• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.435-449
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• 2022

In this paper, unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced soil foundations were modeled by discrete element method and this performed under surface strip footing loads. The effects of horizontal position of geogrid, vertical position, thickness, number, confining pressure have been investigated on the footing settlement and propagation of tensile force along the geogrids. Also, interaction between rectangular tunnel and strip footing with and without presence of geogrid layer has been analyzed. Experimental results of the literature were used to validation of relationships between the numerically achieved footing pressure-settlement for foundations of reinforced and unreinforced soil. Models and micro input parameters which used in the numerical modelling of reinforced and unreinforced soil tunnel were similar to parameters which were used in soil foundations. Model dimension was 1000 mm* 600 mm. Normal and shear stiffness of soils were 5*10⁵ and 2.5 *10⁵ N/m, respectively. Normal and shear stiffness of geogrid were 1*10⁹ and 1*10⁹ N/m, respectively. Loading rate was 0.001 mm/sec. Micro input parameters used in numerical simulation gain by try and error. In addition of the quantitative tensile force propagation along the geogrids, the footing settlements were visualized. Due to collaboration of three layers of geogrid reinforcements the bearing capacity of the reinforced soil tunnel was greatly improved. In such practical reinforced soil formations, the qualitative displacement propagations of soil particles in the soil tunnel and the quantitative vertical displacement propagations along the soil layers/geogrids represented the geogrid reinforcing impacts too.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.479-500
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• 2013

This paper presents the experimental as well as analytical study conducted on layer-bonded scrap tire rubber pad (STRP) isolators to develop low-cost seismic isolators applicable to structures in developing countries. The STRP specimen samples were produced by stacking the STRP layers one on top of another with the application of adhesive. In unbonded application, the STRP bearings were placed between the substructure and superstructure without fastening between the contact surfaces which allows roll-off of the contact supports. The vertical compression and horizontal shear tests were conducted with varying axial loads. These results were used to compute the different mechanical properties of the STRP isolators including vertical stiffness, horizontal effective stiffness, average horizontal stiffness and effective damping ratios. The load-displacement relationships of STRP isolators obtained by experimental and finite element analysis results were found to be in close agreement. The tested STRP samples show energy dissipation capacity considerably greater than the natural rubber bearings. The layer-bonded STRP isolators serve positive incremental force resisting capacity up to the shear strain level of 150%.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.459-469
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• 2020

An external prestressed steel-bar truss unit was developed as a new strengthening technology to enhance the seismic performance of an in-plane masonry wall structure while taking advantage of the benefits of a prestressed system. The presented method consists of six steel bars: two prestressed vertical bars to introduce a prestressing force on the masonry wall, two diagonal bars to resist shear deformation, and two horizontal bars to maintain the configuration. To evaluate the effects of this new technique, four full-scale specimens, including a control specimen, were tested under combined loadings that included constant-gravity axial loads and cyclic lateral loads. The experimental results were analyzed in terms of the shear strength, initial stiffness, dissipated energy, and strain history. The efficiency of the external prestressed steel-bar truss unit was validated. In particular, a retrofitted specimen with an axial load level of 0.024 exhibited a more stable post behavior and higher energy dissipation than a control specimen with an observed complete sliding failure. The four vertical bars of the adjacent retrofitting units created a virtual column, and their strain values did not change until they reached the peak shear strength. The shear capacity of the masonry wall structure with external prestressed steel-bar truss units could be predicted using the model suggested by Yang et al.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1145-1160
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• 2015

An experimental study was conducted for the effectiveness of steel-CFRP composite (CFRP laminates sandwiched between two steel strips) as stirrups in concrete beam to carry shearing force and comparison was made with conventional steel bar stirrups. A total numbers of 8 concrete beams were tested under four point loads. Each beam measured 1,600 mm long, 160 mm width and 240 mm depth. The beams were composed of same grade of concrete, with same amount of flexural steel but different shear reinforcements. The main variables include, type of stirrups (shape of stirrups and number of CFRP layers used in each stirrup) and number of stirrups used in shear spans. After getting on an excellent closeness between the values of ultimate shear resistance and ultimate tensile load of steel-CFRP stirrups, it could be concluded that the steel-CFRP stirrups represent the effective solution of premature failure of FRP stirrups at the bends.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2021

