• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.487-497
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• 2017

Semi-active devices use the building's own motion to produce resistive forces and are thus strictly dissipative and require little power. Devices that independently control the binary open/closed valve state can enable novel device hysteresis loops that were not previously possible. However, some device hysteresis loops cannot be obtained without active analog valve control allowing slower, controlled release of stored energy, and is presents an ongoing limitation in obtaining the full range of possibilities offered by these devices. This in silico study develops a proportional-derivative feedback control law using a validated nonlinear device model to track an ideal diamond-shaped force-displacement response profile using active analog valve control. It is validated by comparison to the ideal shape for both sinusoidal and random seismic input motions. Structural application specific spectral analysis compares the performance for the non-linear, actively controlled case to those obtained with an ideal, linear model to validate that the potential performance will be retained when considering realistic nonlinear behaviour and the designed valve control approach. Results show tracking of the device force-displacement loop to within 3-5% of the desired ideal curve. Valve delay, rather than control law design, is the primary limiting factor, and analysis indicates a ratio of valve delay to structural period must be 1/10 or smaller to ensure adequate tracking, relating valve performance to structural period and overall device performance under control. Overall, the results show that active analog feedback control of energy release in these devices can significantly increase the range of resetable, valve-controlled semi-active device performance and hysteresis loops, in turn increasing their performance envelop and application space.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2010

Recently, Performance Based Design (PBD) method has been studied as a next generation structural design method, which enables a designed structure to satisfy the required performance during its service life. One method of deciding whether the required performance has been satisfied is Bayesian method, which has been commonly used in seismic analysis. Generally, it is presented as a conditional probability of exceeding some limit state (i.e., collapse) for a given ground motion. In PBD of concrete mixture design, the same methodology can be applied to assess concrete material performance based on some conditional parameters (i.e. strength, workability, carbonation, etc). In this paper, a detailed explanation of the procedure of drawing satisfaction curve by using Bayesian method based on various material parameters is shown. Also, a discussion of using the developed satisfaction curves for PBD for concrete mixture design is presented.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.277-292
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• 2015

Previous research has shown that steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) are efficient lateral force-resisting systems against both wind and seismic loads. A properly designed SPSW can have high initial stiffness, strength, and energy absorption capacity as well as superior ductility. SPSWs have been commonly designed with unstiffened and stiffened infill plates based on economical and performance considerations. Recent introduction and application of corrugated plates with advantageous structural features has motivated the researchers to consider the employment of such elements in stiffened SPSWs with the aim of lowering the high construction cost of such high-performing systems. On this basis, this paper presents results from a numerical investigation of the hysteretic performance of SPSWs with trapezoidally corrugated infill plates. Finite element cyclic analyses are conducted on a series of flat- and corrugated-web SPSWs to examine the effects of web-plate thickness, corrugation angle, and number of corrugation half-waves on the hysteretic performance of such structural systems. Results of the parametric studies are indicative of effectiveness of increasing of the three aforementioned web-plate geometrical and corrugation parameters in improving the cyclic response and energy absorption capacity of SPSWs with trapezoidally corrugated infill plates. Increasing of the web-plate thickness and number of corrugation half-waves are found to be the most and the least effective in adjusting the hysteretic performance of such promising lateral force-resisting systems, respectively. Findings of this study also show that optimal selection of the web-plate thickness, corrugation angle, and number of corrugation half-waves along with proper design of the boundary frame members can result in high stiffness, strength, and cyclic performances of such corrugated-web SPSWs.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.233-267
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• 2018

Conventional seismic design of concentrically braced frame (CBF) structures suggests that the gusset plate connecting a steel brace to beams and/or columns should be designed as non-dissipative in earthquakes, while the steel brace members should be designed as dissipative elements. These design intentions lead to thicker and larger gusset plates in design on one hand and a potentially under-rated contribution of gusset plates in design, on the other hand. In contrast, research has shown that compact and thinner gusset plates designed in accordance with the elliptical clearance method rather than the conventional standard linear clearance method can enhance system ductility and energy dissipation capacity in concentrically braced steel frames. In order to assess the two design methods, six cyclic push-over tests on full scale models of concentric braced steel frame structures were conducted. Furthermore, a 3D finite element (FE) shell model, incorporating state-of-the-art tools and techniques in numerical simulation, was developed that successfully replicates the response of gusset plate and bracing members under fully reversed cyclic axial loading. Direct measurements from strain gauges applied to the physical models were used primarily to validate FE models, while comparisons of hysteresis load-displacement loops from physical and numerical models were used to highlight the overall performance of the FE models. The study shows the two design methods attain structural response as per the design intentions; however, the elliptical clearance method has a superiority over the standard linear method as a fact of improving detailing of the gusset plates, enhancing resisting capacity and improving deformability of a CBF structure. Considerations were proposed for improvement of guidelines for detailing gusset plates and bracing members in CBF structures.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2024

In this study, advanced unscented Kalman filter (UKF) and particle filter (PF) implementations are introduced and applied to perform system identification (SI) for sudden structural damage induced by seismic loading. These two methods are then compared to validate their applicability to SI tasks. For this validation, the Bouc- Wen model is used to simulate the nonlinear shear-building response, and an adaptive rule (i.e., an adaptive tracking method) is applied to the two filter methods to improve their tracking performance during sudden changes in system properties. When the original UKF and PF are applied to an earthquake scenario, both methods fail to estimate the damage initiation time and post-damage parameter values. After applying the adaptive tracking method, it is found for both methods that although the occurrence time is identified, the estimation of the damage state is still not accurate. To improve the accuracy, an adjusted adaptive tracking method is applied, and the two methods then derive accurate estimates. Finally, when considering the computation time, UKF is promoted as a better choice for practical applications, provided that a proper adaptive tracking method is implemented.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.157-181
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• 2012

