A Comparative Study of Piers with DSCT and Steel Piles

Because of climate changes, the demand for securing marine space is increasing owing to problems such as sea level rise, design wave height increase, and lack of land and space, and research on the development of a new high-performance pier has been conducted. In the existing pier supported by steel piles, buckling failure and corrosion problems may lead to a risk of structural safety, and maintenance is difficult owing to a narrow span. The new type of double-skinned composite tubular (DSCT) structure, which has been extensively studied recently, is filled with concrete between the inner and outer tubes, increasing the strength of concrete because of the three-axis confined effect. In addition, it is advantageous in terms of ductility. Furthermore, owing to the hollow cross-section, it is economical because it weighs less than the concrete-filled steel tubular (CFT) structure, effectively saving materials. In this study, the performance of a pier with 30 steel piles and that of a pier supported with 20 DSCT piles was compared under the same external force through finite element analysis. Consequently, it was confirmed that the pier with DSCT piles showed higher performance in displacement and stress than the existing pier with steel piles.

Designing Hierarchical IsoTruss Column Based on Controlling Multi-Buckling Behaviors

To develop large-span but ultralight lattice truss columns, a hierarchical IsoTruss column (HITC) was proposed. The multi-buckling behavior of the axially compressed HITC was analyzed by the finite element method (FEM) using a parametric approach in the framework of ANSYS parametric design language (APDL). It was demonstrated that the program enables efficient generation of the finite element (FE) model, while facilitating the parametric design of the HITC. Using this program, the effects of helical angles and brace angles on the buckling behavior of the HITC were investigated. Depending on the helical angles and brace angles, the HITCs mainly have three buckling modes: the global buckling, the first-order local buckling and the second-order local buckling. Theoretical multi-buckling models were established to predict the critical buckling loads. Buckling failure maps based on the theoretical analyses were also developed, which can be useful in preliminary design of such structures.

Theoretical and experimental evaluation of timber-framed partitions under lateral drift

This paper identifies the inherent strengths/weaknesses of rigid timber-framed partitions and quantifies the onset drifts for different damage thresholds under bi-directional seismic actions. It reports construction and quasi-static lateral cyclic testing of a multi-winged timber-framed partition wall specimen with details typical of New Zealand construction practice. Furthermore, the cyclic performance of the tested rigid timber-framed partition wall is also compared with that of similar partition walls incorporating ‘partly-sliding’ connectiondetails, and ‘seismic gaps’, previously tested under the same test setup. Based on the experimentally recorded cyclic performance measures, theoretical equations proposed/derived in the literature to predict the ultimate strength, initial stiffness, and drift capacity of different damage states are scrutinized, and some equations are updated in order to alleviate identified possible shortcomings. These theoretical estimates are then validated with the experimental results. It is found that the equations can reasonably predict the initial stiffness and ultimate shear strength of the partitions, as well as the onset-driftscorresponding to the screw damage and diagonal buckling failure mode of the plasterboard. The predicted bi-linear curve is also found to approximate the backbone curve of the tested partition wall sensibly.

Numerical Analysis of the Structural Resistance and Stability of Masonry Walls with an AAC Thermal Break Layer

Since energy efficiency has become the main priority in the design of buildings, load-bearing walls in modern masonry constructions nowadays include thermal break elements at the floor–wall junction to mitigate thermal bridges. The structural stability of these bearing walls is consequently affected. In the present paper, a numerical study of the resistance and stability of such composite masonry walls, including AAC thermal break layers, is presented. A finite element mesoscopic model is successfully calibrated with respect to recent experimental results at small and medium scale, in terms of resistance and stiffness under vertical load with or without eccentricity. The model is then used to extend the numerical models to larger-scale masonry walls made of composite masonry, with the aim of investigating the consequences of thermal elements on global resistance and stability. The results confirm that the resistance of composite walls is governed by the masonry layer with the lowest resistance value, except for walls with very large slenderness and loaded eccentrically: composite walls with low slenderness or loaded by a vertical load with limited eccentricities are failing due to the crushing of the AAC layer, while the walls characterized by large slenderness ratios and loaded eccentrically tend to experience buckling failure in the main clay masonry layer.

Bearing Capacity of Recycled Self-Compacting Concrete-Filled Circular Steel Tubular Long Columns Subjected to Axial Load

To investigate the ultimate bearing capacity and deformation of the recycled self-compacting concrete-filled circular steel tubular (RSCCFCST) long columns subjected to axial load, nine specimens with different recycled self-compacting concrete (RSCC) strength grades and slenderness ratios are tested. The experimental results indicate that the lateral deflection dominates the buckling failure of the specimens. The ultimate bearing capacity of the specimens is enhanced gradually as the RSCC strength grade increases but decreases as the slenderness ratio rises. The load-strain curves are linear and basically coincide at the elastic stage. The decrease in the slenderness ratio or increase in the RSCC strength grade contributes to the improvement of the stiffness and ultimate circumferential and axial strains of the columns gradually. Based on the combined tangent modulus theory and bearing capacity of the RSCCFCST short columns, two estimation models are presented to predict the ultimate bearing capacity of the RSCCFCST long columns. Additionally, comparisons between the calculation results of the ultimate strength demonstrate that the prediction models established in this study are more accurate than the other specifications mentioned.

Effect Of The Horizontal Component Of Earthquake On The Buckling Of Concrete Spherical Shells

The buckling failure of reinforced concrete spherical shell structures under the effect of the horizontal component of earthquake is investigated using a finite element method over a wide range of shell configurations. For this effect, two different loading case scenarios are considered; first, the shell is analyzed under the effects of the vertical seismic component alone. Then, the model is reanalyzed under the same loading conditions plus the horizontal earthquake component, taking into account two different horizontal-to-vertical earthquake spectral ratios. It is concluded that including the horizontal component of earthquake can result in a reduction in the buckling capacity of this type of structure; the impact of which is highly influenced by the horizontal-to-vertical earthquake spectral ratio and the shell geometry. It is also observed that the formulation adopted by ACI slightly overestimates the buckling capacity of spherical shells especially when horizontal seismic effects are included.

Effect Of The Horizontal Component Of Earthquake On The Buckling Of Concrete Spherical Shells

The buckling failure of reinforced concrete spherical shell structures under the effect of the horizontal component of earthquake is investigated using a finite element method over a wide range of shell configurations. For this effect, two different loading case scenarios are considered; first, the shell is analyzed under the effects of the vertical seismic component alone. Then, the model is reanalyzed under the same loading conditions plus the horizontal earthquake component, taking into account two different horizontal-to-vertical earthquake spectral ratios. It is concluded that including the horizontal component of earthquake can result in a reduction in the buckling capacity of this type of structure; the impact of which is highly influenced by the horizontal-to-vertical earthquake spectral ratio and the shell geometry. It is also observed that the formulation adopted by ACI slightly overestimates the buckling capacity of spherical shells especially when horizontal seismic effects are included.