In this study, four full-scale precast concrete double skin shear walls (PCDSSWs) with different vertical connections (i.e., loop connection and spiral-confined lap connection) and test axial compression ratios (0.09 and 0.23) were designed as emulative shear walls. Low reversed cyclic loading tests were conducted on the PCDSSWs to investigate their seismic performance by comparing with two cast-in-place

The effectiveness of steel-reinforced grout (SRG) jacketing in improving the structural performance of deficient reinforced concrete (RC) columns is experimentally investigated in this study. Four full-scale cantilever columns were designed following the old construction practice (pre-1970s) in southern Europe. Due to lack of adequate seismic detailing, the columns were susceptible to buckling failure

In recent years, the concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns with large cross-sectional aspect ratios have been paid much attention for practical engineering applications. By installing bolts to connect opposite surfaces of the steel tubes in bolt-connected CFST columns, the axial resistant behavior of CFSTs with large cross-sectional aspect ratios can be significantly improved. This paper presented

A tree-liked fractal method is proposed to develop a novel protective structure with great energy absorption. Triangular, square and pentagonal tree-liked fractal structures are developed, and their mechanical behaviors and deformation processes are conducted by quasi-static axial crushing testing. The theoretical model of the tree-liked fractal structure is introduced to analyze their energy absorption

This work aims to evaluate the influence of the main parameters related to the deformability of reinforced concrete columns in the design of pin-ended rectangular slender columns, under combined bending and axial force. For this, the objective is to analyse the influence of the elasticity modulus of the concrete and the type of coarse aggregate on the deformability of slender columns and consequent

The extremely low cycle fatigue failure of steel tubular joints under strong seismic action may lead to progressive collapse of the structures. The prediction models of extremely low cycle fatigue fracture focused on the tensile fracture models and often ignored the influence of shear effect. Within the scope of fracture model based on microscopic mechanism, a Lode parameter enhanced cyclic void growth

A spatial steel frame with concrete slab and special-shaped multi-partition concrete filled steel tubular columns was tested in a simulated scenario of progressive collapse. The load-deformation relationship of the frame with damaged middle column under vertical load is discussed. Parametric analysis is also conducted by using a validated FE model. The results show that the failure of the specimen

The punching shear capacity of reinforced concrete flat slabs and column bases without shear reinforcement as well as with failure on the level of maximum punching strength has been analyzed extensively in the past. For shear-reinforced slabs, most punching shear models follow an additive approach assuming a combination of a contribution of concrete and a contribution of shear reinforcement (steel

The curved steel-plate composite (SC) walls, commonly used in nuclear power plants have not been adequately investigated. This paper aims at the curvature effects on the in-plane and out-of-plane flexural behavior of SC walls with consideration of axial compression. Eight specimens were tested under combined constant axial compression force and cyclic lateral force. The failure modes, moment-drift

Steel-concrete composite structures have been widely used in the on-site constructions due to the benefit of composite actions provided by the steel and concrete. However, prefabricated steel–concrete composite constructions for building structures are not very popular in practice due to insufficient research studies and the lack of information on the connection systems, especially for the connection

Confined Masonry (CM) buildings have been embraced in many countries due to simple construction methodology, affordability, and effectiveness in resisting the seismic loads safely in comparison to unreinforced masonry buildings. However, most of the available seismic design codes for CM are still under development with several gap areas remaining to be addressed. The present study is a step towards

This paper presents a formulation for developing seismic demand models and estimating fragilities for reinforced concrete (RC) structures under mainshocks (MSs) only and mainshock-aftershock (MS-AS) sequences. The demand model for the MS only is a function of the MS intensity, while the model for the MS-AS sequence is a function of two variables, one describing the MS and one describing the AS. A Bayesian

Vehicular crashes into buildings seem to be an on-going problem with severe consequences. When the building is of masonry, the damage at the impact zone is more severe with possible intrusion of the vehicle into the building, depending on the velocity of impact. In all these cases, vibration is propagated from the impact zone to the wall edges and then to adjoining walls in the building and can result

Corrosion is the main factor affecting the service performance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures, especially in offshore or coastal areas. In this paper, taking RC beam as the research object, a three-dimensional meso-scale numerical model involving rebar corrosion was established. The corrosion effects on the mechanical behavior of RC beam was explored through a multi-stage analysis method (namely

In regions of high seismicity, the large seismic design forces sustained by the superstructure must be transferred to the bridge foundations. In these situations, in particular in situations with weak soils, cased shafts, which are concrete filled steel tube (CSFT) components, are used for piles and drilled shafts. Prior research shows that these components have large flexural, axial and shear strengths

