• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.757-769
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• 2019

The seismic performance of a coupled shear wall system is governed by the shear resistances of its coupling beams. The plate-reinforced composite (PRC) coupling beam is a newly developed form of coupling beam that exhibits high deformation and energy dissipation capacities. In this study, the shear capacity of plate-reinforced composite coupling beams was investigated. The shear strengths of PRC coupling beams with low span-to-depth ratios were calculated using a softened strut-and-tie model. In addition, a shear mechanical model and calculating method were established in combination with a multi-strip model. Furthermore, a simplified formula was proposed to calculate the shear strengths of PRC coupling beams with low span-to-depth ratios. An analytical model was proposed based on the force mechanism of the composite coupling beam and was proven to exhibit adequate accuracy when compared with the available test results. The comparative results indicated that the new shear model exhibited more reasonable assessment accuracy and higher reliability. This method included a definite mechanical model and reasonably reflected the failure mechanisms of PRC coupling beams with low span-to-depth ratios not exceeding 2.5.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.80 no.6
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• pp.737-747
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• 2021

The objective of seismic resilience is to maintain or rapidly restore the function of a building after an earthquake. An efficient tilt mechanism at the member level is crucial for the restoration of the main structure function; however, the damage resistance of the members should be the main focus. In this study, through a comparison with the classical Flamant theory of local loading in the elastic half-space, an elastomechanical solution for the axial-stress distribution of a reinforced-concrete (RC) rocking column was derived. Furthermore, assuming that the lateral displacement of the rocking column is determined by the contact surface rotation angle of the column end and bending and shear deformation of the column body, the load-lateral displacement mechanical model of the RC rocking column was established and validated through a comparison with finite-element simulation results. The axial-compression ratio and column-end strength were analyzed, and the results indicated that on the premise of column damage resistance, simply increasing the axial-compression ratio increases the lateral loading capacity of the column but is ineffective for improving the lateral-displacement capacity. The lateral loading and displacement of the column are significantly improved as the strength of the column end material increases. Therefore, it is feasible to improve the working performance of RC rocking columns via local reinforcement of the column end.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.355-372
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• 2022

The study is part of an experimental program on full-scale Un-Reinforced Masonry (URM) wall panels strengthened with Textile reinforced mortars (TRM). Eight brick walls (two with and five without central opening), were tested under the diagonal tension (shear) test method in order to investigate the strengthening system effectiveness on the in-plane behaviour of the walls. All the URM panels consist of the innovative components, named "Orthoblock K300 bricks" with vertical holes and a thin layer mortar. Both of them have great capacity and easy application and can be constructed much more rapidly than the traditional bricks and mortars, increasing productivity, as well as the compressive strength of the masonry walls. Several parameters pertaining to the in-plane shear behaviour of the retrofitted panels were investigated, including shear capacity, failure modes, the number of layers of the external TRM jacket, and the existence of the central opening of the wall. For both the control and retrofitted panels, the experimental shear capacity and failure mode were compared with the predictions of existing prediction models (ACI 2013, TA 2000, Triantafillou 1998, Triantafillou 2016, CNR 2018, CNR 2013, Eurocode 6, Eurocode 8, Thomoglou et al. 2020). The experimental work allowed an evaluation of the shear performance in the case of the bidirectional textile (TRM) system applied on the URM walls. The results have shown that some analytical models present a better accuracy in predicting the shear resistance of all the strengthened masonry walls with TRM systems which can be used in design guidelines for reliable predictions.

• 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.21 no.5
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• pp.445-460
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• 2021

This study experimentally explored the behaviour of 12 concrete filled steel tube (CFST) and steel tube columns subjected to lateral cyclic loading. The L/D ratio was 12.3 while D/t ratios were 45.4, 37.8 and 32.4, classifying these 12 specimens into 3 groups. Each group included 3 CFST and 1 steel tube columns and were tested to failure. The experimental results indicated that CFST specimens reached the state of 'collapse prevention' (drift 4%) prior to the occurrence of local buckling. Strength degradation of CFST specimens did not occur up to the failure by buckling. This showed the favourable characteristic of CFST columns in preventing collapse of structures subjected to earthquakes. The high energy absorption capability in the post collapse limit state was appropriate for dissipating energy in structures. Compared to steel tube columns, CFST columns delayed local buckling and prevented inward buckling. Consequently, CFST columns exhibited their outstanding seismic performance in terms of the increased ultimate resistance, capacity to sustain 2-3 additional load cycles and significantly higher drift. A simple and reasonably accurate model was proposed to predict the ultimate strength of CFST columns under lateral cyclic loading.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.363-382
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• 2024

