Cyclic behaviour of interior beam–column joints reinforced with plain bars

The seismic damages commonly observed on beam–column joints of old reinforced concrete structures, built with plain bars and without proper detailing, justifies the need to further study the behaviour of this type of structures. The response of these structures when loaded cyclically, as occurs during the earthquakes, is partially controlled by the bond properties between the reinforcing bars and the surrounding concrete. This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign of unidirectional cyclic tests carried out on six full‐scale beam–column joints built with plain bars. These joint specimens are representative of existing reinforced concrete structures, that is, built without adequate reinforcement detailing for seismic demands. For comparison, an additional specimen is built with deformed bars and tested. The seven specimens are designed and detailed to allow the investigation of the influence of bond properties, lapping of the longitudinal bars in columns and beams, bent‐up bars in the beams, slab contribution and concrete strength. The lateral force–drift relationships, global dissipated energy evolution, contribution of the joint, beams and columns to the global dissipated energy, ductility, equivalent damping, final damage observed, homogenized reinforced concrete damage index, displacement components, curvature evolutions and Eurocode requirements are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Advanced frame element for seismic analysis of masonry structures: model formulation and validation

This paper presents a masonry panel model for the nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of masonry buildings suitable for the seismic assessment of new and existing structures. The model is based on an equivalent frame idealization of the structure and stems from previous research on force‐based frame elements. The element formulation considers axial, bending, and shear deformations within the framework of the Timoshenko beam theory. A phenomenological cyclic section law that accounts for the shear panel response is coupled, through equilibrium between shear and bending forces along the element, with a fiber‐section model that accounts for the axial and bending responses. The proposed panel model traces with a low computational burden and numerical stability the main aspects of the structural behavior of masonry panels and is suitable for analyses of multi‐floor buildings with a relatively regular distribution of openings and with walls and floors organized to grant a box‐like behavior under seismic loads. The model capabilities are validated though analyses of simple unreinforced masonry panels and comparisons with published experimental results. The model accuracy is strongly dependent on the fiber and shear constitutive laws used. However, the formulation is general, and laws different from those employed in this study are easily introduced without affecting the model formulation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio of frozen compacted sand subjected to freeze–thaw cycle under multi-stage cyclic loading

Frozen soil plays an important role on the stability of railway and highway subgrade in cold regions. However, the dynamic properties of frozen soil subjected to the freeze–thaw cycles have rarely been investigated. In this study, cryogenic cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on frozen compacted sand from Nehe, Heilongjiang Province in China which was subjected to the closed-system freeze–thaw cycles. A modified Hardin hyperbolic model was suggested to describe the backbone curves. Then, dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio versus cyclic shear strain were analyzed under the different freeze–thaw cycles, temperatures, initial water contents, loading frequencies and confining pressures. The results indicate that the freeze–thaw process plays a significant effect on the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio, which slightly change after one freeze–thaw cycle. Dynamic shear modulus increases with increasing initial water content, temperature, loading frequency and confining pressure. Damping ratio increases with increasing initial water content, while decreases with increasing temperature and loading frequency. The effect of confining pressure on the damping ratio was found not significant. Furthermore, the empirical expressions were formulated to estimate dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio of the frozen compacted sand. The results provide guidelines for evaluating the infrastructures in cold regions.     

双向循环荷载耦合下黄土动模量和动变形特性研究

通过在三轴试样的轴向和径向同时施加循环荷载,并以试样45°面上的应力来模拟地震拉压动荷载和剪切动荷载的作用,分析双向循环荷载耦合下黄土的动剪切模量和动变形特性。试验结果表明:相位差对黄土的动剪切模量有一定影响,其动剪切模量随相位差的增大以φ=180°为转折点呈现先减小后增大的趋势,在φ=180°时达到最低水平。φ180°时相位差的增大加速了黄土动剪应变的发展,φ180°时黄土的动剪切变形的发展速度随相位差的增大而减缓。同时径向动荷载幅值的增大明显降低黄土的初始动剪切模量。通过计算转化,分析拉压动荷载和剪切动荷载变化对黄土动剪切变形发展的影响规律,发现拉压动荷载的施加能加快黄土动剪切变形的发展,而当拉压和剪切动荷载同时变化时,剪切动荷载变化对黄土动剪切变形发展的影响更明显,作用更显著。     

循环荷载作用下黏土改进边界面模型

为克服边界面模型应用不便、不能反映卸载过程中土体的弹塑性性质的缺陷,提出了一个循环荷载作用下可考虑弹塑性加、卸载过程的重塑黏土改进边界面模型。模型采用了简单的边界面形式,可大大简化该模型理论的推导与计算;采取了不预先定义边界面大小的方式,有效地降低了改进边界面模型在应用过程中的经验性;加入边界面胀缩规则,使模型可考虑土样卸载过程中的弹塑性性质,进而可反映土样的滞回特性。通过对重塑黏土进行循环三轴数值模拟试验,并与真实试验结果进行对比分析,验证了改进边界面模型的合理性和有效性。数值验证结果表明,改进边界面模型具有物理意义明确、参数易于确定、形式相对简单的特点,且该模型计算精度较高,计算结果与试验结果吻合得较好。     

