• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.317-335
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• 2016

Concentrically braced steel frames (CBFs) can be optimised during the seismic design process by using lateral loading distributions derived from the concept of uniform damage distribution. However, it is not known how such structures are affected by uncertainties. This study aims to quantify and manage the effects of structural and ground-motion uncertainty on the seismic performance of optimum and conventionally designed CBFs. Extensive nonlinear dynamic analyses are performed on 5, 10 and 15-storey frames to investigate the effects of storey shear-strength and damping ratio uncertainties by using the Monte Carlo simulation method. For typical uncertainties in conventional steel frames, optimum design frames always exhibit considerably less inter-storey drift and cumulative damage compared to frames designed based on IBC-2012. However, it is noted that optimum structures are in general more sensitive to the random variation of storey shear-strength. It is shown that up to 50% variation in damping ratio does not affect the seismic performance of the optimum design frames compared to their code-based counterparts. Finally, the results indicate that the ground-motion uncertainty can be efficiently managed by optimizing CBFs based on the average of a set of synthetic earthquakes representing a design spectrum. Compared to code-based design structures, CBFs designed with the proposed average patterns exhibit up to 54% less maximum inter-storey drift and 73% less cumulative damage under design earthquakes. It is concluded that the optimisation procedure presented is reliable and should improve the seismic performance of CBFs.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.221-232
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• 2024

As a supplemental energy dissipation device, friction dampers are widely employed to augment the behaviour of buildings under seismic forces. In the current work, a methodology for the design of the friction damping system of RC frame buildings is offered using performance-based plastic design (PBPD) method. Here 2% of maximum interstorey drift ratio for life safety (LS) level is taken into account as a target drift to estimate the design base shear. In this approach, the distribution of friction damper is determined based on the hysteretic energy demand of that storey. Two frames, five storey three bay (5S3B) and eight storey three bay (8S3B) RC frame building with and without friction damping systems are also taken up for the investigation. The suggested design approach is validated by the nonlinear time history analysis (NLTHA) procedure. Inter story drift ratio (ISDR) and storey displacement, which are the more closely related to structural damage during seismic excitation are evaluated. The results show that the friction damping system on a retrofitted RC frame building performs effectively under seismic excitations and that storey displacement and ISDR are within the limit at moderate and high seismic intensities.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.307-323
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• 2016

The nonlinear behaviors of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) frame structure are investigated by numerical simulation method with 3-D finite fiber elements. The dynamic characteristics and the seismic performance of the RAC frame structure are analyzed and validated with the shaking table test results. Specifically, the natural frequency and the typical responses (e.g., storey deformation, capacity curve, etc.) from Model 1 (exclusion of strain rate effect) and Model 2 (inclusion of strain rate effect) are analyzed and compared. It is revealed that Model 2 is more likely to provide a better match between the numerical simulation and the shaking table test as key attributes of seismic behaviors of the frame structure are captured by this model. For the purpose to examine how seismic behaviors of the RAC frame structure vary under different strain rates in a real seismic situation, a numerical simulation is performed by varying the strain rate. The storey displacement response and the base shear for the RAC frame structure under different strain rates are investigated and analyzed. It is implied that the structural behavior of the RAC frame structure is significantly influenced by the strain rate effect. On one hand, the storey displacements vary slightly in the trend of decreasing with the increasing strain rate. On the other hand, the base shear of the RAC frame structure under dynamic loading conditions increases with gradually increasing amplitude of the strain rate.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.717-732
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• 2011

Nonlinear dynamic analysis and evaluation of eccentric braced steel frames (EBF) equipped with friction damper (FD) is studied in this research. Previous studies about assessment of seismic performance of steel braced frame with FD have been generally limited to installing this device in confluence of cross in concentrically braced frame such chevron and x-bracing. Investigation is carried out with three types of steel frames namely 5, 10 and 15 storeys, representing the short, medium and high structures respectively in series of nonlinear dynamic analysis and 10 slip force values subjected to three different earthquake records. The proper place of FD, rather than providing them at all level is also studied in 15 storey frame. Four dimensionless indices namely roof displacement, base shear, dissipated energy and relative performance index (RPI) are determined in about 100 nonlinear dynamic analyses. Then average values of maximum roof displacement, base shear, energy dissipated and storey drift under three records for both EBF and EBF equipped with friction damper are obtained. The result indicates that FD reduces the response compared to EBF and is more efficient than EBF for taller storey frames.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.95-107
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• 2009

A method for vibration analysis of asymmetric shear wall and Thin walled open section structures is presented in this paper. The whole structure is idealized as an equivalent bending-warping torsion beam in this method. The governing differential equations of equivalent bending-warping torsion beam are formulated using continuum approach and posed in the form of simple storey transfer matrix. By using the storey transfer matrices and point transfer matrices which consider the inertial forces, system transfer matrix is obtained. Natural frequencies can be calculated by applying the boundary conditions. The structural properties of building may change in the proposed method. A numerical example has been solved at the end of study by a program written in MATLAB to verify the presented method. The results of this example display the agreement between the proposed method and the other valid method given in literature.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.123-138
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• 2018

