Article
Construction & Building Technology
Szymon Cholostiakow, Lampros N. Koutas, Christos G. Papakonstantinou
Summary: The paper examines the replacement of cement-based binder with geopolymer-based binder in the application of strengthening substandard masonry structures. The focus is on the in-plane behavior of masonry walls in reinforced concrete buildings. The experimental results show that geopolymer-based systems can be suitable for retrofitting applications, with similar or better mechanical response compared to ordinary cementitious binder.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Maria Teresa De Risi, Andre Furtado, Hugo Rodrigues, Jose Melo, Gerardo Mario Verderame, Antonio Arede, Humberto Varum, Gaetano Manfredi
Summary: This study presents experimental outcomes of using TRM-based strengthening technique on infilled frames under OOP loading, and examines the effect of previous IP damage on the response of infills. The results demonstrate that TRM strengthening strategy can effectively enhance the seismic performance of infill panels, but the OOP strength may be influenced to some extent in the presence of IP damage.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Wei Jin, Changhai Zhai, Jingchang Kong, Wen Liu, Maohua Zhang
Summary: A new wall configuration is proposed in this paper to isolate infill walls from surrounding RC frames, aiming to limit their interaction and provide stable response. Experimental results show that the proposed configuration effectively reduces infill wall damage and enhances stability.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
Andre Furtado, Hugo Rodrigues, Antonio Arede, Jose Melo, Humberto Varum
Summary: This study examines experimental analysis of textile-reinforced mortar based strengthening solutions to prevent the out-of-plane collapse of masonry infills in RC buildings. The results will provide insights into the effectiveness of the strengthening techniques and support for the best strategies for future research and applications.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
George C. Manos, Konstantinos Katakalos, Vassilios Soulis, Lazaros Melidis
Summary: This article discusses the interaction between masonry infills and reinforced concrete structures in multi-story, old concrete buildings with a soft-story on the ground floor, and studies a retrofitting scheme for the soft-story. The retrofitting scheme involves adding RC infills within the bays of the ground floor frames and jacketing the surrounding frame with RC to enhance the soft-story's performance. Experimental results show that this retrofitting leads to a significant increase in stiffness, strength, and energy consumption. The presence of effective steel ties connecting the infills with the surrounding frame is also found to be important for the retrofitting's success. The article also proposes additional design objectives to prevent premature failure of the infill panel and steel ties and protect the surrounding frame. A numerical methodology validated by experimental results is shown to be capable of predicting these important response mechanisms accurately for design purposes.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Paraskevi D. Askouni, Spyridon Polydoropoulos, Catherine G. Papanicolaou
Summary: This study found that reverse cyclic loading did not affect the failure modes of TRM/masonry joints, but led to a reduction in shear bond strength by less than 20%.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Zhifang Dong, Mingke Deng, Yangxi Zhang, Ping Ma
Summary: Textile reinforced mortar (TRM) with added short polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers improves the toughness of the matrix and serviceability of the composite, significantly enhancing the out-of-plane deformation and bearing capacity of masonry walls, as demonstrated in the experimental results of this study. Proposed analytical models associated with flexural and shear failures can be used to predict the out-of-plane bearing capacity of TRM-strengthened masonry walls.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Fabio Mazza, Angelo Donnici
Summary: This study aims to investigate the influence of non-structural element damage caused by earthquakes on the nonlinear seismic behavior of reinforced concrete framed structures. A parametric study and GIS aided structural mapping were conducted to analyze the effects of various design parameters on the results. A macro-model was implemented to predict the in-plane and out-of-plane behavior of the non-structural elements. The seismic code provisions in Italy, Europe, and America were reviewed and evaluated through comparison with the analysis results.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Ali Raji, Davood Mostofinejad, Mohammad Reza Eftekhar
Summary: This study presents an innovative method of strengthening masonry walls using high tensile strength steel parallel wires. The findings demonstrate that the specimens reinforced by this method show the best performance in terms of load-bearing capacity and energy absorption. Additionally, the grooving method enhances the strength of the walls by transferring the tensile stress and changing the failure mechanism.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
P. D. Gkournelos, T. C. Triantafillou
Summary: This paper examines the effect of in-plane damage on the out-of-plane response of retrofitted and thermally insulated masonry infills. The study shows that the TRM-based strengthening scheme can significantly improve the strength and stiffness of masonry infills, especially in the case of predamaged walls. The addition of insulation has a slight out-of-plane improvement, but is less effective for predamaged infills.
