Experimental and numerical study of buckling-restrained braces configured with out-of-plane eccentricity under cyclic loading

This study focuses on variations in the hysteretic behavior of buckling-restrained braces(BRBs)configured with or without out-of-plane eccentricity under cyclic loading.Quasi-static experiments and numerical simulations were carried out on concentrically and eccentrically loaded BRB specimens to investigate the mechanical properties,energy dissipation performance,stress distribution,and high-order deformation pattern.The experimental and numerical results showed that compared to the concentrically loaded BRBs,the stiffness,yield force,cumulated plastic ductility(CPD)coefficient,equivalent viscous damping coefficient and energy dissipation decreased,and the yield displacement and compression strength adjustment factor increased for the eccentrically loaded BRBs.With the existence of the out-of-plane eccentricity,the initial yield position changes from the yield segment to the junction between the yield segment and transition segment under a tensile load,while the initial high-order buckling pattern changes from a first-order C-shape to a secondorder S-shape under a compressive load.

Deterministic and probabilistic analysis of great-depth braced excavations:A 32 m excavation case study in Paris

The Fort d’Issy-Vanves-Clamart(FIVC)braced excavation in France is analyzed to provide insights into the geotechnical serviceability assessment of excavations at great depth within deterministic and probabilistic frameworks.The FIVC excavation is excavated at 32 m below the ground surface in Parisian sedimentary basin and a plane-strain finite element analysis is implemented to examine the wall deflections and ground surface settlements.A stochastic finite element method based on the polynomial chaos Kriging metamodel(MSFEM)is then proposed for the probabilistic analyses.Comparisons with field measurements and former studies are carried out.Several academic cases are then conducted to investigate the great-depth excavation stability regarding the maximum horizontal wall deflection and maximum ground surface settlement.The results indicate that the proposed MSFEM is effective for probabilistic analyses and can provide useful insights for the excavation design and construction.A sensitivity analysis for seven considered random parameters is then implemented.The soil friction angle at the excavation bottom layer is the most significant one for design.The soil-wall interaction effects on the excavation stability are also given.

Internal-Brace联合改良的Brostrom术治疗慢性踝关节外侧不稳的疗效

目的评价Internal-Brace联合改良的Brostrom术治疗慢性踝关节外侧不稳的疗效。方法回顾性分析陆军第八十一集团军医院骨科2019-01至2021-12收治的29例慢性踝关节外侧不稳患者,全部行Internal-Brace联合改良的Brostrom术,采用美国足踝外科协会(AOFAS)踝-后足评分系统,前抽屉试验,Karlsson-Peterson评分系统进行手术效果评价,采用视觉模拟评分法(VAS)评价手术前、后踝部疼痛。结果所有患者均获得随访,其中28例末次随访时均能完成3 km跑等训练任务,基本恢复伤前训练水平,1例术后3 d出现切口感染,感染率3.4%;28例AOFAS评分由手术前(34.7±7.4)分提高到末次随访时的(86.6±3.3)分,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),所有患者术后前抽屉试验阴性,Karlsson-Peterson评分由术前(62.4±9.5)分提高到末次随访时的(92.6±4.5)分,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),VAS评分由术前(7.1±0.7)分降低到末次随访时的(2.3±0.8)分,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论Internal-Brace联合改良的Brostrom术治疗慢性踝关节外侧不稳效果显著,能明显改善患者踝关节功能。

