Simplified macro‐model for infill masonry walls considering the out‐of‐plane behaviour

One of the main challenges in earthquake risk mitigation is the assessment of existing buildings not designed according to modern codes and the development of effective techniques to strengthen these structures. Particular attention should be given to RC frame structures with masonry infill panels, as demonstrated by their poor performance in recent earthquakes in Europe. Understanding the seismic behaviour of masonry‐infilled RC frames presents one of the most difficult problems in structural engineering. Analytical tools to evaluate infill–frame interaction and the failure mechanisms need to be further studied. This research intends to develop a simplified macro‐model that takes into account the out‐of‐plane behaviour of the infill panels and the corresponding in‐plane and out‐of‐plane interaction when subjected to seismic loadings. Finally, a vulnerability assessment of an RC building will be performed in order to evaluate the influence of the out‐of‐plane consideration in the building response. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental evaluation of a glass curtain wall of a tall building

The seismic demand parameters including the floor acceleration amplification (FAA) factors and the interstory drift ratios (IDRs) were acquired from the floor response in time history analysis of a tall building subjected to selected ground motions. The FAA factors determined in this way are larger than those given in most current code provisions, but the obtained IDRs are close to the values given in some code provisions. Imposing a series of in‐plane pre‐deformations to two glass curtain wall (CW) specimens mounted on a shaking table, the IDRs were reproduced and the FAA factors were satisfied through applications of computed floor spectra compatible motion time histories, whose peak accelerations corresponded to the FAA factors. The CW specimens performed well during the whole experimental program with almost no change in the fundamental frequencies. No visible damage was observed in the glass panels. The maximum stresses detected in each component of the CW system were smaller than the design strengths. The obtained component acceleration amplification factor approached 3.35, which is larger than the value given in the current code provisions. In conclusion, the performance of the studied CW system is seismically safe. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐directional response of unreinforced masonry walls: experimental and computational investigations

This paper describes the results of an experimental and numerical study that focused on multi‐directional behavior of unreinforced masonry walls and established the requisite of the related proposed design equations. The tests were conducted following several sets of multi‐directional loading combinations imposed on the top plane of the wall along with considering monotonic and cyclic quasi‐static loading protocols. Various boundary conditions, representing possible wall–roof connections, were also considered for different walls to investigate the influence of rotation of the top plane of the wall on the failure modes. The results of the tests were recorded with a host of high precision data acquisition systems, showing three‐dimensional displacements of a grid on the surface of the wall. Finite element models of the walls are developed using the commercial software package ABAQUS/Explicit compiled with a FORTRAN subroutine (VUMAT) written by the authors. The experimental results were then used to validate the finite element models and the developed user‐defined material models. With the utility of validated models, a parametric study was performed on a set of parameters with dominant influence on the behavior of the wall system under in‐plane and out‐of‐plane loading combinations. The experimental and numerical results are finally used to investigate the adequacy of ASCE 41 empirical equations, and some insights and recommendations are made. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional beam‐truss model for reinforced concrete walls and slabs – part 1: modeling approach,validation, and parametric study for individual reinforced concrete walls

A three‐dimensional beam‐truss model for reinforced concrete (RC) walls developed by the first two authors in a previous study is modified to better represent the flexure–shear interaction and more accurately capture diagonal shear failures under static cyclic or dynamic loading. The modifications pertain to the element formulations and the determination of the inclination angle of the diagonal elements. The modified beam‐truss model is validated using the experimental test data of eight RC walls subjected to static cyclic loading, including two non‐planar RC walls under multiaxial cyclic loading. Five of the walls considered experienced diagonal shear failure after reaching their flexural strength, while the other three walls had a flexure‐dominated response. The numerically computed lateral force–lateral displacement and strain contours are compared with the experimentally recorded response and damage patterns for the walls. The effects of different model parameters on the computed results are examined by means of parametric analyses. Extension of the model to simulate RC slabs and coupled RC walls is presented in a companion paper. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