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES FOR CONSTRUCTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Y. X. Du, X. Shao, S. H. Chu, F. Zhou, R. K. L. Su
Summary: This study investigates the flexural behavior of prestressed CTRM plate strengthened preloaded RC beams, finding that the prestressed CTRM plates effectively inhibit crack propagation and increase crack and ultimate loads, which is crucial for advancing the use of CTRM in repairing, retrofitting, and strengthening existing RC structures.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Xinyao Xie, Zi-Xiong Guo, Syed Humayun Basha
Summary: The present study investigated the out-of-plane behavior of traditional solid clay brick masonry-infilled reinforced concrete frames for different slenderness ratios, bonding patterns, and connection details. The study found that full-brick thick lower slenderness ratio specimens observed higher capacity, deformation ability, and energy dissipation characteristics compared to half-brick thick slender specimens. The presence of tie bars enhanced the stability of the wall against out-of-plane failure. The 3D-DIC technique was found to be a resourceful tool for comprehending the deformation and damage characteristics of infilled frames under out-of-plane lateral loads.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Francisco J. Pallares, Antonio Davia, Wael M. Hassan, Luis Pallares
Summary: An earthquake occurred in Lorca, Spain on May 11, 2011, resulting in nine fatalities, 324 injuries, and major damage to buildings. Research revealed that the main cause of damage during the earthquake was the interaction between non-structural elements and the seismic-resisting framing of the buildings.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Rabindra Adhikari, Rajesh Rupakhety, Prajwal Giri, Rewati Baruwal, Ramesh Subedi, Rajan Gautam, Dipendra Gautam
Summary: Most reinforced concrete buildings in Nepal are low-rise and follow guidelines recommended by the building code, but often neglect the effects of infill walls and soil-structure interaction in design and assessment. Seismic vulnerability analysis of low-rise RC buildings considering infill walls and soil-structure interaction effects reveals that these factors significantly impact the buildings' damage state sensitivity.Analytical fragility models for low-rise RC buildings are found to overestimate actual seismic fragility.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Paolo Morandi, Sanja Hak, Riccardo R. Milanesi, Guido Magenes
Summary: Research has mainly focused on the seismic response of weak/slender masonry infills, with limited attention given to stronger/thicker masonry infills increasingly used in newly designed RC structures. This study investigates the in-plane and out-of-plane response of 'strong' masonry infills through experimental and numerical research, aiming to provide a simplified out-of-plane strength verification within European design procedures.
EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING & STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Maria Teresa De Risi, Mariano Di Domenico, Vincenzo Manfredi, Marco Terrenzi, Guido Camata, Fabrizio Mollaioli, Fabrizio Noto, Paolo Ricci, Paolo Franchin, Angelo Masi, Enrico Spacone, Gerardo M. Verderame
Summary: This study investigates the seismic response of reinforced concrete buildings designed according to Italian regulations and construction practices for different periods, up to the 1990s. It discusses the main issues related to non-seismic and early seismic design practices and compares the seismic response of the buildings with reference to two performance levels, confirming the increase in performance with the design codes evolution. The seismic behavior of infilled frames is investigated in the companion paper.
JOURNAL OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Mariano Di Domenico, Maria Teresa De Risi, Vincenzo Manfredi, Marco Terrenzi, Guido Camata, Fabrizio Mollaioli, Fabrizio Noto, Paolo Ricci, Paolo Franchin, Angelo Masi, Enrico Spacone, Gerardo M. Verderame
Summary: This study investigates the seismic response of archetype infilled reinforced concrete buildings representative of the existing Italian residential building stock by focusing on the modelling aspects of the existing infills, including their failure modes and interaction with the frame. The study compares the seismic response of the considered buildings, investigated through nonlinear static and dynamic analysis, with reference to two Performance Levels. The main variables considered are the construction period, the site hazard, the number of stories and the infill configuration. The observed return period capacity of the buildings mainly depends on the site hazard and on the construction period.