Internal brace与带线锚钉通过改良Broström术治疗慢性踝关节不稳的疗效对比

目的比较internal brace(IB)与带线锚钉通过改良Broström术治疗慢性踝关节不稳的临床疗效。方法回顾性分析2019年5月至2022年2月在桂林市人民医院本院关节骨科行手术治疗的42例慢性踝关节外侧不稳患者资料,根据距腓前韧带修补所用材料的不同将患者分为IB组(19例)和带线锚钉组(23例)。比较两组患者一般资料、手术时间、并发症发生率、术后完全负重行走时间、术后恢复跑步的时间、美国足踝外科协会(American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society,AOFAS)踝-后足功能评分、视觉模拟评分法(visual analog scale,VAS)评分。结果所有患者术后均获得随访,随访时间12~18个月,平均(13.8±5.3)个月。两组患者基线资料差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);两组各有1例术口拆线后再出现渗液,换药后愈合;两组各有2例术口区域感觉障碍,除IB组有1例术后半年仍未完全恢复外,其余3例术后2~3个月恢复;IB组患者术后6周随访时AOFAS评分优于带线锚钉组,差异有统计学意义(t=2.239,P=0.025),但术后6周时VAS评分比较差异无统计学意义(t=0.308,P=0.760);末次随访时AOFAS评分和VAS评分比较,两组之间差异无统计学意义(t=0.045,P=0.965;t=0.203,P=0.840);IB组术后完全负重行走时间、术后恢复跑步的时间显著早于带线锚钉组,差异有统计学意义(t=26.566,P<0.01;t=4.838,P<0.01)。结论IB与带线锚钉通过改良Broström术开放治疗慢性踝关节不稳的临床疗效满意,且使用IB在早期康复和重返运动方面优于带线锚钉。

一类brace中的thin边

证明若一个brace含有一个四圈C_(4),且该四圈中包含两个相邻的三度点,则该brace至少有一条thin边在该C_(4)中.

Ductility demands on buckling-restrained braced frames under earthquake loading

Accurate estimates of ductility demands on buckling-restrained braced frames(BRBFs)are crucial to performance-based design of BRBFs.An analytical study on the seismic behavior of BRBFs has been conducted at the ATLSS Center,Lehigh University to prepare for an upcoming experimental program.The analysis program DRAIN-2DX was used to model a one-bay,four-story prototype BRBF including material and geometric nonlinearities.The buckling- restrained brace(BRB)model incorporates both isotropic and kinematic hardening.Nonlinear static pushover and time- history analyses were performed on the prototype BRBF.Performance objectives for the BRBs were defined and used to evaluate the time-history analysis results.Particular emphasis was placed on global ductility demands and ductility demands on the BRBs.These demands were compared with anticipated ductility capacities.The analysis results,along with results from similar previous studies,are used to evaluate the BRBF design provisions that have been recommended for codification in the United States.The results show that BRB maximum ductility demands can be as high as 20 to 25.These demands significantly exceed those anticipated by the BRBF recommended provisions.Results from the static pushover and time- history analyses are used to demonstrate why the ductility demands exceed those anticipated by the recommended provisions. The BRB qualification testing protocol contained in the BRBF recommended provisions is shown to be inadequate because it requires only a maximum ductility demand of at most 7.5.Modifications to the testing protocol are recommended.

Do ankle braces provide similar effects on ankle biomechanical variables in subjects with and without chronic ankle instability during landing?

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to examine effects of a sport version of a semi-rigid ankle brace (ElementTM) and a soft ankle brace (ASO) on ankle biomechanics and ground reaction forces (GRFs) during a drop landing activity in subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI)compared to healthy subjects with no history of CAI.Methods:Ten healthy subjects and 10 subjects who had multiple ankle sprains participated in the study as the control and unstable subjects,respectively.The CAI subjects were age,body mass index and gender matched with the control subjects.The arch index and ankle functions of the subjects were measured in a subject screening session.During the biomechanical test session,participants performed five trials of drop landing from 0.6 m,wearing no brace ( NB),ElementTM brace and ASO brace.Simultaneous recording of three-dimensional kinematic (240 Hz)and GRF (1200 Hz) data were performed.Results:The CAI subjects had lower ankle functional survey scores.The arch index and deformity results showed greater arch deformity of ElementTM against a static load than in NB and ASO due to greater initial arch position held by the brace.CAI participants had greater eversion velocity than healthy coutrols.The ASO brace reduced the first peak vertical GRF whereas ElementTM increased 2nd peak vertical GRF.ElementTM brace reduced eversion range of motion (ROM) and peak eversion velocity compared to NB and ASO.In addition,ElementTM reduced dorsiflexion ROM and increased peak plantarflexion moment compared to NB and ASO.Conclusion:Results of static arch measurements and dynamic ankle motion suggest that the restrictions offered by both braces are in part due to more dorsiflexed ankle positions at contact,and higher initial arch position and stiffer ankle for ElementTM.