The paper presents a review of the application of the newly proposed mixed finite element model for seismic simulation of different types of composite frame structures. To evaluate the performance of the element, a comparison with displacement-based and force-based models is conducted. The study revealed that the mixed model is superior to the others in terms of both speed of convergence and numerical stability, and is therefore considered the most practical approach for modeling of composite structures. In this model, the element is derived using independent force and displacement shape functions. The nonlinear response of the frame element is based on the section discretization into fibers with uniaxial material models. The interfacial behavior is modeled using an inelastic interface element. Numerical examples to clarify the advantages of the model are presented for the following structural applications: anchored reinforcing bar problems, composite steel-concrete girders with deformable shear connectors, beam on elastic foundation elements, R/C girders strengthened with FRP sheets, R/C beam-columns with bond-slip, and prestressed concrete girders. These studies confirmed that the model represents a major advancement over existing elements in simulating the inelastic behavior of composite structures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.427-438
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• 2018

Static stability is a decisive factor in the design of domes. Stability-related external factors, such as load and supports, are incorporated into structural vulnerability theory by the definition of a relative rate of joint well-formedness ($r_r$). Hence, the instability mechanism of domes can be revealed. To improve stability, an optimization model against instability, which takes the maximization of the lowest $r_r$ ($r_{r,min}$) as the objective and the discrete member sections as the variables, is established with constraints on the design requirements and steel consumption. Optimizations are performed on two real-life Kiewitt-6 model domes with a span of 23.4 m and rise of 11.7 m, which are initially constructed for shaking table collapse test. Well-formedness analyses and stability calculation (via arc-length method) of the models throughout the optimization history demonstrate that this proposed method can effectively enhance $r_{r,min}$ and optimize the static stability of shell-like structures. Additionally, seismic performance of the optimum models subjected to the same earthquake as in the shaking table test is checked. The supplemental simulations prove that the optimum models are superior to the original models under earthquake load as well.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.791-804
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• 2022

As a type of semi-rigid connection, the top and seat angle connections are popular in current structures owing to their good cyclic performance and simple erection. However, their stiffness and load bearing capacity are relatively insufficient. This study proposes two strengthening methods to further increase the stiffness and strength of bolted-angle joints while maintaining satisfactory energy dissipation capacity (EDC) and ductility. Cyclic loading tests were conducted on six joint specimens with different strengthened angle components. Based on the test results, the influence of the following important factors on the cyclic behavior of steel joint specimens was investigated: the position of the rib stiffeners (edge rib stiffeners and middle rib stiffener), steel strength grade of rib stiffeners (Q345 and Q690), and additional stiffeners or not. In addition, the finite element models of these specimens were built and validated through a comparison of experimental and numerical results. The stiffness and bearing capacity of the bolted-angle joints could be improved significantly by utilizing the novel strengthened joints proposed in this study. Moreover, this can be achieved with almost no increase in the amount of steel required, and the EDC of this joint could also satisfy the requirements of seismic codes from various countries.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.231-243
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• 2022

Beam-column joints (BCJs) are recognized among the most crucial zones in reinforced concrete structures, as they are the critical elements subjected to a complex state of forces during a severe earthquake. Under such conditions, BCJs exhibit behaviors with impacts that extend to the whole structure and significantly influence its ductility and capability of dissipating energy. The focus of this paper is to investigate the effect of undamaged transverse beam (secondary beams) on the ductility of concrete BCJs reinforced with conventional steel and shape memory alloys bars using pushover analysis at tip of beam under different axial load levels at the column using a nonlinear finite element model in ABAQUS environment. A numerical model of a BCJ was constructed and the analysis outcomes were verified by comparing them to those obtained from previous experiments found in the literature. The comparison evidenced the capability of the calibrated model to predict the load capacity response of the joint. Results proved the ability of undamaged secondary beams to provide a noticeable improvement to the ductility of reinforced concrete joints, with a very negligible loss in load capacity. However, the effect of secondary beams can become less significant if the beams are damaged due to seismic effects. In addition, the axial load was found to significantly enhance the performance of BCJs, where the increase in axial load magnified the capacity of the joint. However, higher values of axial load resulted in greater initial stiffness of the BCJ.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.41-53
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• 2024

Grouting sleeves are an essential connecting component of prefabricated components, and the quality of grouting has a significant influence on structural integrity and seismic performance. The embedded grouting sleeve (EGS)'s grouting defects are highly undetectable and random, and no effective monitoring method exists. This paper proposes an ultrasonic guided wave method and provides a set of guidelines for selecting the optimal frequency and suitable period for the EGS. The optimal frequency was determined by considering the group velocity, wave structure, and wave attenuation of the selected mode. Guided waves are prone to multi-modality, modal conversion, energy leakage, and dispersion in the EGS, which is a multi-layer structure. Therefore, a time-reversal (TR)-based multi-mode focusing and dispersion automatic compensation technology is introduced to eliminate the multi-mode phase difference in the EGS. First, the influence of defects on guided waves is analyzed according to the TR coefficient. Second, two major types of damage indicators, namely, the time domain and the wavelet packet energy, are constructed according to the influence method. The constructed wavelet packet energy indicator is more sensitive to the changes of defecting than the conventional time-domain similarity indicator. Both numerical and experimental results show that the proposed method is feasible and beneficial for the detection and quantitative estimation of the grouting defects of the EGS.