钢筋混凝土开洞剪力墙结构抗震非线性有限元分析

本文以钢筋混凝土开洞剪力墙结构为研究对象，建立了该类结构动力非线性有限元分析计算及该类结构静力非线性pushover有限元分析计算的基本过程，并编制了相应的计算机程序．通过与实验分析结果的比较，检验了本文动力非线性有限元分析计算方法的准确程度，验证了静力非线性pushover有限元分析方法应用于开洞剪力墙抗震非线性性能评估的可靠性。     

奉节县城区高挡土墙裂损破坏机理及补救措施

论文简要回顾了奉节高档墙建设和运营的基本现状。指出了奉节高档墙的一些主要裂损破坏型式:①挡墙自身墙体完好。但相对于墙背后土体,挡墙轴线有一定偏移。具体表现为墙体顶部与土体之间产生裂纹;②挡墙与墙背后土体未发生位移,墙体中部出现近横向并且有贯通趋势的裂缝或者表现为伸缩缝位置有错缝现象;③挡墙整体与背后土体均未变形。但墙面局部出现竖向臌胀裂缝。针对其破坏型式,文章简要分析了破坏机理:①墙与墙背后土体产生裂缝,主要是挡墙基础未处理好;②墙体中部出现横向贯通裂缝或伸缩缝位置有错缝现象。主要因墙背后静止土压力增大转化为主动土压力造成;③挡墙墙面局部出现竖向臌胀裂缝。主要由于地下水泉涌造成。在分析其破坏机理基础上,同时提出了一些相应的处置措施。     

Multi‐scale modelling approach for the pushover analysis of existing RC shear walls—Part II: Experimental verification

In a companion paper two different modelling approaches have been described, operating at the meso‐scale of the fibre elements and at the micro‐scale of the finite element (FE) method. The aim of this paper is to explore the efficiency of these models in the pushover analysis for the seismic assessment of existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures. To this purpose a prototype reference structure, one of the RC shear walls designed according to the multi‐fuse concept and tested on shaking table for the CAMUS Project, is modelled at different levels of refinement. At the micro‐scale the reinforcement and anchorage details are described with increasing accuracy in separate models, whereas at the meso‐scale one single model is used, where each element represents a large part of the structure. Static incremental non‐linear analyses are performed with both models to derive a capacity curve enveloping the experimental results and to reproduce the damage pattern at the displacement level where failure is reached. The comparison between experimental and numerical results points out the strong and weak points of the different models inside the procedure adopted, and the utility of an integration of results from both approaches. This study confirms, even for the rather difficult case at study, the capability of the pushover in reproducing the non‐linear dynamic response, both at a global and a local level, and opens the way to the use of the models within a displacement‐based design and assessment procedure. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Toppling failures from alpine cliffs on ben Lomond,Tasmania

Large cliff failures involving forward toppling over a basal hinge have occurred on more than half of the plateau edge of Ben Lomond, northeastern Tasmania. This mode of failure, which is readily identified from the columnar structure of the dolerite involved, has affected up to 10⁷ m³ of rock at a time and a total of more than 50 × 10⁶ m³ in all the cases which can still be identified. It represents perhaps the most important form of cliff retreat, amounting to a rate of 0.2 mm yr^?1 over the last 100,000 years. Topographic evidence and joint surveys suggest that two different mechanisms have produced the topples on Ben Lomond. One has involved failure in the sediments underlying the dolerite with consequent foundering and cambering of large sections of the plateau edge. This mechanism accounts for relatively few of the Ben Lomond topples, though it includes the largest individual cases. The second mechanism, dominant in most of the topples, involved slab failure in the cliffs. Both modes of failure have been facilitated by vertical weaknesses within the bedrock and both require an initially steep cliff profile. Because of the latter requirement, which is not met on the other mountains of northeastern Tasmania, large-scale topples are found only on Ben Lomond, and only there where glacial steepening of the cliff has been possible. Following the initial failure, topples of both types have migrated downslope by block sliding for distances up to 2 km.     

城墙遗址测绘方法初探--以高句丽燕州山城为例

通过对高句丽晚期代表作品燕州山城的测绘与分析,指出了此类城墙测绘的目的、方法、难点、要点以及城墙图纸绘制的步骤,为今后类似高句丽山城的研究提供一个测绘方法的借鉴。