Displacement Time History Curves Research Articles

Out-of-plane impact behavior and post-impact damage evaluation of GFRP bar-reinforced concrete shear walls in fire

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) have been a prospective material in engineering. However, the attenuation of FRP bar-reinforced concrete members in fire is unclear. This paper studies the impact resistance of glass fiber-reinforced polymer bar-reinforced concrete (GFRP-RC) shear walls under high temperatures. Considering the impacts of strain rate enhancement and high temperature softening on GFRP bars and concrete, a numerical model with finite elements in three dimensions was created. To verify the model, three cases were simulated and compared with the test records, including the seismic performance of FRP-RC shear walls under axial compression, the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls under high temperatures, and RC shear walls' impact response. Based on the calibrated numerical model, the displacement, impact force, reaction force, failure mode, energy distribution, internal force and the residual shear bearing capacity of GFRP-RC shear wall subjected to impact under different fire times were analyzed. The influence of fire time on the failure mechanism of GFRP-RC shear walls was studied. Taking the mid-span displacement as the damage index, the evaluation criteria for the four damage levels were determined. The findings indicate that the type of reinforcement has little effect on the shape of impact force, reaction force and displacement time history curve. The peak values of impact force and reaction force of RC walls are larger than those of GFRP-RC shear walls, while the former has smaller peak displacements and residual displacements. The damage of shear walls becomes more severe as the fire time increases, as does the displacement. Also, the impact force, reaction force, shear force and bending moment decrease gradually. The energy absorbed by shear walls is primarily dissipated by concrete, the part by GFRP bars accounting for a small proportion. The post-impact residual bearing capacity of GFRP-RC shear walls is linearly related to the mid-span displacement under impact loads, primarily influenced by high-temperature exposure.

Numerical Study on the Dynamic Response and Damage Cumulative of Bolt-Supported Cavern under Adjacent Cyclic Explosion

Adjacent cyclic explosions significantly impact the stability of underground anchored caverns. Based on the similar model test of the vault explosion of the anchored cavern, the dynamic analysis finite element software ANSYS/LSDYNA(18.0) was used to establish a model of the straight wall side explosion of the underground anchored cavern and conduct a numerical simulation. When the total amount of explosion load is the same, we compared the stress time history curve, displacement time history curve, tunnel wall displacement, and circumferential strain curve of the surrounding rock in the underground anchored cavern (under both a high-level single-side blast and a low-level cyclic side blast). We obtained the dynamic response rules of the surrounding rock. By comparing the damage evolution process of the surrounding rock in the two situations, the damage accumulation law of the surrounding rock was analyzed. At the same time, the axial stress distribution characteristics of underground anchor cavern anchors under the action of cyclic explosion were studied. The findings demonstrate that when the total level of blast load adjacent to the cavern is the same, the displacement and circumferential peak strain of surrounding rock and the axial stress of rock bolt in the high-level single explosion are greater than those in the low-level cyclic explosion. However, compared to a single explosion, the rock mass suffers more damage in the cyclic explosion. This study will provide engineers with information that will assist them with a better understanding of the cumulative damage mechanisms of surrounding rock, as well as the stress characteristics of rock bolts under dynamic loads near the explosion site, which will be used to design underground caves with anti-blast features.

Experimental investigation of aluminium alloy gusset joints’ dynamic response to lateral impact loads: Evaluating the influence of gusset plate bending stiffness

The traditional aluminium alloy gusset plate (AAG) joint is commonly regarded as a representative semi-rigid joint characterized by limited stiffness. This deficiency in stiffness significantly hampers its capacity for load transmission and resistance against progressive collapse in spatial grid structures. Notably, the dynamic response characteristics of semi-rigid joints, especially when subjected to short-term, highly intense loads such as impacts and explosions, deviate substantially from those of rigid joints. This research examines the dynamic failure behavior of six distinct traditional AAG joints with varying degrees of stiffness when subjected to impact loads. The first group comprises three specimens where the variance in AAG joint stiffness is achieved by altering the gusset plate’s diameter. The second group comprises three specimens aiming to manipulate the AAG joint’s stiffness by modifying the gusset plate’s thickness. The study yielded comprehensive data, including stress profiles, displacement patterns, acceleration time history curves, and failure modes of AAG joints. The experimental findings revealed that both groups of AAG joints under lateral impact loads exhibited brittle failure. The predominant failure modes included the rupture of the H-shaped aluminium alloy beam, distortional buckling of the beam, and warping of the thinner gusset plate. It is evident from the stress, displacement, and acceleration time history curves that the AAG joint adheres to the characteristics of a typical semi-rigid joint, and the diameter and thickness of the gusset plate exert significant influence on the AAG joint’s dynamic response. Subsequently, the six test conditions were simulated using ANSYS/LS-DYNA software. This simulation considered the stress distribution, impact force time history curves, and strain energy time history curves of AAG joints. It facilitated a detailed discussion of the failure mechanism underlying AAG joints when subjected to lateral impact loads.