Large span spatial steel structures, such as gymnasiums, exhibition halls, airport terminals, or railway hubs, have developed rapidly over the last four decades. However, the mechanical properties of these structures under complex loads, particularly their seismic performance under severe earthquakes, are not sufficiently understood. During the 2013 M7.0 Lushan earthquake in China, some of the large

The concept of Reduced Beam Section (RBS) connections in steel framed buildings have been widely adopted in previous studies as well as European and American Design codes (EN1998-3, ANSI/AISC 358-16 and FEMA 350) as a means of providing safe ductile fuse behaviour in the beam in order to protect the column from any significant damage. However, modelling the hysteretic behaviour of RBS connections under

Compared with traditional two-tower suspension bridges, three-tower suspension bridges have to face challenges caused by the mid-tower effect, which requires the stiffness of the mid-tower satisfying two contradictory parameters, the deflection-to-span and the saddle sliding resistance coefficient, simultaneously. Meanwhile, the central buckles are often utilized to reduce the live load deflection

Flexible robotic manipulators have significant advantages especially when the capturing task involves strong collisions in engineering. This work introduces a new design of the inflatable manipulator inspired by fluidic origami structures to perform capturing process. To analyze the dynamic inflation and exhaustion processes of fluidic origami structures, a universal framework combining the particle-bar-spring

A cellular automaton for the study of the progressive failure of rockfill dams caused by overtopping flows is presented. The celebrated Bak, Tang and Wiesenfeld’s model, proposed in 1987 to reproduce sand avalanches on the surface of a sand heap is adapted to a rockfill dam with an impervious central core that is subjected to extreme throughflow caused by overtopping flow or by failure of the watertightness

An experimental program is carried out to examine the effects of different factors on the slip and stress distribution of concrete slabs in composite beams. A total of ten steel–concrete composite beams with a span of 4.80 m are tested to find the effects of the type of shear connectors and the concrete slab reinforcement on the behaviour of composite beams. All beams consist of monosymmetric steel

High mechanical strength and ductility of fibre reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) are beneficial to its loading capacity under static and dynamic loads. To further improve the material performance, especially the crack restraint capability and flexural capacity, hybrid fibre reinforcement in UHPC is investigated in the present study. This study first investigated the influence of hybrid

The paper presents a simple yet robust frame model to be used as an alternative to continuous 2D or 3D finite element models for the purpose of analyzing multi-storey cross-laminated timber (CLT) shearwalls with openings when subjected to lateral loads. The proposed model is applicable to monolithic CLT walls and takes into account the mechanical interaction between wall segments and lintel/parapet

Plastic bending of reinforcement bars against mandrels is the usual procedure to provide bends and hooks for steel reinforcement bars. Minimum mandrel diameters are usually given in to codes of practice, depending on the type of detail and diameter of the bar. These recommendations for the bend diameter ensure a safe transfer of forces, avoiding splitting failures that may potentially limit the resistance

Moisture content (MC) fields in wood are in strong interplay with the surrounding climate, leading to dimensional changes in wooden elements as well as variation of their material behavior. In the European standard for the design of timber structures (EC 5) these effects are considered by assigning wood members to service classes which are solely based on environmental conditions, but independent of

Due to notch effect of the holes, the anchors installed in concrete are highly likely to be intercepted by cracks that may form due to thermal and/or mechanical loads on the structure. The presence of cracks, alters the behaviour of anchors by reducing their stiffness and load carrying capacity. The behaviour of anchors in steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) is one of the prime focuses in anchor

Fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators (FREIs) are generally installed in unbonded configurations. Because of the simultaneous application of axial loads and large lateral deformations, instability of these bearings is a major concern. This paper shows the results of a large series of 3D finite element analyses (FEAs) on square-shaped FREIs. The analyses aimed at obtaining easy to use design charts

This paper presents results from fire tests on reinforced concrete beams (RC) with different levels of pre-damage, to evaluate the effect of pre-cracking and residual deformations on the behavior of concrete beams under fire exposure. Two groups of RC beams with proportional geometric dimensions (1:2) and same reinforcement ratio, were tested under fire exposure. The pre-damage (cracking and residual

This paper focused on the behavior of steel–concrete composite beam (SCCB) to reinforced-concrete (RC) column exterior joint with single plate shear (SPS) connection under monotonic loading. Four SCCB to RC column exterior joints were constructed, and the test parameters were the longitudinal reinforcement ratio and high-strength bolt diameter. The failure modes, moment-rotation responses, strain distribution