Behavior of double K-BRB braces under lateral loading

The buckling resisting brace(BRB)is an efficient system against lateral loads that enjoy high seismic energy absorption capacity.Although desirable behavior of BRBs has been confirmed,the stiffness of the system is not desirable that it can be compensated by changing the configuration of BRB braces.In so doing,the configuration in the form of double K(DK)is investigated to achieve more favorable behavior.Also,the required mathematical formulas were proposed to design the system.Comparison of DK system with other conventional BRB showed that the DK system has a better structural performance and is more economical(due to needing less core area)than other conventional BRB.Numerical results indicated that the DK system increases the lateral ultimate strength,lateral nonlinear stiffness,and energy absorption.Besides,the DK configuration reduces the axial forces created in columns in the nonlinear zone.Reducing material demand,created forces in the main frame,and also increasing of nonlinear stiffens by DK improve the structure’s safety.

Parametric Study on Cable-Stayed and Knee-Braced Steel Portal Frames

To improve wind resistance capacity of cable-braced steel portal frames,a double-braced portal frame was proposed by adding two pre-stressed knee braces to a cable-braced portal frame. To study the reasonable range of application and method of cable parameter determination for this novel structure,the influences of load condition, span, base constraint, and cable parameters on structural performance were investigated by using the finite element code SAP2000. The results show that pre-stressed knee braces can effectively resist both uplifted and lateral wind loads,so this cablestayed and knee-braced steel portal frame is suitable for large wind.When the vertical load is comparable with the wind load,this novel type of portal frames is suitable for a medium span( 21-48 m). The cables in the cable brace can be determined by structural vertical stiffness,and the cables in the knee brace can be designed as the same as those in the cable-stayed part for the reason that their cross sectional area has only a weak effect on the structure. If no cable fails,the pretension variation of the cable does not affect the stiffness of the portal frame. The cable in the cable brace,working together with the cables in the knee braces,can ease uneven distribution of internal force,and their pretensions can be determined according to actual engineering projects.

Damping characteristics of friction damped braced frame and its effectiveness in the mega-sub controlled structure system

Based on energy dissipation and structural control principle, a new structural configuration, called the megasub controlled structure （MSCS） with friction damped braces （FDBs）, is first presented. Meanwhile, to calculate the damping coefficient in the slipping state a new analytical method is proposed. The damping characteristics of one-storey friction damped braced frame （FDBF） are investigated, and the influence of the structural parameters on the energy dissipation and the practical engineering design are discussed. The nonlinear dynamic equations and the analytical model of the MSCS with FDBs are established. Three building structures with different structural configurations, which were designed with reference to the conventional mega-sub structures such as used in Tokyo City Hall, are comparatively investigated. The results illustrate that the structure presented in the paper has excellent dynamic properties and satisfactory control effectiveness.