Numerical Simulation Study of the Vibrational Response of Continuous Arch Tunnels under the Action of Overlying Train Loads

With the rapid development of transportation infrastructure in China, continuous arch tunnels passing under existing operational railways are increasingly encountered. This paper primarily investigates the mechanical response patterns of the lining of continuous arch tunnels under the vibrational loads generated by trains traveling on railways. To this end, a three-dimensional finite element model of the dynamic response of continuous arch tunnels under train vibrational loads was constructed using Midas GTS/NX software. This model explores the patterns of acceleration, dynamic displacement, and dynamic strain responses of continuous arch tunnels under the action of moving train loads. The study reveals that under train vibrational loads, the vertical acceleration, vertical displacement, and strain time history curves at various monitoring points in the continuous arch tunnel exhibit vibrational characteristics. The acceleration, vertical displacement, and dynamic strain increase as the train enters, fluctuate within a certain range, and then decrease to zero as the train exits. Under high-speed train loads, the acceleration peak values at the arch feet and outer sidewalls of the left and right tunnels are larger, with a greater peak value difference. The vertical displacement peak values at the arch shoulders and crown are larger, whereas those at the middle partition wall and base slab are smaller. During the process from the train's entry to its exit, the dynamic strain exhibits a trend of initially increasing, then stabilizing, and finally decreasing to zero, all while displaying vibrational characteristics. The strain response on the tunnel side where the train enters is greater than that on the side where it exits.

Dynamic responses of concrete-filled steel tubes impacted horizontally by a rigid vehicle: Experimental study and numerical modelling

Concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs), composed of an outer tube made of steel as the confining material and an inner concrete core, have been popularly utilised as high-rise building columns and urban bridge piers owing to their superior structural behaviour. Since the invention of CFSTs, their mechanical performance under static and seismic loading conditions have been extensively studied, while the investigation on their dynamic behaviour under impact loading is relatively limited. Of these limited studies about CFSTs under impact loading conditions, most experiments were completed using a drop-hammer testing facility or a pendulum-hammer testing device. Against this background, this study investigated six large CFSTs being impacted horizontally by a rigid vehicle to analysis their dynamic response. All specimens were vertically placed with the bottom pedestal fixed on the lab floor and the top end free. The main parameters of these CFSTs included the impact velocity (i.e., vi = 3.16–7.18 m/s), the CFST section size (i.e., D = 180–300 mm), as well as the CFST column height (i.e., hc = 1500–2100 mm). Test results revealed that, (1) all CFSTs experienced a bending-dominant failure when impacted horizontally by a rigid vehicle; (2) the impact velocity had a positive correlative trend with the peak impact force Fpeak and the peak lateral displacement δpeak of the CFST column; (3) a larger section size of the CFST column resulted in a higher flexural stiffness and a larger flexural capacity, thus leading to a higher Fpeak, a smaller time duration T and a smaller δpeak; (4) the column height would affect the inertial response of the CFST column; a larger column height led to a larger Fpeak caused by the larger inertia effect of the CFST segment above the impact point. Finite-element model was established on the platform of LS-DYNA to simulate these CFSTs under horizontal impact loading, which was able to predict both impact force–time history curves and lateral displacement–time history curves with reasonably accuracy.