Eccentrically braced frames (EBF) represent an optimal structural solution for seismic prone areas, being able to provide high dissipative capacity and good elastic stiffness, to withstand strong seismic events without significant loss of bearing capacity and to avoid damage to non-structural elements in case of low and moderate earthquakes. The accurate knowledge of the cyclic behaviour of the dissipative links, characterizing the whole performance of EBFs, is required to optimize the structural properties and to refine the design techniques adopted for multi-storey buildings' analysis. Reliable numerical models for the links, at the same time requiring a limited computational effort, are then needed. The present work shows the results of a wide experimental test campaign executed on real-scale one storey/one bay frames with horizontal and vertical links, together with the elaboration of a simple semi-analytical model for the quick representation of the cyclic behaviour of shear links.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.283-295
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• 2019

During the seismic performance assessment of existing buildings, staircases are generally not taken into account as structural members but as dead load. Staircases, as secondary structural members, not only serve for connecting successive floors but also provide considerable amount of strength and stiffness to the building which can modify its seismic behaviour considerably. In this parametric study, the influence of staircases on the seismic response of substandard RC frame buildings which differ in number of storey and span, presence of staircase and its position has been examined. Modal Analyses and bi-directional Non-Linear Time History Analyses (NLTHA) were conducted to compare several engineering demand parameters (EDPs) such as inter-storey drift ratio (ISDR), floor accelerations, modal properties, member shear forces and plastic hinge distribution. Additionally, short column effect, variation in shear forces of columns that are attached to the staircase slab, failure and deformation in staircase models have also been investigated. As the staircase was considered in the analytical model, a different damage pattern can be developed especially in the structural components close to staircase.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.187-200
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• 2021

The main factor for the amplification of ground motions near the crest or the toe of a slope is the reflection of the incident waves. The effects of the slope topography on the surrounding lands over the crest or at the toe can amplify the seismic responses of buildings. This study investigates the seismic performance of the slope topography and three mid-rise buildings (five, ten, and fifteen-storey) located near the crest and toe of the slope by 3D numerical analysis. The nonlinear model was used to represent the real behavior of building and ground elements. The average results of seven records were used in the investigations. Based on the analysis, the amplification factor of acceleration near the crest and toe of the slope was the most effective at distances of 2.5 and 1.3 times the slope height, respectively. Accordingly, the seismic performance of buildings was studied at a distance equal to the height of the slope from the crest and toe. The seismic response results of buildings showed that the slope topography to have little impact on up to five-storey buildings located near the crest. Taking into account a topography-soil-structure interaction system increases the storey displacement and base shear in the building. Accordingly, in topography-soil-structure interaction analyses, the maximum lateral displacement was increased by 71% and 29% in ten and fifteen-storey buildings, respectively, compare to the soil-structure interaction system. Further, the base shear force was increased by 109% and 78% in these buildings relative to soil-structure interaction analyses.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.333-350
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• 2013

This paper deals with the development of expressions relating structural seismic response parameters to the epicentral distances of an earthquake and the natural period of several reinforced concrete buildings (6, 9 and 12 storey), with three floor plans: symmetric, monosymmetric, and unsymmetric. These structures are subjected to seismic spectrum of accelerations collected during the Boumerdes earthquake (Algeria, May $21^{st}$, 2003, Mw=6.8) at different epicentral distances. The objective of this study is to develop relations between structural responses namely: base shear, storey displacements, interstory drifts and epicentral distance and fundamental period for a given earthquake. The seismic response of the buildings is carried out in both longitudinal transverse and directions by the response spectrum method (modal spectral approach).

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.1255-1276
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• 2015

The importance of considering soil-structure interaction effect in the analysis and design of RC frame buildings is increasingly recognized but still not penetrated to the grass root level owing to various complexities involved. It is well established fact that the soil-structure interaction effect considerably influence the design of multi-storey buildings subjected to lateral seismic loads. The shear walls are often provided in such buildings to increase the lateral stability to resist seismic lateral loads. In the present work, the linear soil-structure analysis of a G+5 storey RC shear wall building frame resting on isolated column footings and supported by deformable soil is presented. The finite element modelling and analysis is carried out using ANSYS software under normal loads as well as under seismic loads. Various load combinations are considered as per IS-1893 (Part-1):2002. The interaction analysis is carried out with and without shear wall to investigate the effect of inclusion of shear wall on the total and differential settlements in the footings due to deformations in the soil mass. The frame and soil mass both are considered to behave in linear elastic manner. It is observed that the soil-structure interaction effect causes significant total and differential settlements in the footings. Maximum total settlement in footings occurs under vertical loads and inner footings settle more than outer footings creating a saucer shaped settlement profile of the footings. Each combination of seismic loads causes maximum differential settlement in one or more footings. Presence of shear wall decreases pulling/pushing effect of seismic forces on footings resulting in more stability to the structures.