Mathematical modeling and full-scale shaking table tests for multi-curve buckling restrained braces

Buckling restrained braces （BRBs） have been widely applied in seismic mitigation since they were introduced in the 1970s. However, traditional BRBs have several disadvantages caused by using a steel tube to envelope the mortar to prevent the core plate from buckling, such as： complex interfaces between the materials used, uncertain precision, and time consumption during the manufacturing processes. In this study, a new device called the multi-curve buckling restrained brace （MC-BRB） is proposed to overcome these disadvantages. The new device consists of a core plate with multiple neck portions assembled to form multiple energy dissipation segments, and the enlarged segment, lateral support elements and constraining elements to prevent the BRB from buckling. The enlarged segment located in the middle of the core plate can be welded to the lateral support and constraining elements to increase buckling resistance and to prevent them from sliding during earthquakes. Component tests and a series of shaking table tests on a full-scale steel structure equipped with MC-BRBs were carried out to investigate the behavior and capability of this new BRB design for seismic mitigation. The experimental results illustrate that the MC-BRB possesses a stable mechanical behavior under cyclic loadings and provides good protection to structures during earthquakes. Also, a mathematical model has been developed to simulate the mechanical characteristics of BRBs.

Shaking table test and numerical analysis of a 1:12 scale model of a special concentrically braced steel frame with pinned connections

This paper describes shaking table tests of a 1：12 scale model of a special concentrically braced steel frame with pinned connections, which was fabricated according to a one-bay braced frame selected from a typical main factory building of a large thermal power plant. In order to investigate the seismic performance of this type of structure, several ground motion accelerations with different levels for seismic intensity Ⅷ, based on the Chinese Code for Seismic Design of Buildings, were selected to excite the model. The results show that the design methods of the members and the connections are adequate and that the structural system will perform well in regions of high seismicity. In addition to the tests, numerical simulations were also conducted and the results showed good agreement with the test results. Thus, the numerical model is shown to be accurate and the beam element can be used to model this structural system.

全镜下增强的Internal Brace与肌腱重建距腓前韧带治疗慢性踝关节不稳患者的临床评价

目的评价全镜下Internal Brace(IB)增强术和肌腱重建距腓前韧带(anterior talofibular ligament,ATFL)两种术式的临床疗效。方法2017年11月至2020年12月,本研究纳入57例慢性踝关节不稳患者,26例使用增强的IB,设为增强的IB组,31例使用ATFL肌腱重建,设为ATFL肌腱重建组,术后随访1年。采用视觉模拟评分法(visual analogue scale,VAS)评分、美国足踝外科协会(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society,AOFAS)评分、Karlsson评分、前抽屉试验、患者满意度及相关并发症来评估临床疗效。结果VAS评分(P<0.001)和AOFAS评分(P<0.001)在增强的IB组和ATFL肌腱重建组之间差异有统计学意义。而两组患者的Karlsson评分(P=0.602)、前抽屉试验(P=0.933)、患者满意度(P=0.869)之间比较差异无统计学意义。增强的IB组出现1例皮肤并发症,而ATFL肌腱重建组出现2例肌肉萎缩症状。结论与ATFL肌腱重建组相比,增强的IB组在缓解疼痛方面有更好的临床疗效。而ATFL肌腱重建组在踝关节功能恢复方面表现较好,且AOFAS评分显著高于增强的IB组。在其他方面,两组均取得了比较满意的结果。

Experimental study on the seismic response of braced reinforced concrete frame with irregular columns

A 15-storey K-braced reinforced concrete model frame with irregular columns, i.e., T-shaped, L-shaped, as well as ＋-shaped columns, was constructed and tested on the six-degree-of-freedom shaking table at the State Key Laboratory for Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering in Tongji, China. Two types of earthquake records, El-Centro wave （south-north direction） and Shanghai artificial wave （SHAW） with various peak accelerations and principal-secondary sequences, were input and experimentally studied. Based on the shaking table tests and theoretical analysis, several observations can be made. The failure sequence of the model structure is brace→beam→column→joints, so that the design philosophy for several lines of defense has been achieved. Earthquake waves with different spectrums not only influence the magnitude and distribution of the earthquake force and the storey shear force, but also obviously affect the magnitude of the displacement response. The aftershock seismic response of previously damaged reinforced concrete braced frames with irregular columns possesses the equivalent elastic performance characteristic. Generally speaking, from the aspects of failure features and drift ratio, this type of reinforced concrete structure provides adequate earthquake resistance and can be promoted for use in China.