Experimental and numerical studies of impact loading on single-layer reticulated shells with aluminium alloy gusset joints

Aluminium alloy materials have found extensive application in large-span space grid structures. While research on the mechanical properties of aluminium alloy materials and components is generally well-established, there remains an incomplete understanding of the overall structure. Therefore, further investigation into the overall performance of aluminium alloy reticulated shells is crucial to promote their use in spatial structures, guiding structural design and addressing practical engineering challenges. This study focuses on the design of a single-layer aluminium alloy reticulated shell with a 2 m span, which was subjected to an impact test to examine its dynamic response and failure mode. By comparing and analysing stress, acceleration, and displacement time-history curves obtained from these different test conditions, the dynamic response behavior of the reticulated shell was determined. To simulate the impact on reticulated shells, explicit dynamic analysis was conducted using non-linear finite element software LS-DYNA. Based on the deformation characteristics and failure phenomena observed during the impact test, three distinct failure modes were defined for the single-layer reticulated shell. Through parameter analysis using the validated finite element model, it was determined that increasing the thickness (tp) of the aluminium alloy gusset plate or reducing the radius (R) of the gusset plate effectively enhances the overall stiffness and impact resistance of the single-layer reticulated shell. Overall, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the performance of aluminium alloy reticulated shells under impact loads. The findings provide valuable insights for guiding structural design and addressing practical engineering problems in the field of spatial structures.

Influence of collision between Friction Pendulum System and shear key on displacement response

Complex collision phenomena can occur between the Friction Pendulum System (FPS) and shear keys under earthquake, potentially resulting in shear keys sheared off. Based on a single-degree of freedom Spring-Friction Isolation System with shear keys, this article considers the independent shearing of each shear key due to collision effects, enabling precise simulation of each collision between FPS and shear keys under earthquakes. Additionally, the study investigates how this collision phenomenon affects the displacement response of FPS under various conditions. The findings reveal that collisions do not merely lead to displacement amplification effects on FPS. Instead, these effects depend closely on the spring stiffness and friction coefficient of FPS. Increased spring stiffness mitigates the displacement amplification caused by collisions. The timing of collisions occurrence also influences their impact on displacement. In cases where a structure exhibits resonance with substantial spring stiffness, frequent collisions can disrupt the resonance, significantly reducing the structural displacement response of FPS. Furthermore, friction plays a role in attenuating the collision's effect on FPS displacement amplification. However, when friction effect dominates in FPS, collisions can cause fluctuations in the FPS displacement time-history curve. The magnitude of this change is determined by the velocity increment resulting from the collision and the duration of this increment.

Experimental Research on the Impact Resistance of Partially Precast Concrete Beams Strengthened with Bonded Steel Plates

A structure may be exposed to a range of unexpected loads throughout its full life cycle. Partially precast concrete (PC) beams refer to the process of manufacturing concrete beams in which one part of the component is pre−fabricated in a factory and the other part is completed at the construction site. Through the test, it is possible to better ensure the safety and dependability of the PC composite beams under impact load by examining the reinforcement effect, structural toughness, and damage mode of PC composite beams with bonded steel. Additionally, a scientific basis and practical guidance are provided for the actual project. Their impact resistance can significantly affect the overall safety of a structure when subjected to an impact load. Three of the four PC beams used in this investigation were strengthened with steel plates. Residual flexural bearing capacity tests and drop weight impact tests were then conducted. The impacts of steel plate thickness and U−shaped steel plate hoops on the failure mechanism and dynamic response of the component were investigated. The dynamic responses obtained from the experiments included the displacement–time history curve, impact force, and support reaction force. In order to explore the failure mechanism of the partially precast beam during the impact process, a staged analysis was conducted based on the failure mode and dynamic response characteristic values of each curve. Residual flexural bearing capacity tests were used to examine the residual flexural bearing capacity of PC beams strengthened with bonded steel plates. The results of the research reveal that the failure mechanisms of each test beam are bending–shear failures. With the increase in bonded steel thickness, the peak mid−span displacement reduced by 6.55%, the residual mid−span displacement decreased by 29.53%, and the residual flexural bearing capacity improved by 25.02%. With the adoption of U−shaped steel plate hoops, the residual flexural bearing capacity significantly increased while the peak mid−span and residual mid−span displacements both decreased.