In this research, a novel parametric dynamic model based on quasi-static (QS) model and a Magic Formula hysteresis multiplier, called QSMF model, is investigated to predict accurately and more meaningfully explain the hysteresis behavior of magnetorheological (MR) dampers. The proposed hysteresis model consists of a quasi–static (QS) component inherited from the QS model and a hysteresis multiplier

This article presents the experimental results and analysis of five full-scale walls subjected to in-plane reversed cyclic displacements. All walls were constructed with reinforcement in both vertical and horizontal directions and, with a reinforced concrete frame in the perimeter of the wall as confinement. This research focuses on the effect of different aspect ratios of the walls on shear response

In this study, we conducted numerical parametric analyses to investigate the seismic performance of a bridge pier with a spread footing on dense sandy ground. For the numerical model, we considered plastic hinging in the pier and foundation rocking, sliding, settlement, and embedment. The investigated parameters included pier height, footing width, excitation intensity and type, and footing embedment

Three-leaf masonry panels are typically composed of external leaves of irregularly bonded units and a rouble infill. The complexity of the response of these structures to mechanical loading arises from: a) the interaction of the leaves and b) the irregularity of the bond pattern of the outer leaves. This complexity makes analytical and computational modelling of these structures difficult and costly

Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams using Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composites (SHCC) material became a worldwide practice. Previous investigations showed significant improvement in the shear resistance of SHCC-strengthened (undamaged) beams. However, a little effort has been devoted to study the ability of SHCC material in retrofitting shear-damaged RC beams. Thus, the current study

In this paper the lateral-torsional buckling (LTB) behavior of steel trapezoidally corrugated web girders is studied by advanced nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis in order to develop new computer-based design method for the determination of the LTB strength of such innovative members subjected to pure bending. Due to the low number of previous investigations the rules of FE modelling for strength

In this study, a type of steel–concrete–steel (SCS) composite deep beam with ultra-high-performance concrete, named S-UHPC deep beam, was developed. Eight simply supported deep beams, including three SCS deep beams and five S-UHPC deep beams, were tested under static loads. The effects of different parameters (including the shear span ratio, concrete type, and shear stud spacing) on the ultimate capacity

The results from a 1:50 scale aeroelastic model of a self-supported steel lattice tower subjected to simulated hurricane winds are presented. The lattice tower considered is a typical structure that is used as part of a tower-insulator-conductor system for electrical transmission infrastructure. The aeroelastic tests were conducted at the NSF Wall of Wind Experimental Facility (WOW EF) at the Florida

Vibration-based damage identification has been a challenging task in structural health monitoring. The main difficulty lies on the reliable correlation between the measured vibration characteristics and damage states (e.g., stiffness reductions) of structures. Such states can ideally indicate the presence, locations, and severities of structural damages. The procedure is considered as a feature extraction

Reinforced concrete (RC) elements can be strengthened using several techniques. Among these techniques are the externally bonded (EB), near-surface-mounted (NSM), textile-reinforced mortar (TRM), and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). The NSM and EB methods are primarily based on the efficiency and thickness of the concrete cover, while the UHPC method demands excessive surface preparation. This

Concrete encased steel (CES) columns, also known as steel reinforced concrete (SRC) composite columns, exhibit superior fire resistance due to concrete acting as a protection layer for the embedded steel section. While modern design codes have provided design guides for the fire resistance of CES columns, they are only applicable to those made of normal strength concrete. For high strength CES columns

This paper investigates the optimal outrigger locations (OOLs) and optimal damping parameters (ODPs) for single-outrigger systems in high-rise buildings subject to earthquake and wind excitations. Three types of outrigger systems are considered: (1) the single-conventional/ordinary outrigger system (OR1); (2) the single viscous-damper outrigger system (OVD1); and (3) the single buckling-restrained-brace

Various difficulties in the manufacturing process of free-form roofs generated using the shape optimization process, which is also called structural morphology, can be resolved using the properties and methods of differential geometry. In this paper, a new structural morphology method is proposed for assembling a free-form grid surface using plate elements. The surface is an assembly of piecewise developable

To establish an anti-seismic reinforcement method (ASRM) for fabricated concrete piers based on carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials, two 1/6-scale prefabricated piers with grouted sleeve connections (SFPs) and grouted sleeve prestressing tendon composite connections (SSFPs) were designed and manufactured. Shaking table tests were carried out for the

