• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.26-33
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• 2005

In this paper, a computational model for nonlinear crack damage analysis of concrete gravity dam-foundation boundary region subjected to earthquake loading is suggested. An enhanced model based on the Lee-Fenves plastic-damage model is used as the inelastic material model for a concrete dam structure and rock foundation. The suggested model is implemented numerically and used for computational earthquake simulation of Koyna dam, which was severly damaged from the strong earthquake in 1967. From the numerical result it is demonstrated that the suggested computational model can realistically represent crack initiation and propagation in the dam-foundation boundary region.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.113-130
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• 2023

Hybrid simulation (HS) has attracted community attention in recent years as an efficient and effective experimental technique for structural performance evaluation in size-limited laboratories. Traditional hybrid simulations usually take deterministic properties for their numerical substructures therefore could not account for inherent uncertainties within the engineering structures to provide probabilistic performance assessment. Reliable structural performance evaluation, therefore, calls for stochastic hybrid simulation (SHS) to explicitly account for substructure uncertainties. The experimental design of SHS is explored in this study to account for uncertainties within analytical substructures. Both computational simulation and laboratory experiments are conducted to evaluate the pseudo-random Sobol sequence for the experimental design of SHS. Meta-modeling through polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) is established from a computational simulation of a nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structure to evaluate the influence of nonlinear behavior and ground motions uncertainties. A series of hybrid simulations are further conducted in the laboratory to validate the findings from computational analysis. It is shown that the Sobol sequence provides a good starting point for the experimental design of stochastic hybrid simulation. However, nonlinear structural behavior involving stiffness and strength degradation could significantly increase the number of hybrid simulations to acquire accurate statistical estimation for the structural response of interests. Compared with the statistical moments calculated directly from hybrid simulations in the laboratory, the meta-model through PCE gives more accurate estimation, therefore, providing a more effective way for uncertainty quantification.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.459-468
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• 2019

The stability and safety of concrete plug structure of diversion tunnel is crucial for the impoundment of upstream reservoir in hydropower projects. The ongoing Wudongde hydropower plant in China plans to adopt straight column plugs and curved column plugs to replace the traditional expanded wedge-shaped plugs. The performance of the proposed new plug structures under high water head is then a critical issue and attracts the attentions of engineers. This paper firstly studied the joint bearing mechanism of plug and surrounding rock mass and found that the quality and mechanical properties of the interfaces among plug concrete, shotcrete, and surrounding rock mass play a key role in the performance of plug structures. By performing geophysical and mechanical experiments, the contact state and the mechanical parameters of the interfaces were analyzed in detail and provide numerical analysis with rational input parameters. The safety evaluation is carried out through numerical calculation of plug stability under both construction and operation period. The results indicate that the allowable water head acting on columnar plugs is 3.1 to 7.4 times of the designed water head. So the stability of the new plug structure meets the design code requirement. Based on above findings, it is concluded that for the studied project, it is feasible to adopt columnar plugs to replace the traditional expanded wedge-shaped plugs. It is hoped that this study can provide reference for other projects with similar engineering background and problems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2013

The Xiaolan channel super large bridge is unique in style and with greatest span in the world with a total length of 7686.57 m. The main bridge with spans arranged as 100m+220m+100m is a combined structure composed of prestressed concrete V-shape rigid frame and concrete-filled steel tubular flexible arch. First of all, the author compiles APDL command flow program by using the unit birth-death technique and establishes simulation calculation model in the whole construction process. The creep characteristics of concrete are also taken into account. The force ratio of the suspender, arch and beam is discussed. The authors conduct studies on the three-plate webs's rule of shear stress distribution, the box girder's longitudinal bending normal stress on every construction stage, meanwhile the distribution law of longitudinal bending normal stress and transverse bending normal stress of completed bridge's box girder. Results show that, as a new combined bridge, it is featured by: Girder and arch resist forces together; Moment effects of the structure are mainly presented as compressed arch and tensioned girder; The bridge type brings the girder and arch on resisting forces into full play; Great in vertical stiffness and slender in appearance.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.401-413
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• 2019

The concept of base isolation for equipment is well known. Its application in buildings and structures is rather challenging. Introduction of horizontal flexibility at the base helps in proper energy dissipation at the base level thus reducing the seismic demand of the super structure to be considered during design. The present study shows the results of a series of numerical simulation studies on seismic responses of secondary system (SS) housed in non-isolated and base-isolated primary structures (PS) including equipment-structure interactions. For this study the primary structure consists of two similar single bay three-store reinforced cement concrete (RCC) Frame building, one non-isolated with conventional foundation and another base isolated with Lead plug bearings (LPB) constructed at IIT Guwahati, while the secondary system is modeled as a steel frame. Time period of the base isolated building is higher than the fixed building. Due to the presence of isolator, Acceleration response is significantly reduced in both (X and Y) direction of Building. It have been found that when compared to fixed base building, the base isolated building gives better performance in high seismic prone areas.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.187-207
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• 2014