Failure of a Multi-storeyed reinforced concrete framed structure occurs when a primary vertical structural component is isolated or made fragile, due to artificial or natural hazards. Load carried by vertical component (column) is transferred to neighbouring columns in the structure, if the neighbouring column is incompetent of holding the extra load, this leads to the progressive failure of neighbouring members and finally to the failure of partial or whole structure. The collapsing system frequently seeks alternative load path in order to stay alive. One of the imperative features of collapse is that the final damage is not relative to the initial damage. In this paper, the effect on the column and beam adjacent to statically removed vertical element in terms of axial force, shear force and bending moment is investigated. Using Alternate load path method, numerical modelling of two dimensional one bay, two bay with variation in storey heights are analysed with FE model in order to obtain better understanding of failure mechanism of multi-storeyed reinforced concrete framed structure. The results indicate that the corner column is more susceptible to progressive collapse when compared to middle column, using this simplified methodology one can easily predict how the structure can be made to stay alive in case of sudden failure of any horizontal or vertical structural element before designing.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.87-91
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• 2003

Effects of the circular and non-circular pad shapes on self-alignment in BGA soldering are predicted using Surface Evolver, and the calculated results are compared with experimental data. While the pad shape has minor effects on self-alignment in the vertical direction, self-alignment in the lateral direction depends on the pad direction and length ratio of the non-circular pad. Larger restoring force is obtained in the minor-axis direction than the major-axis direction, which suggests a possibility of reducing misalignment in the specific direction. The restoring force of the circular pad is between those of the non-circular pad in the major and minor-axis directions. The calculated results of Surface Evolver show reasonably good agreements with experimental data using the shear loading system.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.573-592
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• 2011

Comprehensive and accurate analysis of a finite foundation beam is a challenging engineering problem and an important subject in foundation design. One of the limitation of the traditional Winkler elastic foundation model is that the model neglects the effect of the interface resistance between the beam and the underneath foundation soil. By taking the beam-soil interface resistance into account, a deformation governing differential equation for a finite beam resting on the Winkler elastic foundation is developed. The coupling effect between vertical and horizontal displacements is also considered in the presented method. Using Galerkin method, semi-analytical solutions for vertical and horizontal displacements, axial force, shear force and bending moment of the beam under symmetric loads are presented. The influences of the interface resistance on the behavior of foundation beam are also investigated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.385-403
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• 2011

Continuous deep girders which transmit the gravity load from the upper wall to the lower columns have frequently long end shear spans between the boundary of the upper wall and the face of the lower column. This paper presents the results of tests and analyses performed on three 1:2.5 scale specimens with long end shear spans, (the ratios of shear-span/total depth: 1.8 < a/h < 2.5): one designed by the conventional approach using the beam theory and two by the strut-and-tie approach. The conclusions are as follows: (1) the yielding strength of the continuous RC deep girders is controlled by the tensile yielding of the bottom longitudinal reinforcements, being much larger than the nominal strength predicted by using the section analysis of the girder section only or using the strut-and-tie model based on elastic-analysis stress distribution. (2) The ultimate strengths are 22% to 26% larger than the yielding strength. This additional strength derives from the strain hardening of yielded reinforcements and the shear resistance due to continuity with the adjacent span. (3) The pattern of shear force flow and failure mode in shear zone varies depending on the amount of vertical shear reinforcement. And (4) it is necessary to take into account the existence of the upper wall in the analysis and design of the deep continuous transfer girders that support the upper wall with a long end shear span.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.345-360
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• 2019

The shear keys are set in a seismic isolation system to resist the long-term service loadings, and are cut off to isolate the earthquakes. This paper investigated the influence of shear keys on the seismic performance of a vertical spring-viscous damper-concave Coulomb friction isolation system by an incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and a performance-based assessment. Results show that the cutting off process of shear keys should be simulated in a numerical analysis to accurately predict the seismic responses of isolation system. Ignoring the cutting off process of shear keys usually leads to untrue seismic responses in a numerical analysis, and many of them are unsafe for the design of isolated structure. And those errors will be increased by increasing the cutting off force of shear keys and decreasing the spring constant of shear keys, especially under a feeble earthquake. The viscous damping action postpones the cutting off time of shear keys during earthquakes, and reduces the seismic isolation efficiency. However, this point can be improved by increasing the spring constant of shear keys.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2024

Steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) have been recognized as an effective seismic-force resisting systems due to their excellent strength and stiffness characteristics. The infill steel plate in a SPSW is constrained by a boundary frame consisting of vertical and horizontal structural members. The main purpose of this study was to investigate deformation modes and hysteretic characteristics of steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) to consider the effects of their aspect ratios and width-to-thicness ratios. The finite element model (FEM) was establish in order to simulate cyclic responses of SPSWs which have the two-side clamped boundary condition and made of conventional steel grade. The stress distribution obtained from the FEA results demonstrated that the principal stresses on steel plate with large thickness-to-width ratio were more uniformly distributed along its horizontal cross section due to the formation of multiple struts.