To avoid structural collapses by explosions and terrorist attacks, castellated steel beams (CSBs) could become an alternative to parent steel beams (PSBs) in structures due to high energy absorption capabilities, which offered through a combination of high strength and ductile response. The static resistance function, obtained by either experiments or FE modeling, is considered an important item of

Double-angle connections are prone to fatigue cracking in old steel bridges; however, owing to their complexity, there are not many retrofitting solutions for these details. This study proposes a retrofitting system for double-angle connections using iron-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMAs). An innovative connection test setup equipped with an optical 3D digital image correlation (DIC) measurement

This paper presents the numerical investigation of the seismic performance of post-tensioned self-centering precast concrete (SCPC) frames with variable friction dampers (VFDs) and hidden corbels (HCs). The VFDs are characterized by the combination of flat and grooved plates, where the friction forces change as the connection deformation increases, which enables designs to meet target seismic performance

The objective of the present work is to study the response of dry stone walls subjected to out-of-plane forces and the influence of block‘s rugosity, joint arrangement, and border conditions. For this purpose, a series of scaled-down experimental tests on a tilting table and 3D numerical modeling using discrete elements, DEM, are proposed. In the numerical model, the applicability of some types of

A new type of steel-concrete composite aqueduct, made of steel trough and concrete cover connected by shear studs, is proposed. The composite aqueduct has better fluid tightness, lighter weight, higher capacity and faster construction speed compared with traditional prestressed concrete aqueducts; therefore, it has a broad potential to be applied in water transfer projects. To study the structural

Precast reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns are critical substructure components for Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC), which attracts significant attention all over the world in recent decades. However, seismic behavior of precast RC bridge columns in corrosive environment and related retrofit methods are rarely studied. To fill out this knowledge gap, in this study, four, 1/4-scaled precast

Engineering structures may inevitably be subjected to earthquakes and winds during their life cycles, furthermore, with the probability of simultaneous occurrence, the hit of combined earthquake and wind shall pose a stiffer threat to the structural functionality and safety. Passive control technique is a practical and effective method to mitigate earthquake and wind hazards for new or existing engineering

To explore the application of environmental protection material-paper straw board in cold-formed thin-walled steel (CFS) structures and further develop the sheathing system, an innovative CFS framing wall sheathed by paper straw board (CFSSB) is proposed. Eight CFSSB composite wall specimens and one CFS frame without sheathing were tested under monotonic and reversed cyclic horizontal loads to study

NiTi Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) has the potential for use as cross-ties to mitigate cable vibration due to its superelasticity and high damping capacity. However, recent studies revealed that the fatigue problem of the NiTi SMA should be addressed. This paper investigates the fatigue characteristic of SMA strands. The superelastic and structural fatigue characteristics of SMA strands were tested under

Introducing openings in joists of flooring systems is usually necessary to pass through building services without increasing the floor-to-floor height. The openings reduce the stiffness and limits the ultimate load-carrying capacity of the timber beams by promoting tensile stresses perpendicular to the grain and longitudinal splitting shear stresses. Furthermore, quasi-brittle failure of the timber

In reinforced concrete structures, cast-in anchors are applied to beam–column or slab–beam joints. Furthermore, in seismically strengthened structures, post-installed anchors are used to connect new members to existing members. These anchors are subjected to shear and tensile stresses during an earthquake. However, a mechanical model that can estimate the behavior of these anchors when subjected to

In this study, two types of novel steel dovetail joints for single-layer grid shells are proposed and investigated. The design concept, design method, and FE modelling method are discussed. Experimental and numerical analysis methods are adopted to explore the performance of the new joint system under axial compression loads. Moreover, a parametric analysis is conducted to evaluate the impact of design

Corrosion, which threatens reinforced concrete structures throughout their service life, adversely affects the earthquake performance of the structures. For countries located in an active earthquake zone, it is of great importance to investigate the behavior of reinforced concrete structures exposed to corrosion damage under lateral load. For this purpose, the effect of the use of blast furnace slag

Recent, light earthquakes induced by the extraction of gas in the north of the Netherlands have been linked to light, mostly aesthetic damage of the traditional masonry structures in the region; this is also connected to economic losses and societal unrest. To be able to accurately assess the light damage, detailed finite element models are necessary and need to include realistic soil movement, wave

Current maintenance practices for aging prestressed concrete bridges are facing challenging tasks to judge structural adequacy and remaining service life even with insufficient information and invisible deterioration. For prestressed concrete bridges, remaining prestress forces and corrosion of strands are the most crucial data. To accumulate the data, full-sized and deteriorated 45-year-old prestressed