JOURNAL OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Marco Di Ludovico, Serena Cattari, Gerardo Verderame, Ciro Del Vecchio, Daria Ottonelli, Carlo Del Gaudio, Andrea Prota, Sergio Lagomarsino
Summary: Recent seismic events worldwide have highlighted the vulnerability of school buildings and the need for reliable tools for assessing their seismic performance and quantifying damage and losses. This study presents fragility curves for Italian public school buildings based on data from the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake and compares them to existing curves for residential buildings.
BULLETIN OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Luis Pereira, Rui Min, Getinet Woyessa, Ole Bang, Carlos Marques, Humberto Varum, Paulo Antunes
Summary: This paper proposes a simple and cost-effective fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogation solution using ultra-short FBGs as edge filters. The solution is not only cost-effective but also has similar thermal sensitivities as standard uniform FBGs in silica fiber, making it suitable for dynamic measurements without complex equipment or calculations. Moreover, the solution has the capability of multiplexing multiple USFBGs in the same optical fiber, showing great potential for creating new sensing configurations.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Raquel Matos, Hugo Rodrigues, Anibal Costa, Cristina Requejo, Fernanda Rodrigues
Summary: This study provides an overview of building condition assessment and facility management in higher education buildings in Portugal. The survey conducted on experts from 19 higher education institutions revealed difficulties in these processes and preferences of experts in Portuguese HEIs. The findings suggest the need for significant changes in managing HEI building stock with the use of digital technologies and prioritization of preventive actions. This study offers valuable insights for facility managers in HEIs in other European countries and other building typologies.
BUILDING RESEARCH AND INFORMATION
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Andre Furtado, Hugo Rodrigues, Humberto Varum
Summary: A large part of the European building stock needs retrofitting in order to improve comfort, energy efficiency, and structural safety. This study focuses on defining priority scenarios for retrofitting buildings in the European Union (EU) to enhance seismic safety and energy performance. The analysis includes assessing the age, structure types, energy efficiency, and climate demands of the EU building stock. The study also discusses seismic risk and proposes retrofitting scenarios based on seismic-climate regions.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Bendehiba Sabeur, Sidi Mohammed El-Amine Bourdim, Hugo Rodrigues
Summary: Mostaganem in Algeria has experienced multiple seismic activities and this research aims to assess the seismic vulnerability of educational buildings in the city. The analyses include crossing data from seismic hazard and vulnerability, resulting in the identification of seismic scenarios and functional damage. The findings suggest that vulnerable constructions will experience moderate to heavy damage and significant economic losses.
KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ines Bourgeois, Leandro Torres Di Gregorioi, Hugo Rodrigues, Jorge Fonseca, Alice Tavares, Anibal Costa
Summary: This study evaluates the application of non-destructive techniques, sonic and environmental vibration tests, on the soil-cement compressed earth blocks reinforced masonry walls. It aims to verify the reliability of the sonic test method for masonry characterization and assess a combined test methodology for structural assessment. A numerical model of the walls was developed and calibrated with sonic tests data, and the results were compared with environmental vibration tests to establish correlations between frequencies and predict Young modulus accurately for numerical models.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Rodrigo Falcao Moreira, Humberto Varum, Jose Miguel Castro
Summary: This paper examines the impact of including or excluding masonry infill walls in the modelling of non-seismically designed RC framed structures on the results of the EC8-3 seismic assessment process. The study reviews a commonly used macro-modelling technique for simulating infill panels. A case study is conducted to assess a structure with and without considering the effects of its infill walls, and the results are discussed based on the applicable limit states' performance requirements.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Oswaldo Hurtado-Figueroa, Alfonso Cobo Escamilla, Humberto Varum
Summary: The present study investigates the effect of the mercerization process (NaOH) on the physicochemical characteristics of rice straw. The results reveal that NaOH treatment leads to a reduction in silica, lignin, and hemicellulose contents, causing changes in the surface topography and cross-section of the treated samples. Mechanical testing indicates that the NaOH-1%-1 h treatment shows the highest mechanical resistance, while the NaOH-3%-1 h treatment exhibits the highest % elongation. These findings provide valuable insights for selecting the appropriate treatment for utilizing rice straw as a reinforcing fiber in composite materials.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
C. Canditone, L. Diana, A. Formisano, H. Rodrigues, R. Vicente
Summary: Non-linear static analyses are commonly used in seismic assessment of existing buildings, providing valuable information on structural behavior, especially in the non-linear range. This paper proposes a non-linear constitutive law for adobe masonry, calibrated using experimental results and implemented in the SAP2000 (R) software. The reliability of the model is validated through comparison with experimental data and applied to assess the seismic performance of adobe buildings in central Portugal.
