (ASR). The gel formed by ASR is alkali-calcium-silica gel which known to cause severe expansion and cracking in concrete. Carbonation causes the formation of abundant less-cementitious calcite and weaken the cement paste. Progressive carbonation significantly affects on the composition and stability of some secondary minerals. Abundant gypsum generally occurs in concretes subjected to significant carbonation, but thaumasite ({$Ca_6/[Si(OH)_6]_2{\cdot}24H_2O$}${\cdot}[(SO_4)_2]{\cdot}[(CO_3))2]$) occurs as ettringite-thaumasite solid solution in concretes subjected to less significant carbonation. Experimentally, ettringite can be transformed to trichloroaluminate or decomposed by chloride ingress under controlled pH conditions. Mg ions in seawater cause cement paste deterioration by forming non-cementitious brucite and magnesium silicate hydrate (MSH).