0000000000416299
AUTHOR
Marco Filippo Ferrotto
Simplified equivalent finite element modelling of concrete-filled steel tubular K-joints with and without studs
Concrete Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) K-joints employed for truss structures gained high interest in the last years due to their widespread use in engineering practice. The overall performances of these joints can be efficiently improved by using steel studs welded in the inner surface of the steel chord filled with the concrete, avoiding punching shear failure, and improving the overall strength and ductility. However, a reliable prediction of the structural behavior of the joints is outmost of importance for the assessment of the capacity of new and existing structures, and there are no standardized design methods nowadays. In this paper, the structural performances of CFST K-joints with a…
Experimental determination of viscous damper parameters in low velocity ranges
In the last decades many strategies for seismic vulnerability mitigation of structures have been developed through analytical studies and experimental tests. Among these, energy dissipation by external devices assumes a great relevance for the relative design simplicity, even if applied to complex structures, and the effectiveness in reducing seismic demand. In particular, the use of fluid viscous dampers represents a very attractive solution because of their velocity-dependent behaviour and relatively low costs. The application on structures requires specific study under seismic excitation and a particular care of structural details. In this context the use of proper constitutive models fo…
Stress-strain models for normal and high strength confined concrete: Test and comparison of literature models reliability in reproducing experimental results
SUMMARY: The adoption of proper constitutive laws for confined concrete is basic for seismic assessment of new and existing reinforced concrete civil structures. The deformation capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) columns subjected to axially centred and eccentric loads depends on the effectiveness confinement action. A proper assignment of the stressstrainlaws for concrete allows obtaining an adequate definition of the ductility of the crosssections and correctly identifying mechanical nonlinearities in computational models.Several studies concerning the behaviour of confined concrete have been carried out, highlighting the role of different geometrical and mechanical parameters to the ov…
Out-of-Plane fragility of In-Plane damaged unreinforced masonry infills in low rise reinforced concrete buildings
Unreinforced masonry (URM) is commonly used to make infill walls in reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings. Such infill walls are highly vulnerable to out-of-plane (OOP) seismic loading and this can result in huge economic losses and human casualties. Therefore, fragility assessment of URM infill walls under seismic loads is important in view of performing large-scale risk analysis. In this paper, OOP fragility functions are provided based on a numerical investigation supported by a macro-element model. The fragility is calculated assuming the uncertainty in the geometric and mechanical properties of infills instead of the variability in the seismic input. Further, the effect of in-plane …
Compressive response of concrete columns under service conditions strengthened by confining devices: from the local to the global behavior.
Il rinforzo di colonne in calcestruzzo armato tramite materiali polimerici fibrorinforzati (FRP) o tramite incamiciature in acciaio conferisce agli elementi strutturali degli edifici esistenti un elevato incremento di capacità portante e deformativa grazie alle proprietà dei materiali che svolgono la funzione di confinamento. Conoscere adeguatamente le proprietà meccaniche degli elementi in calcestruzzo confinato risulta di fondamentale importanza nell’ambito di un progetto di sistemi di rinforzo strutturale. Tuttavia, le normative attualmente vigenti non forniscono prescrizioni su come tenere in considerazione la presenza dei carichi di esercizio sugli elementi strutturali al momento dell’…
Modelling steel jacketed RC columns: Remarks by experimental-numerical comparisons
The recent large use of nonlinear seismic assessment techniques requires the definition of highly reliable computational models. The retrofitting or strengthening of RC columns by steel angles and battens is a commonly adopted technique, used to improve strength and deformation capacity of existing RC buildings. In the case of steel angles not directly loaded, the numerical definition of the cross-section model has to be handled carefully since it is affected by more uncertainties. The vertical load carried by the angles is a function of the lateral confinement pressure, the cohesion and the friction coefficient between the materials, parameters which are not always easy to predict. The pap…
Simulating CFRP-confinement of concrete bridge piers under sustained loads: evaluation of the compressive capacity
The present paper deals with the evaluation of the compressive behaviour of circular concrete columns strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) under different levels of sustained loads and subsequently loaded until failure. The aim was to compare the effect of existing stress/strain states on the axial load-strain response of bridge piers after strengthening under sustained loads. An experimental investigation was carried out on circular plain concrete columns loaded up to low, medium and high ratios of the concrete compression capacity before the application of the CFRP-confinement. After the strengthening process, the columns were loaded until failure, comparing the resul…
Variable Friction Dampers (VFD) for a modulated mitigation of the seismic response of framed structures: Characteristics and design criteria
In this paper a new approach for the energy dissipation is discussed based on the use of Variable Friction Dampers (VFDs). The VFD device is borrowed from braking systems mechanical engineering, able to modulate its capability of dissipation, providing a constant pure friction force coupled with an additional (variable) damping force with the increasing of the displacement. Resorting to a previous study, the characteristics and the efficiency of the “braking” system in terms of reduction of the displacements and the restoring forces is described for SDOF systems under seismic excitations and compared with the performances achievable by classic constant friction dampers (CFDs). Then, a desig…
Strategies for waste recycling : the mechanical performance of concrete based on limestone and plastic waste
Recycling is among the best management strategies to avoid dispersion of several types of wastes in the environment. Research in recycling strategies is gaining increased importance in view of Circular Economy principles. The exploitation of waste, or byproducts, as alternative aggregate in concrete, results in a reduction in the exploitation of scarce natural resources. On the other hand, a productive use of waste leads to a reduction in the landfilling of waste material through the transformation of waste into a resource. In this frame of reference, the paper discusses how to use concrete as a container of waste focusing on the waste produced in limestone quarries and taking the challenge…
Tsunami Vulnerability Evaluation for a Small Ancient Village on Eastern Sicily Coast
The Ionian sea is prone to tsunamis due to its proximity to the Calabrian subduction zone, which is one of the major tsunamigenic areas of the Mediterranean. The tsunami disaster risk is, nowadays, significantly higher due to the increased exposure of buildings as a result of the economic and touristic growth of the Mediterranean coastal areas. This study focuses on Marzamemi, a small village in the western coast of Sicily, since its morphology and human presence amplify the need to assess its buildings’ vulnerability. The main objective of this research is to quantify the building vulnerability to tsunami hazards using a physical and realistic tsunami scenario. For this purpose, the relati…
Out of plane fragility of infill walls with and without prior in-plane damage
The paper presents the results of a probabilistic assessment framework aimed at evaluating out-of-plane fragility curves of infill walls which have suffered (or not) prior in-plane damage. Out-of-plane incremental dynamic analyses are performed based on a suite of 22 ground motion records. A recently developed in-plane / out-of-plane macroelement model is used to model masonry infills within frames. The outcomes show fragility curves representing the probability of exceeding out-of-plane collapse at a given earthquake intensity as a function of a different combination of geometrical and mechanical parameters, in-plane damage level and supporting conditions.