An intelligent procedure for updating deformation prediction of braced excavation in clay using gated recurrent unit neural networks

This paper aims to establish an intelligent procedure that combines the observational method with the existing deep learning technique for updating deformation of braced excavation in clay.The gated recurrent unit(GRU) neural network is adopted to formulate the forecast model and learn the potential rules in the field observations using the Nesterov-accelerated Adam(Nadam) algorithm.In the proposed procedure,the GRU-based forecast model is first trained based on the field data of previous and current stages.Then,the field data of the current stage are used as input to predict the deformation response of the next stage via the previously trained GRU-based forecast model.This updating process will loop up till the end of the excavation.This procedure has the advantage of directly predicting the deformation response of unexcavated stages based on the monitoring data.The proposed intelligent procedure is verified on two well-documented cases in terms of accuracy and reliability.The results indicate that both wall deflection and ground settlement are accurately predicted as the excavation proceeds.Furthermore,the advantages of the proposed intelligent procedure compared with the Bayesian/o ptimization updating are illustrated.

Assessing the seismic behavior of steel moment frames equipped by elliptical brace through incremental dynamic analysis(IDA)

Incremental dynamic analysis and nonlinear static pushover analysis are carried out on a performance-based design to determine the seismic demands and capacities of an elliptic braced moment resisting frame(ELBRF).The objective is to assess ductility,overstrength and response modification factors in a modern steel-braced structural system based on incremental dynamic analysis.This integrated system is connected to a beam and column with an appropriate length while providing enough architectural space to allow for an opening without having the common problems associated with architectural spaces in braced systems.Several different classes of buildings are considered on soil type II.Linear dynamic analysis,nonlinear static pushover analysis and incremental nonlinear dynamic analysis related to 12 records from past earthquakes are carried out using OpenSees software.The factors of ductility,overstrength and response modification are calculated for this system.The values of 9.5 and 6.5 are found and suggested only for the response modification factor for ELBRF systems in allowable stress and ultimate limit state methods,respectively.The fragility curves are plotted for the first time for this type of bracing,which contributes to the assessment of building seismic damage.

Behavior of braced excavation in sand under a seismic condition: experimental and numerical studies

The behavior of braced excavation in dry sand under a seismic condition is investigated in this paper.A series of shake table tests on a reduced scale model of a retaining wall with one level of bracing were conducted to study the effect of different design parameters such as excavation depth,acceleration amplitude and wall stiffness.Numerical analyses using FLAC 2D were also performed considering one level of bracing.The strut forces,lateral displacements and bending moments in the wall at the end of earthquake motion were compared with experimental results.The study showed that in a post-seismic condition,when other factors were constant,lateral displacement,bending moment,strut forces and maximum ground surface displacement increased with excavation depth and the amplitude of base acceleration.The study also showed that as wall stiffness decreased,the lateral displacement of the wall and ground surface displacement increased,but the bending moment of the wall and strut forces decreased.The net earth pressure behind the walls was influenced by excavation depth and the peak acceleration amplitude,but did not change significantly with wall stiffness.Strut force was the least affected parameter when compared with others under a seismic condition.

Optimized functional linked neural network for predicting diaphragm wall deflection induced by braced excavations in clays