Numerical and Analytical Investigations of the Impact Resistance of Partially Precast Concrete Beams Strengthened with Bonded Steel Plates

A building may be subjected to a variety of accidental loads during its service life. Partially precast concrete (PC) beams are a primary structural component. Their impact resistance can have a substantial impact on the overall safety of a structure when it is subjected to an impact load. In this study, numerical analyses were performed on the dynamic response of PC beams strengthened with bonded steel plates subjected to impact loading. The model was verified from four aspects: energy conversion, failure form, impact force–time history curve, and midspan displacement–time history curve. The dynamic response eigenvalues of the peak impact force, peak midspan displacement, and residual midspan displacement were compared between the numerical simulations and experimental tests. The relative inaccuracy of the peak impact force ranged from 9.51% to 14.0%, with an average value of 11.9%. The average relative error for the midspan displacement was −0.09%, with the greatest relative errors varying between −0.64% and 0.3%. The residual value errors of the midspan displacement ranged from −0.95% to 2.38%, with an average relative error of 0.94%. On this basis, the effects of the impact mass, impact height, width, and length of the bonded steel plate on the impact resistance of the components were evaluated. Furthermore, the differences in the equivalent plastic strain contours, impact force–time history curves, and midspan displacement–time history curves under different parameters were compared. The results demonstrated that the failure modes and flexural deformations of the test beams were influenced by the impact mass and impact height. The increase in the length and width of the steel plate had no effect on the impact force response, but the peak and residual values of the midspan displacement decreased, which could significantly increase the impact resistance of the beams. Lastly, the impact mass m, the impact height h, the thickness t of the bonded steel plate, the length of the bonded steel plate hs, and the width of the bonded steel plate bs were all taken into account in the fitting formula. These five parameters were used to predict the peak impact force response, the peak value of the midspan displacement, and the residual value of the midspan displacement. The results demonstrated that the fitting formula had small errors and could accurately reflect the dynamic responses of the PC beams strengthened with bonded steel plates under impact loading.

A comprehensive numerical study on flow-induced vibrations with various groove structures: Suppression or enhancing energy scavenging

This paper focuses on the enhancement or suppression effect of flow-induced vibration (FIV) caused by symmetrically installed groove structures with different shapes under high Reynolds numbers. The fluid flow field is simulated using the non-constant two-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (2D-RANS) equation and the SST k-ω turbulence model. A cylinder attached to four different groove shapes (square, triangular, semicircular, and two quarter-circle splices) is simulated for each shape of the groove with five mounting angles. The oscillatory amplitude, frequency response, displacement time history curve, vortex shedding mode, and energy harvesting characteristics are analyzed for each working condition at 2 < U* < 14 and 2.02 × 104 <Re < 1.44 × 105. The results show that the cylinder with different groove shapes and installation angles have different dynamic responses. The oscillatory amplitude of the square groove bluff body with α = 30°, 60°, and 150° is basically enhanced compared to the smooth cylinder, and the working bandwidth is increased as well. For the square groove placed at α = 60°, the oscillatory amplitude increases by 100% compared to the smooth cylinder, and the working bandwidth of the square groove at α = 90° is reduced by 50%. For the square groove body with α = 120°, the amplitude is enhanced, but the working bandwidth is reduced. The working bandwidth of the triangular groove is widened at all five angles, with the α = 60° groove being optimal, widening by 75%. Except for the triangular groove with α = 90°, the amplitude is improved to some extent compared with the smooth cylinder. The working bandwidths of the semicircular grooves are widened, and the improvement effect of α = 150° is the smallest of the five angles. For the two quarter-circle splices grooves, the grooves arranged at α = 30°, 90°, 120°, and 150° have a decrease in amplitude when U* = 6, and more pronounced at 90° and 120°. Two quarter-circle spliced groove cylinders with α = 120° have the best amplitude enhancement effect.

