Search results for "Crete"

EVALUATION OF FRAGILITY OF INFILLED FRAME STRUCTURES SUBJECT AFTERSHOCKS BY MEANS OF DOUBLE INCREMENTAL DYNAMIC ANALYSIS APPROACH

2018

The paper investigates the role of masonry infill walls on the seismic fragility of reinforced concrete structures subject to mainshock/aftershock sequences. An assessment framework aimed at determining aftershock fragility curves of bare frames and infilled frames is presented. The framework is based on a Double Incremental Dynamic Analysis (D-IDA) approach, which provides the adoption of ground motions defined by combining a fixed intensity mainshock with a set of variable intensity aftershocks. Mainshock (MS) intensity is scaled several times and combined with the same set of aftershocks (AS). Chord-rotation and shear limit states are specifically defined to consider the influence of mas…

Macroelement Model for In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Responses of Masonry Infills in Frame Structures

2018

A new macroelement model is presented in this paper for the simulation of the in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) response of infilled frames subjected to seismic actions. The model consists of two diagonal, one horizontal, and one vertical struts. Each strut is represented by two fiber-section beam-column elements. The model is able to capture the arching action of the wall under an OOP load as well as the interaction between the IP and OOP actions. The proposed modeling approach is sufficiently simple and efficient that it can be used for the static or dynamic analysis of an entire structural system. An experimental validation has been carried out. A further numerical study performed wit…

Il recupero parziale di opere in muratura di interesse storico in zona sismica

2011

A new minimum spanning tree-based method for shape description and matching working in Discrete Cosine space

2009

In this article, a new minimum spanning tree-based method for shape description and matching is proposed. Its properties are checked through the problem of graphical symbols recognition. Recognition invariance in front shift and multi-oriented noisy objects was studied in the context of small and low resolution binary images. The approach seems to have many desirable properties, even if the construction of graphs induces an expensive algorithmic cost. In order to reduce time computing, an alternative solution based on image compression concepts is provided. The recognition is realized in a compact space, namely the Discrete Cosine space. The use of block discrete cosine transform is discuss…

On the coupling dynamics between thermally stressed beams and granular chains

2015

The in-situ measurement of thermal stress in slender beams, or long continuous welded rails, may prevent structural anomalies. With this aim, we investigated the coupling dynamics between a beam and the highly nonlinear solitary waves propagating along a straight granular chain in contact with the beam. We hypothesized that these waves can be used to measure the stress of thermally loaded structures, or to infer the neutral temperature, i.e., the temperature at which this stress is null. We studied numerically and experimentally the mechanical interaction of one and two straight chains of spherical particles in contact with a prismatic beam that is subjected to heat. The results show that c…

A simple model for the calculation of the axial load-carrying capacity of corroded RC columns

2015

In the present paper, a simplified model is used to determine the axial load-carrying capacity of compressed short reinforced concrete columns subjected to corrosion processes. The model considers members with circular and square cross-sections and accounts for—cover spalling, —concrete core confinement induced by transverse steel reinforcement, —buckling of longitudinal reinforcing bars. Strength reduction in concrete cover and core due to cracking induced by rust formation, reduction of steel area in longitudinal bars and transverse stirrups due to general and pitting corrosion and loss of confinement pressure are considered. The load-carrying capacity and load-axial strain curves here ge…

Increasing the shear capacity of reinforced concrete beams using pretensioned stainless steel ribbons

2017

In this work, the second part of an experimental campaign investigating the efficiency of an alternative retrofitting method for increasing the flexural and/or shear capacity in reinforced concrete beams, based on the use of prestressed stainless steel ribbons and steel angles, is presented and analytically reproduced. This group of tests focuses on the ability of the adopted retrofitting method to improve the shear strength and ultimate deformation of reinforced concrete structural elements. As described in a companion paper, the adopted retrofitting method is alternative to traditional techniques of reinforced concrete retrofitting, being easy to install and usually reversible, and charac…

Ultrasonic inspection for the detection of debonding in CFRP-reinforced concrete

2017

Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are extensively used to retrofit civil structures. However, the quality and the characteristics of the bond between the FRP and the structure are critical to ensure the efficacy of the retrofit. For this reason, effective non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods are often necessary to assess the bonding conditions. This article presents an ultrasonic technique for detecting defects at the FRP-substrate interface. The technique uses the Akaike Information Criterion, to detect automatically the onset of the ultrasonic signals, and the novel Equivalent Time Lenght (ETL) parameter, to quantify the energy of the propagating ultrasonic signals along the i…

Stress transfer and failure mechanisms in steel-concrete trussed beams: Experimental investigation on slab-thick and full-thick beams

2018

Abstract This study presents the results of an experimental investigation on semi-precast Hybrid Steel Trussed-Concrete Beams (HSTCBs) for analyzing the failure modes and the stress transfer mechanism between concrete and embedded steel elements (plate and truss). The available literature presents previous studies carried out by the authors mainly focused on the understanding of the local transfer mechanism by means of push-out tests. Conversely, in this paper original the results of laboratory tests conducted on six specimens of full-size HSTCBs subjected to four-point bending, with variation in the shear span, are reported on. From these results, the authors are able to assess the failure…

Creep of polymer concrete in the nonlinear region

2000

Two polyester-based polymer concretes with various volume content of diabase as an extender and aggregate are tested in creep under compression at different stress levels. The phenomenological and structural approaches are both used to analyze the experimental data. Common features of changes in the instantaneous and creep compliances are clarified, and a phenomenological creep model which accounts for the changes in the instantaneous compliance and in the retardation spectrum depending on the stress level is developed. It is shown that the model can be used to describe the experimental results of stress relaxation and creep under repeated loading. Modeling of the composite structure and su…