This paper mainly discusses the influence of the aggregate properties including grading, shape, content and distribution on the chloride diffusion coefficient, as well as the initiation time of steel corrosion from a probabilistic point of view. Towards this goal, a simulation method of random aggregate structure (RAS) based on elliptical particles and a procedure of finite element analysis (FEA) at meso-scale are firstly developed to perform the analysis. Next, the chloride diffusion coefficient ratio between concrete and cement paste $D_{app}/D_{cp}$ is chosen as the index to represent the effect of aggregates on the chloride diffusion process. Identification of the random distribution of this index demonstrates that it can be viewed as actually having a normal distribution. After that, the effect of aggregates on $D_{app}/D_{cp}$ is comprehensively studied, showing that the appropriate properties of aggregates should be decided by both of the average and the deviation of $D_{app}/D_{cp}$. Finally, a case study is conducted to demonstrate the application of this mesoscopic method in predicting the initiation time of steel corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The mesoscopic probabilistic method developed in this paper can not only provide more reliable evidences on the proper grading and shape of aggregates, but also play an important role in the probability-based design method.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.365-374
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• 2017

With the continuous evolution of the numerical methods and the availability of advanced constitutive models, it became a common practice to use complex physical and geometrical nonlinear numerical analyses to estimate the structural behavior of reinforced concrete elements. Such simulations may yield the complete time history of the structural behavior, from the first moment the load is applied until the total collapse of the structure. However, the evolution of the cracking pattern in geometrical discontinuous zones of reinforced concrete elements and the associated failure modes are relatively complex phenomena and their numerical simulation is considerably challenging. The objective of the present paper is to assess the applicability of the Applied Element Method in simulating the development of distinct failure modes in reinforced concrete walls subjected to monotonic loading obtained in experimental tests. A pushover test was simulated numerically on three distinct RC shear walls, all presenting an opening that guarantee a geometrical discontinuity zone and, consequently, a relatively complex cracking pattern. The presence of different reinforcement solutions in each wall enables the assessment of the reliability of the computational model for distinct failure modes. Comparison with available experimental tests allows concluding on the advantages and the limitations of the Applied Element Method when used to estimate the behavior of reinforced concrete elements subjected to monotonic loading.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.287-309
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• 2015

FormWorks-Plus is a generalized public domain user-friendly preprocessor developed to facilitate the process of creating finite element models for structural analysis programs. The lack of a graphical user interface in most academic analysis programs forces users to input the structural model information into the standard text files, which is a time-consuming and error-prone process. FormWorks-Plus enables engineers to conveniently set up the finite element model in a graphical environment, eliminating the problems associated with conventional input text files and improving the user's perception of the application. In this paper, a brief overview of the FormWorks-Plus structure is presented, followed by a detailed explanation of the main features of the program. In addition, demonstration is made of the application of FormWorks-Plus in combination with VecTor programs, advanced nonlinear analysis tools for reinforced concrete structures. Finally, aspects relating to the modelling and analysis of three case studies are discussed: a reinforced concrete beam-column joint, a steel-concrete composite shear wall, and a SFRC shear panel. The unique mixed-type frame-membrane modelling procedure implemented in FormWorks-Plus can address the limitations associated with most frame type analyses.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2005.05b
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• pp.469-472
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• 2005

With all ensuring the fire resistance structure as a method of setting the required cover thickness to fire, the RC is significantly affected from the standpoint of its structural stability that the compressive strength and elastic modulus is reduced by fire. Normally, the degradation of concrete member exposed to fire is largely dependent on the fire scale and fire condition. There is therefore a need to precisely predict the deterioration and fire damage of the exposed member. Thus, this work estimated the temperature distribution inside a member taking into consideration of the thermal properties by means of finite element method(FEM). The estimation results in a little higher prediction value than the experimental value in surface layer and is almost coincident with the experiment as the heating depth increase. From this work it can be known that the simulation application of FEM using the thermal properties of concrete member in high temperature gives rise to the confident prediction in the prediction of temperature distribution.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.569-585
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• 2016

This paper highlights a case study that investigates the behaviour of existing bridge, West Terrace Bridge, induced by horizontal seismic loading. Unfortunately the lack of past information related to seismic activity within the NSW region has made it difficult to understand better the capacity of the structure if Earthquake occurs. The research was conducted through the University of Western Sydney in conjunction with Railcorp Australia, as part of disaster reduction preparedness program. The focus of seismic analyses was on the assessment of stress behaviour, induced by cyclic horizontal/vertical displacements, within the concrete slab and steel truss of the bridge under various Earthquake Year Return Intervals (YRI) of 1-100, 1-200, 1-250, 1-500, 1-800, 1-1000, 1-1500, 1-2000 and 1-2500. Furthermore the stresses and displacements were rigorously analysed through a parametric study conducted using different boundary conditions. The numerical analysis of the concrete slab and steel truss were performed through the finite element software, ABAQUS. The field measurements and observation had been used to validate the results drawn from the finite element simulation. It was illustrated that under a YRI of 1/1000 the bottom chord of the steel truss failed as the stress induced surpassed the ultimate stress capacity and the horizontal displacement exceeded the allowable displacement measured in the field observations whereas the vertical displacement remained within the previously observed limitations. Furthermore the parametric studies in this paper demonstrate that a change in boundary conditions alleviated the stress distribution throughout the structure allowing it to withstand a greater load induced by the earthquake YRI but ultimately failed when the maximum earthquake loading was applied. Therefore it was recommended to provide a gap of 50mm on the end of the concrete slab to allow the structure to displace without increasing the stress in the structure. Finally, this study has proposed a design chart to showcase the failure mode of the bridge when subjected to seismic loading.