单轴循环荷载下含天然裂隙脆性页岩变形及破裂特征试验研究

利用RMT–150C岩石力学测试系统,对重庆彭水含天然裂隙脆性页岩在单轴循环荷载作用下的变形及破裂特征进行了试验研究。研究结果表明：（1）在循环加卸载和裂隙的共同影响下页岩所含天然裂隙使页岩性质局部劣化、加剧裂隙扩展和破坏提前,导致屈服应力、破裂压力和峰值强度等减小,其中峰值强度降低了13.7%～58.3%;（2）轴向应变形成封闭的“尖叶”状滞回环,并呈疏-密-疏排列,而横向应变形成上开口“8”字形滞回环,并呈密-疏排列,横向应变-循环次数曲线可分为初始变形阶段、小速率等速变形阶段、大速率等速变形阶段和失稳破坏阶段等四阶段演化规律,前期横向应变突变现象可作为天然裂隙和新裂隙扩展、交汇完成,进入大速率等速变形阶段的标志,后期突变可作为整体失稳破坏的前兆;（3）含天然裂隙页岩的破坏模式主要呈拉剪贯通模式和拉贯通模式,两种贯通模式均至少包含一条贯通天然裂隙的拉裂隙;（4）在弹性阶段,有效弹性模量与损伤面积系数呈线性关系,损伤面积系数越大,有效弹性模量越小;（5）在低应力水平内循环,不可逆变形缓慢增加,轴向应变-循环次数曲线始终处于初始变形阶段,试样不发生破坏;在高应力水平内循环,经历3个变形阶段后试样发生破坏;在接近峰值应力的应力水平内循环,曲线直接进入加速变形阶段,几次循环后试样发生破坏。该研究为认清页岩的裂隙扩展形成复杂裂隙网的发展机制提供了有益参考。     

海水工厂化养殖废水循环利用的初步探讨

以海水工厂化养殖排出的废水养殖双齿围沙蚕(Perinereis aibuhitensis)、菲律宾蛤仔(Ruditapes phi-lippinarum)、长牡蛎(Crassostreagigas)和细基江蓠(Gracilariatenuistipitata).结果表明:双齿围沙蚕耐污染能力最强;细基江蓠和双齿围沙蚕具有较强的净化水质能力.养殖废水经7 d处理后,NH4+-N、NoO3--N、NO2--N、PO43--P、COD和底质有机物分别下降至处理前的11.20%、23.69%、27.50%、14.6%、3.2%和0.32%,且沙蚕和江蓠平均日生长率分别为2.30 mg/g·d和80 mg/g·d.该方法不但能净化水质,还能实现养殖废水的循环利用.     

Influence of Frequency on the Behaviour of Plate Anchors Subjected to Cyclic Loading

This article reports the response of embedded circular plate anchors to varying frequencies of cyclic loading. The effects of time period of loading cycles and pre-loading on movement of anchors and post-cyclic monotonic pullout behavior are studied using a model circular (80 mm diameter) plate anchor, buried at embedment ratio of six in a soft saturated clay. The frequencies of loading cycles have showed considerable effect on movement of anchors. For given duration of loading, higher frequency cycles cause more movement of anchor than lower frequency cycles. Pre-loading reduces the movement of anchors in subsequent loading stages. When anchors are recycled at a load ratio level less than the pre-cycling load, the movement of anchor in recycling phase are very much reduced, but if the recycling is done at a higher load ratio level, the effect is not that much pronounced and the anchors behave as if they were not subjected to any cycling load in the past. Anchor subjected to cyclic loading and then monotonic pullout shows an increase in initial stiffness, whereas the peak pullout load was found to decrease marginally over that of an anchor not subjected to any cyclic loading. For the present test conditions, the relative post-cyclic stiffness of anchors is found to vary from 1.169 to 1.327.     

Assessment of cyclic response to suction caisson in clay using a three-dimensional displacement approach

An investigation was made to present analytical solutions of cyclic response to suction caisson subjected to inclined cyclic loadings in clay using a three-dimensional displacement approach. A model representing the relationship between vertical load and vertical displacement and that between lateral load and lateral displacement along the skirt of suction caisson subjected to cyclic loadings is proposed for overconsolidated clay. For the effect of vertical load on cyclic load capacity of suction caisson, using the Mindlin solution in the case of a vertical point load, the vertical stress of soil under the base of suction caisson is presented. For the stress state of soil beneath the base of suction caisson subjected to cyclic loading, the Mohr–Coulomb failure line and critical state line are presented and the relationship between total stress, effective mean principal stress, stress difference, and pore-pressure is elucidated. The comparison of results predicted by the present method for a suction caisson subjected to cyclic loadings in clay has shown good agreement with those obtained from field tests. Cyclic behavior of clay up to failure is made clear from the relationship between cyclic tensile load, vertical and lateral displacements, and rotation and that between depth, vertical, and lateral pressures.     

Characteristics of Pore Water Pressure of Saturated Silt Under Wave Loading

The characteristics of dynamic stress in the seabed under wave loading are constant principal stress and continuous rotation of the principal stress direction.Cyclic triaxial-torsional coupling shear tests were performed on saturated silt by the hollow cylinder apparatus under different relative densities,deviator stress ratios and vibration frequencies to study the development of pore water pressure of the saturated silt under wave loading.It was found that the development of pore water pressure follows the trend of "fast～steady～drastic".The turning point from fast to steady stage is not affected by relative density and deviator stress ratio.However,the turning point from steady to drastic stage relies on relative density and deviator stress ratio.The vibration cycle for the liquefaction of saturated silt decreases with increasing deviator stress ratio and increases with relative density.The vibration cycle for the liquefaction of the saturated silt increases with vibration frequency and reaches a peak value,after which it decreases with increasing vibration frequency for the relative density of 70%.But the vibration cycle for the liquefaction of saturated silt increases with vibration frequency for the relative density of 30%.The development of pore water pressure of the saturated silt is influenced by relative density and vibration frequency.