Performance of hollow and aluminum foam-filled multi-cell thin-walled aluminum alloy tubes (6063-T5) under axial impact

This study investigates a new form of multi-cell thin-walled structures under axial impact. Eighteen multi-cell thin-walled aluminum alloy tubes were tested under drop hammer impacts. Nine of the specimens were hollow tubes and the other nine specimens were aluminum foam-filled multi-cell thin-walled aluminum alloy tubes. This paper presents the entire duration of the impact including the time history curves of forces and vertical displacement. The influence of impact velocity, wall thickness and aluminum foam on the impact resistance of multi-cell thin-walled aluminum alloy tubes were discussed. Then, the energy dissipation performance of multi-cell thin-walled structures tested in this study and single-cell thin-walled structures tested in prior research is compared. The results show that the foam infill improves the energy dissipation capacity of the multi-cell thin-walled aluminum alloy tubes, but the specific energy absorption (the energy absorbed per unit mass) decreases. Although the specific energy absorption is reduced, using foam infill is still an effective method to improve energy dissipation capacity without increasing the size of the member. Compared with the single-cell thin-walled aluminum alloy tubes, the specific energy absorption of the multi-cell thin-walled aluminum alloy tubes is higher by 7.35%–55.51%, which means that multi-cell thin-walled columns are a better energy absorption component compared with single-cell columns.

Study on Seismic Dynamic Response of Deep-Buried Tunnel Based on Tectonic Stress

The southeast region of Tibet in China is prone to earthquakes at high seismic levels. Since the construction of tunnels in this region faces a seismic hazard, it is necessary to explore the seismic responses of related construction areas there. In this study, a high-precision finite model of a mountain in a construction area was established based on a deep-buried tunnel in Southeast Tibet. Core specimens were obtained through on-site drilling, with the initial tectonic stress in the tunnel area measured by using the hydraulic fracturing method. Dynamic mechanical parameters of the rocks were acquired through in-situ testing. Moreover, indoor tests were conducted to obtain the physical and mechanical properties of the rocks. The tectonic stress, identified through multiple linear regression inversions, was used as the initial condition for dynamic calculation. The dynamic responses of the tunnel-engineering area under seismic action were calculated, followed by an analysis of the dynamic response characteristics. In addition to dramatic fluctuations in mountain topography, complex dynamic response characteristics of the mountain structure in earthquake environments were also revealed. Although the displacement time-history curve of each observation point displayed a consistent fluctuating pattern, the dynamic displacement extremes in different areas of the mountain varied significantly when the time arrived for their appearance. A maximum dynamic displacement of 0.53 m was observed at the observation point with the highest elevation (5,265.8 m). The acceleration amplification effect inside the mountain body was obvious, with the acceleration increasing as the elevation rose. The time for the occurrence of PGA (acceleration extreme) of each observation point in different directions differed substantially. The extreme value of dynamic stress along the tunnel axis conformed to the distribution pattern of the initial tectonic stress. Compared to the initial tectonic stress, the dynamic stress increased significantly at all observation points along the tunnel axis, with the dynamic stress increasing at a larger rate in the areas at a greater buried depth. Horizontal dynamic stress Sx at the maximum buried depth and Sy increased to 13.86 MPa and 10.32 MPa, respectively, and vertical dynamic stress Sz increased to 4.30 MPa. Variations in horizontal stress became more apparent as the elevation rose, in contrast to weakened variations in vertical stress as the elevation dropped. This study aims to explore the dynamic responses of mountains and the variation law of tectonic stress in deep-buried tunnels in earthquake environments in Tibet through qualitative analysis. The results revealed drastic changes in acceleration, dynamic displacement, and ground stress in the tunnel-engineering area. It is hoped that the contents of the study will contribute to the prevention and control of seismic geological hazards in the tunnel-engineering region and render technical support for the design and construction of similar projects in this region.

Experimental and numerical study on the behavior of single-layer spherical reticulated shells under the combined action of temperature and impact load