In India's north-eastern region, low-strength autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks are widely used for constructing masonry structures, making them susceptible to lateral forces due to their low tensile and shear strengths and brittleness nature. The absence of earthquake-resistant attributes further compromises their resilience during seismic events. An economically viable solution to enhance the structural integrity of these masonry structures involves integrating steel wire mesh within the masonry mortar joints. This study investigates the in-plane shear behaviour of AAC masonry by employing two approaches: incorporating steel wire mesh within the masonry bed joint "BJ" and the masonry bed and head joint "BHJ". These approaches aim to augment strength and ductility, potentially serving as earthquake-resistant attributes in masonry structures. Three distinct variations of steel wire mesh and three reinforcing arrangements, i.e. (-), (L) and (Z) arrangement were employed to reinforce the two approaches. The test result reveals a significant enhancement in structural performance upon inclusion of steel wire mesh in both reinforcing approaches, with the "BHJ" approach outperforming the "BJ" approach and the unreinforced masonry, along with increase in capacity as the wire mesh size increases. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the reinforcing arrangement is ranked with the (Z) arrangement showing the largest performance, followed by the (L) and (-) arrangement.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.601-612
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• 2013

In the construction of nuclear power plants using massive walls, the use of high-strength re-bars for shear design is necessary to enhance the constructability and economy. In this study, low-rise walls (aspect ratio of 1.0) with grade 550 MPa bars were tested under cyclic loading to investigate the shear capacity and deformation capacity. The test parameters were the grade of horizontal re-bars (550 MPa, 420 MPa), strength of concrete compressive strength (46 MPa, 70 MPa), horizontal/vertical reinforcement ratio, use of lateral confinement hoops, shape of cross section, and failure modes (shear failure before or after flexural yielding). The test results were compared with those of walls with grade 420 MPa bars and predicted strength by current design codes. The results showed that the shear strength of the walls with 550 MPa bars was comparable to that of the walls with 420 MPa bars though the safe margin slightly decreased. ACI 349 provides underestimated shear strength for the walls with 550 MPa bars. In case of the wall with flexural yielding, a large deformation capacity was achieved. This result indicates that the ACI 349 provisions can be safely applied to seismic design of the low-rise walls (aspect ratio of 1.0) with grade 550 MPa bars.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.389-398
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• 2013

The structural provisions of rectangular CFT (concrete-filled tubular) columns in the 2005/2010 AISC Specification, ACI 318-08, and EC4 were comparatively analyzed as a preliminary study for establishing the unified standards for composite structures. The provisions analyzed included those related to the nominal strength, the effect of confinement, plate slenderness, effective flexural stiffness, and the material strength limitations. Small or large difference can be found among the provisions of AISC, ACI, and EC4. Generally, the 2010 AISC Specification provides the revised provisions which reflect up-to-date test results and tries to minimize the conflict with the ACI provisions. For example, the 2010 AISC Specification introduced a more finely divided plate slenderness limits for CFT columns. In seismic applications, the plate slenderness limits required for highly and moderately ductile CFT columns were separately defined. However, the upper cap limitations on material strengths in both the AISC and EC4 provisions are too restrictive and need to be relaxed considering the high-strength material test database currently available. This study found that no provisions reviewed in this paper provide a generally satisfactory method for predicting the P-M interaction strength of CFT columns under various material combinations. It is also emphasized that a practical constitutive model, which can reasonably reflect the stress-strain characteristics of confined concrete of rectangular CFT columns, is urgently needed for a reliable prediction of the P-M interaction strength.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.205-212
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• 2016

This research investigates the influence of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) composition on the alkali-activated slag cement (AASC). Aluminum oxide ($Al_2O_3$) was added to GGBFS binder between 2% and 16% by weight. The alkaline activators KOH (potassium hydroxide) was used and the water to binder ratio of 0.50. The strength development results indicate that increasing the amount of $Al_2O_3$ enhanced hydration. The 2M KOH + 16% $Al_2O_3$ and 4M KOH + 16% $Al_2O_3$ specimens had the highest strength, with an average of 30.8 MPa and 45.2 MPa, after curing for 28days. The strength at 28days of 2M KOH + 16% $Al_2O_3$ was 46% higher than that of 2M KOH (without $Al_2O_3$). Also, the strength at 28days of 4M KOH + 16% $Al_2O_3$ was 44% higher than that of 4M KOH (without $Al_2O_3$). Increase the $Al_2O_3$ contents of the binder results in the strength development at all curing ages. The incorporation of AASC tended to increases the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) due to the similar effects of strength, but increasing the amount of $Al_2O_3$ adversely decreases the water absorption and porosity. Higher addition of $Al_2O_3$ in the specimens increases the Al/Ca and Al/Si in the hydrated products. SEM and EDX analyses show that the formation of much denser microstructures with $Al_2O_3$ addition.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.203-210
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• 2019

A recent earthquake on the Korean Peninsula caused much damage to masonry buildings, and research on performance evaluation has been underway. A masonry building is generally constructed using wet construction and is affected by temperature, which reduces the efficiency of the construction. In this study, we propose a dry construction technique for assembling concrete blocks without using mortar and evaluated its performance through experimental and analytical research. To evaluate the performance, experiments were carried out for the prismatic compressive strength, direct terminal strength, and diagonal tensile strength of the dry construction wall. The adequacy of the cross section shape was also reviewed through FEM analysis. The results show that the compressive strength and diagonal tensile strength could exert a certain intensity or higher. Furthermore, the H-type module of a key block acted as a shear key for the entire concrete block, which resulted in excellent shear strength performance. In addition, the shape and thickness of the main block have a major effect on the strength performance of each block. Therefore, an optimal shape and the proposed dry construction method could be applied to replace the wet method by studying the construction or seismic performance of the proposed method.