ENGINEERING FAILURE ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Raquel Matos, Hugo Rodrigues, Anibal Costa, Fernanda Rodrigues
Summary: This paper presents an integrated solution for combining Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Facility Management (FM) to categorize and prioritize maintenance management using digital techniques. The methodology involves recognizing and preparing site conditions, collecting images using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), processing and comparing images with software, obtaining point clouds and integrating them into a BIM software, 3D building modeling in Revit software, damage detection through Photogrammetry Point Clouds, and placing building anomalies using placeholders. This method enhances the usability of BIM in FM by allowing data updates in the model, avoiding information loss or fragmentation in the building life cycle, and providing access to both BIM users and non-users.
NEURAL COMPUTING & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Leandro Di Gregorio, Anibal Costa, Hugo Rodrigues, Jorge Fonseca, Alice Tavares Costa
Summary: The SHS-Multirisk Project proposes a residential model that is resistant to earthquakes and hurricanes. It uses simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly construction technologies. A test system was developed to carry out cyclic shear tests on reinforced soil-cement compressed earth block walls. The project management framework of Scrum mode was adopted for designing and manufacturing the test system.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Alex de Freitas Bhering, Rayane Neves Franco, Mariana Araujo dos Santos, Lorena de Melo Sathler, Leonardo Goncalves Pedroti, Humberto Varum, Gustavo de Souza Verissimo, Jose Luiz Rangel Paes
Summary: This study proposes a method for treating the interfaces between masonry and steel structures using an EPDM elastomer membrane. The results show that this treatment ensures durability and watertightness in the interfaces, even under conditions of heat exposure and thermal shock.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Renbing An, Jiacong Yuan, Yi Pan, Duhang Yi
Summary: Traditional timber structures built on sloped land are more susceptible to seismic damage compared to structures built on flat land. The upper portion of the structure is found to be the weak point on sloped land, with potential issues such as tenon failure and column foot sliding.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Elyas Bayat, Federica Tubino
Summary: The current design guidelines for assessing floor vibration performance do not consider the influence of variability in the walking path on the dynamic response of floors. This study investigates the dynamic response of floors under a single pedestrian walking load, taking into account the randomness of the walking path and load. The effectiveness of the current guidelines in predicting floor response is critically assessed.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Gao Ma, Chunxu Hou, Hyeon-Jong Hwang, Linghui Chen, Zhenhao Zhang
Summary: Minimizing earthquake damage and improving repair efficiency are the main principles of resilient structures. This study proposed a repairable column with UHPC segments and replaceable energy dissipaters. The test results showed that the columns with UHPC segments and replaceable dissipaters exhibited high strength, deformation capacity, and energy dissipation.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Kartheek S. M. Sonti, Pavan Kumar Penumakala, Suresh Kumar Reddy Narala, S. Vincent
Summary: In this study, the compressive behavior of alumina hollow particles reinforced aluminum matrix syntactic foams (AMSF) was investigated using analytical, numerical, and experimental methods. The results showed that the FE solver ABAQUS could accurately predict the elastic and elastio-plastic behavior of AMSFs. The study also suggested that FE models have great potential in developing new materials and composites under compression loading.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Zheqi Peng, Xin Wang, Zhishen Wu
Summary: In this study, the statistical modeling of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) cables using the classic fiber bundle model is explored. The study considers important features of large-scale multi-tendon FRP cables, such as initial random slack and uneven tensile deformation among tendons. A parametric study and reliability analysis are conducted to predict the load-displacement relation and design thousand-meter-scale FRP cables. The study emphasizes the relation between the reliability index beta of the cable and the safety factor gamma of the FRP material.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Yanchao Shi, Shaozeng Liu, Ye Hu, Zhong-Xian Li, Yang Ding