The long-span spatial single-layer reticulated shell with welded hollow spherical joints is often exposed to impact loads and extreme temperatures, which may cause the failure of local joints and parts or the collapse of the whole structure. Research results have shown that the joints should be considered rigid when analyzing the mechanical properties of single-layer reticulated shells. The welded spherical joints in the actual form, however, are not entirely stiff, and the lack of stiffness of these critical joints may cause a dynamic failure of the reticulated shells. For this paper, through experiment and numerical simulation, the dynamic behavior of welded spherical joints and reticulated shells under the combined action of impact load and temperature is studied. Five sets of welded spherical full-scale joint specimens with different diameters and wall thicknesses and a reduced-scale specimen of reticulated shell were tested on an impact device designed by ourselves. Three deformation modes of joint models are defined. The experimental results indicate that increasing the stiffness by reducing the diameter of the welded hollow ball or increasing its wall thickness can increase the stiffness of the joint, and this enhanced impact resistance. The time history curves of displacement, acceleration, and strain obtained from the experiment and the deformation process of the reticulated shell photographed by high-speed camera reveal the mechanism of dynamic failure of the reticulated shell. The finite element models of five joint specimens and reticulated shell specimens are established in ANSYS/LS-DYNA software to simulate the dynamic behavior under the same conditions as the test. The numerical simulation results are consistent with the experimental results. A parametric study was subsequently conducted to study the influence of temperature on the dynamic response of joints and reticulated shells and the effect of impact energy on the collapse mode of reticulated shells. The numerical results show that the impact force and energy dissipation are greatly affected by temperature, and that, the impact energy has a great influence on the collapse mode of the reticulated shell. The distribution position of failing parts of the collapsed reticulated shell adheres to specific principle.

Pseudo-dynamic test and numerical analyses of staggered truss framing systems

To facilitate the popularization and application of high-rise staggered truss framing systems in high intensity area, the seismic performance of the staggered truss framing system was studied. A series of pseudo-dynamic tests were carried out on a 14-story staggered truss framing system model with a scale of 1/8. The time-history curves of displacement, acceleration and base shear under Taft earthquake record with different peak ground accelerations were obtained. Based on the test results, the stiffness degradation, equivalent viscous damping coefficient of the test model were analyzed. The proportion of plastic energy consumption of each component to the whole plastic energy consumption of the structure was obtained. Three different finite element models were established to study the effect of the Vierendeel panel length on the seismic performance. The test results show that the staggered truss framing system has a large lateral stiffness in the direction of the truss, but its seismic energy dissipation capacity is insufficient. Through the pseudo dynamic test method, it is found that the column base is the weak part of the staggered truss framing system. The research results can be used to guide the design of staggered truss framing systems.

Pseudo-Dynamic Test on Composite Frame with Steel-Reinforced Recycled Concrete Columns and Steel Beams

Pseudo-dynamic tests were conducted on a 2/5-scaled, three-story, two-span frame with steel-reinforced recycled concrete (SRRC) columns and steel beams. The El-Centro earthquake waves, Taft earthquake waves, and Lanzhou artificial earthquake waves were considered as the main loads to study the seismic behavior. The failure modes, displacement and acceleration time history curves, hysteretic characteristics, energy dissipation, stiffness degradation, and inter-story drift capacity of the composite frame were analyzed. Results showed that the composite frame did not show plastic deformation during the whole test process, and the steel beams and columns basically did not yield. Under the action of three seismic waves, the displacement response, acceleration response, and restoring force response of the composite frame were increased with seismic intensity, while the hysteretic curves and energy dissipation were different as the seismic wave changed. The seismic response of the composite frame was greatly affected by the spectral characteristics of the loading ground motion and the hysteretic energy mainly consisted of recoverable elastic deformation energy. Under the action of Taft wave with the input peak acceleration of 400 gal (rare earthquake), the stiffness degradation of composite frame was the largest, which reduced to 47% of the initial stiffness. This indicated that the composite frame had good energy dissipation performance in the elastic and elastic-plastic stages, and still possessed good rigidity after a rare earthquake, fully achieving the design purpose of “no collapse in major earthquake”.

Research on collapse ultimate load of fabricated reinforced concrete column and steel beam composite frame structure

In this work, the collapse ultimate load of a prefabricated reinforced concrete column–steel beam composite frame structure was studied. During the study, the “new RCS beam-to-column joint” was used as the beam-to-column connection in the experimental model. Further, the half-scale fabricated RCS space frame structure (2-story, 1 × 2 bay) was subjected to instantaneous failure experiments twice at the bottom of the side column under various load levels and the 2A column was quickly pulled out by the traction force of the vehicle. The experimental results demonstrated that the method of dismantling the failure column provided a relatively true response to the condition of progressive collapse. The remaining RCS structure was found to be in the elastic stage during various load level tests. Moreover, the displacement time history curve did not have a vibration phenomenon during the first experimentation. The SAP2000 finite element program was used to verify that the test results were similar to that of the numerical simulation results, and it was further explored and found that the collapse ultimate load value was 10.25 times the structure design load value.