Deep excavation during the construction of underground systems can cause movement on the ground,especially in soft clay layers.At high levels,excessive ground movements can lead to severe damage to adjacent structures.In this study,finite element analyses(FEM)and the hardening small strain(HSS)model were performed to investigate the deflection of the diaphragm wall in the soft clay layer induced by braced excavations.Different geometric and mechanical properties of the wall were investigated to study the deflection behavior of the wall in soft clays.Accordingly,1090 hypothetical cases were surveyed and simulated based on the HSS model and FEM to evaluate the wall deflection behavior.The results were then used to develop an intelligent model for predicting wall deflection using the functional linked neural network(FLNN)with different functional expansions and activation functions.Although the FLNN is a novel approach to predict wall deflection;however,in order to improve the accuracy of the FLNN model in predicting wall deflection,three swarm-based optimization algorithms,such as artificial bee colony(ABC),Harris’s hawk’s optimization(HHO),and hunger games search(HGS),were hybridized to the FLNN model to generate three novel intelligent models,namely ABC-FLNN,HHO-FLNN,HGS-FLNN.The results of the hybrid models were then compared with the basic FLNN and MLP models.They revealed that FLNN is a good solution for predicting wall deflection,and the application of different functional expansions and activation functions has a significant effect on the outcome predictions of the wall deflection.It is remarkably interesting that the performance of the FLNN model was better than the MLP model with a mean absolute error(MAE)of 19.971,root-mean-squared error(RMSE)of 24.574,and determination coefficient(R^(2))of 0.878.Meanwhile,the performance of the MLP model only obtained an MAE of 20.321,RMSE of 27.091,and R^(2)of 0.851.Furthermore,the results also indicated that the proposed hybrid models,i.e.,ABC-FLNN,HHO-FLNN,HGS-FLNN,yielded more superior performances than those of the FLNN and MLP models in terms of the prediction of deflection behavior of diaphragm walls with an MAE in the range of 11.877 to 12.239,RMSE in the range of 15.821 to 16.045,and R^(2)in the range of 0.949 to 0.951.They can be used as an alternative tool to simulate diaphragm wall deflections under different conditions with a high degree of accuracy.

Development and subassemblage cyclic testing of hybrid buckling-restrained steel braces

Buckling-restrained braced frames(BRBFs) are vulnerable to relatively higher post-earthquake residual drifts under high intensity ground shakings. This is primarily due to the low axial elastic and post-elastic stiffness of bucklingrestrained braces(BRBs) satisfying the design force demand requirements. In the present study, a hybrid buckling restrained bracing system consisting of a short yielding core length BRB component and a conventional buckling-type brace component connected in series has been developed with an aim to increase the axial stiffness of braces. This study is focused on the experimental investigation of six hybrid bucking restrained braces(HBRBs) to investigate their overall behavior, loadresisting capacity, strength-adjustment factors and energy dissipation potential. The main parameters varied are the crosssectional area, the yielding length of core elements as well as the detailing of buckling-restraining system of short yielding core length BRBs. Test results showed that the HBRBs with yielding core length in the range of 30% of work-point to workpoint lengths withstood an axial strain of 6% without any instability and can deliver stable and balanced hysteretic response and excellent energy dissipation under reversed cyclic loading conditions.

Strength Analysis on Brace Structure for Semi-Submersible in Consideration of Wave Slamming

Slamming on bracings of column stabilized units shall be considered as a possible limiting criterion under transit condition based on the requirements in DNV-OS-C103. However, the wave slamming loads under survival condition were ignored for the strength analysis of the brace structures in many semi-submersible projects. In this paper, a method of strength analysis of brace structure is proposed based on the reconstruction and extrapolation of numerical model. The full-scale mooring system, the wind, wave and current loads can be considered simultaneously. Firstly,the model tests of the semi-submersible platform in wind tunnel and wave tanker have been carried out. Secondly,the numerical models of the platform are reconstructed and extrapolated based on the results of model tests. Then, a nonlinear numerical analysis has been conducted to study the wave slamming load on brace in semi-submersible platform through the reconstructed and extrapolated numerical model. For the randomness of wave load, ten subcases under each condition have been carried out. The value of the 90% Gumble distribution values of the ten subcases are used. Finally, the strength on brace structure has been analyzed considering the wave slamming. The wave slamming loads have been compared between the survival condition and transit condition with the method. The results indicate that wave slamming under survival condition is more critical than that under transit condition.Meanwhile, the wave slamming is significant to the structural strength of the brace. It should be overall considered in the strength analysis of the brace structure.