Summary: This paper introduces a damage assessment method for reinforced concrete (RC) columns under blast loading, using modal parameter measurement as the evaluation index. The validity of the proposed method is validated through numerical and experimental analysis. The results show that this modal-based damage assessment method is applicable for non-destructive evaluation of blast-induced damage of RC columns.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Xiaolin Zou, Maosheng Gong, Zhanxuan Zuo, Qifang Liu
Summary: This paper proposes an efficient framework for assessing the collapse capacity of structures in earthquake engineering. The framework is based on an accurate equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (ESDOF) system, calibrated by a meta-heuristic optimization method. The proposed framework has been validated through case studies, confirming its accuracy and efficiency.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Jie Hu, Weiping Wen, Chenyu Zhang, Changhai Zhai, Shunshun Pei, Zhenghui Wang
Summary: A deep learning-based rapid peak seismic response prediction model is proposed for the most common two-story and three-span subway stations. The model predicts the peak seismic responses of subway stations using a data-driven approach and limited information, achieving good predictive performance and generalization ability, and demonstrating significantly higher computational efficiency compared to numerical simulation methods.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Jin Ho Lee, Jeong-Rae Cho
Summary: A simplified model is proposed to estimate the earthquake responses of a rectangular liquid storage tank considering the fluid-structure interactions. The complex three-dimensional structural behavior of the tank is represented by a combination of fundamental modes of a rectangular-ring-shaped frame structure and a cantilever beam. The system's governing equation is derived, and earthquake responses such as deflection, hydrodynamic pressure, base shear, and overturning moment are obtained from the solution.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
W. J. Lewis, J. M. Russell, T. Q. Li
Summary: The work discusses the key features and advantages of optimal 2-pin arches shaped by statistically prevalent load and constant axial stress. It extends the design space of symmetric arches to cover asymmetric forms and provides minimum values of constant stress for form-finding of such arches made of different materials. The analysis shows that constant stress arches exhibit minimal stress response and have potential implications for sustainability and durability of future infrastructure.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Wen-ming Zhang, Han-xu Zou, Jia-qi Chang, Tian-cheng Liu
Summary: Saddle position is crucial in the construction and control of suspension bridges. This study proposes an analytical approach to estimate the saddle positions in the completed bridge state and discusses the calculation under different definitions. The relationship between the saddle position and the tower's centerline is analyzed, along with the eccentric compression of the tower. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified through a real-life suspension bridge.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Shaise K. John, Alessio Cascardi, Yashida Nadir
Summary: This study experimentally investigated the use of TRM material for reinforcing concrete columns. The results showed that increasing the number of textile layers effectively increased the axial strength. Additionally, the choice of fiber type and hybrid textile configuration also had a significant impact on strength improvement. A new design model that considers the effects of both the confining matrix and textile was proposed.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Chandrashekhar Lakavath, S. Suriya Prakash
Summary: This study experimentally investigated the shear behavior of post-tensioned UHPFRC girders, considering factors such as prestress level, fiber volume fraction, and types of steel fibers. The results showed that increasing prestress and fiber dosage could enhance the ultimate load-carrying capacity of the girders, reduce crack angle, and increase shear cracking load.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Vahid Goodarzimehr, Siamak Talatahari, Saeed Shojaee, Amir H. Gandomi
Summary: In this paper, an Improved Marine Predators Algorithm (IMPA) is proposed for size and shape optimization of truss structures subject to natural frequency constraints. The results indicate that IMPA performs better in solving these nonlinear structural optimization problems compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Chun-Xu Qu, Jin-Zhao Jiang, Ting-Hua Yi, Hong-Nan Li
Summary: In this paper, a computer vision-based method is proposed to monitor the deformation and displacement of building structures by obtaining 3D coordinates of surface feature points. The method can acquire a large number of 3D coordinates in a noncontact form, improve the flexibility and density of measurement point layout, and is simple and cost-effective to operate.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2024)