Seismic Performance Evaluation of Damaged Ancient Timber Structures with Looseness Mortise-Tenon Joints

ABSTRACT In order to investigate the seismic performance of damaged ancient timber structures with looseness mortise-tenon joints, the shaking table test of an intact ancient timber structure was carried out. The experimental model’s failure modes, main modal parameters, and dynamic response curves were investigated. In addition, the finite element models (FEMs) with looseness mortise-tennon joints were built by OpenSees, and the natural periods, acceleration, and displacement time history curves of intact FEM and experimental model are compared. Moreover, incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) of damaged models was performed, where the ground peak acceleration (PGA) and maximum inter-story drift ratio θ max are taken as intensity measure (IM) and damage measure (DM) of the motions of the ground, respectively. The seismic fragility of damaged models was studied by probabilistic seismic demand analysis to evaluate the seismic performance of the damaged structures from the perspective of probabilistic.

Study on dynamic stability for the superlong pile foundation of marine engineering structures in service

To fully utilize the earth’s resources, the offshore structure is a growing trend for human development. Pile foundations are widely used to support offshore structures. In the ocean, wave loads and ship impacts (SIs) may cause the instability or failure of the pile-soil system. This paper studies the dynamic stability of the pile foundation of offshore structures under both wave loads and SIs. The two-parameter foundation model and Galerkin integral method are used to establish offshore structures' nonlinear dynamic differential control equations. The displacement function of the pile body is obtained by using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, and the instability load of the pile body is obtained from the displacement time-history curve. The influence of pile length, stiffness, and soil properties on pile performance is investigated. Through the study of this paper, it can be found that the constraint effect of the soil on the side of the pile can make the pile experience a period of steady-state vibration before the instability; that is, the instability of the pile is delayed. Compared with the traditional Winkler model, the instability load and displacement time history curve calculated by the two-parameter model are more in line with the engineering practice.

Measurement of Bridge Vibration by UAVs Combined with CNN and KLT Optical-Flow Method

A measurement method of bridge vibration by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) combined with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and Kanade–Lucas–Tomasi (KLT) optical-flow method is proposed. In this method, the stationary reference points in the structural background are required, a UAV is used to shoot the structure video, and the KLT optical-flow method is used to track the target points on the structure and the background reference points in the video to obtain the coordinates of these points on each frame. Then, the characteristic relationship between the reference points and the target points can be learned by a CNN according to the coordinates of the reference points and the target points, so as to correct the displacement time–history curves of target points containing the false displacement caused by the UAV’s egomotion. Finally, operational modal analysis (OMA) is used to extract the natural frequency of the structure from the displacement signal. In addition, the reliability of UAV measurement combined with CNN is proved by comparing the measurement results of the fixed camera and those of UAV combined with CNN, and the reliability of the KLT optical-flow method is proved by comparing the tracking results of the digital image correlation (DIC) and KLT optical-flow method in the experiment of this paper.

Experimental and numerical investigation on transverse impact resistance behaviour of pipe-in-pipe submarine pipelines after service time

The transverse impact resistance behaviour of pipe-in-pipe submarine pipelines after 15 years of service is studied experimentally and numerically. From drop hammer impact tests of 4 full-scale specimens, the influence of specimens’ span, corrosion and dent defect on the transverse impact resistance is studied in terms of failure mode, impact force-time history curves, displacement-time history curves, strain-time history curves and impact force-displacement curves. The experimental results indicate that the dynamic failure process consists of four stages, including primary vibration stage, secondary vibration stage, stable stage and unloading stage. As the suspension span of the specimen increases, the primary failure mode changes from local indentation to global bending deformation. The corrosion and the dent defect impair the impact resistance. Finite element (FE) models are then established and verified through comparison with experimental results. Numerical analyses indicate that the total impact energy is mainly dissipated by the outer pipe and the inner pipe according to the energy dissipation analysis for each component of the pipe-in-pipe specimens under transverse impact load. Parametric study is implemented finally to disclose the influence of the dimensions of pre-existing corrosion and dent defect on the transverse impact behavior of pipe-in-pipe submarine pipelines.