Dynamic performance of angle-steel concrete columns under low cyclic loading-I:Experimental study

This paper describes low cyclic loading testing of nine angle-steel concrete column （ASCC） specimens. In the tests, the influence of the shear-span ratio, axial compression ratio and shear steel plate ratio on the hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation, strength degradation, stiffness degradation, skeleton curve and ductility of the ASCCs is studied. Based on the test results, some conclusions are presented. The P-A and sectional M -φ hysteretic models for the ASCCs are presented in a companion paper （Zheng and Ji, 2008）.

Effects of axial cyclic loading at constant confining pressures on deformational characteristics of anisotropic argillite

Triaxial cyclic loading tests have been performed to assess the influence of plastic deformation on inelastic deformational properties of anisotropic argillite with bedding planes which is regarded as a kind of transversely isotropic media.Considering argillite's anisotropy and inelastic deformational properties,theoretical formulae for calculating oriented elastic parameters were deduced by the unloading curves,which can be better fitted for the description of its elasticity than loading curves.Test results indicate that with the growth of accumulated plastic,strain,the apparent elastic modulus of argillite decreases in a form of exponential decay function,whereas the apparent Poisson ratio increase in a form of power equation.A ratio of unloading recoverable strain to the total strain increment occurred during a loading cycle is defined to illustrate the characteristic relations between anisotropic coupled elasto-plastic deformation and plastic strain.It is significant to observe that high stress level and plastic history have an inhibiting effect on argillite anisotropy.

Influence of volume compression on the unloading deformation behavior of red sandstone under damage-controlled cyclic triaxial loading

A reasonable evaluation of unloading deformation characteristics is of great significance for the effective analysis of deformation and stability of surrounding rocks after underground excavation.In this study,the damage-controlled cyclic triaxial loading tests were conducted to investigate the pore compaction mechanism and its influences on the unloading deformation behavior of red sandstone,including Young’s modulus,Poisson’s ratio,volumetric strain,and irreversible strain.The experimental results show that the increases of volumetric and irreversible strains of rocks can be attributed to the compaction mechanism,which almost dominates the entire pre-peak deformation process.The unloading deformation consists of the reversible linear and nonlinear strains,and the irreversible strain under the influence of the porous grain structure.The pre-peak Young’s modulus tends to increase and then decrease due to the influence of the unloading irreversible strain.However,it hardly changes with the increasing volumetric strain compaction under the influence of reversible nonlinear strain.Instead,the initial unloading tangent modulus is highly related to the volumetric strain,and clearly reflects the compaction state of red sandstone.Furthermore,both the reversible nonlinear and irreversible unloading deformations are independent of confining pressure.This study is beneficial for the theoretical modeling and prediction of cyclic unloading deformation behavior of red sandstone.

Evolution of mechanical parameters of Shuangjiangkou granite under different loading cycles and stress paths

Surrounding rocks at different locations are generally subjected to different stress paths during the process of deep hard rock excavation.In this study,to reveal the mechanical parameters of deep surrounding rock under different stress paths,a new cyclic loading and unloading test method for controlled true triaxial loading and unloading and principal stress direction interchange was proposed,and the evolution of mechanical parameters of Shuangjiangkou granite under different stress paths was studied,including the deformation modulus,elastic deformation increment ratios,fracture degree,cohesion and internal friction angle.Additionally,stress path coefficient was defined to characterize different stress paths,and the functional relationships among the stress path coefficient,rock fracture degree difference coefficient,cohesion and internal friction angle were obtained.The results show that during the true triaxial cyclic loading and unloading process,the deformation modulus and cohesion gradually decrease,while the internal friction angle gradually increases with increasing equivalent crack strain.The stress path coefficient is exponentially related to the rock fracture degree difference coefficient.As the stress path coefficient increases,the degrees of cohesion weakening and internal friction angle strengthening decrease linearly.During cyclic loading and unloading under true triaxial principal stress direction interchange,the direction of crack development changes,and the deformation modulus increases,while the cohesion and internal friction angle decrease slightly,indicating that the principal stress direction interchange has a strengthening effect on the surrounding rocks.Finally,the influences of the principal stress interchange direction on the stabilities of deep engineering excavation projects are discussed.

Experimental study of hollow rectangular bridge column performance under vertical and cyclically bilateral loads

To investigate the seismic performance of hollow reinforced concrete （RC） bridge columns of rectangular cross section under constant axial load and cyclically biaxial bending, five specimens were tested. A parametric study is carried out for different axial load ratios, longitudinal reinforcement ratios and lateral reinforcement ratios. The experimental results showed that all tested specimens failed in the flexural failure mode and their ultimate performance was dominated by flexural capacity, which is represented by the rupture/buckling of tensile longitudinal rebars at the bottom of the bridge columns. Biaxial force and displacement hysteresis loops showed significant stiffness and strength degradations, and the pinching effect and coupling interaction effect of both directions severely decrease the structural seismic resistance. However, the measured ductility coefficient varying from 3.5 to 5.7 and the equivalent viscous damping ratio varying from 0.19 and 0.26 can meet the requirements of the seismic design. The hollow RC rectangular bridge columns with configurations of lateral reinforcement in this study have excellent performance under bidirectional earthquake excitations, and may be considered as a substitute for current hollow RC rectangular section configurations described in the Guideline for Seismic Design of Highway Bridges （JTG/T B02-01-2008）. The length of the plastic hinge region was found to approach one sixth of the hollow RC rectangular bridge column height for all specimen columns, and it was much less than those specified in the current JTG/T. Thus, the length of the plastic hinge region is more concentrated for RC rectangular hollow bridge columns.

Analysis on seismic performance of a new type of joint in steel structures

To examine the seismic performance of a newly fabricated weakened joint at the beam end position,four groups of energy-consuming steel plates with different weakening depths and thicknesses were subjected to horizontal cyclic reciprocating loading tests on beam ends.The tests were designed to evaluate the beams'hysteresis curve,skeleton curve,bearing capacity degradation curve,stiffness degradation curve,and ductility and the nodes'energy dissipation capacity.The test results show that a newly fabricated joint will not undergo brittle damage when the beam-column joint is welded at a displacement of 105 mm.Thus,the hysteresis curve will show an inverse S shape,and an obvious slip phenomenon will occur,which is mainly due to splicing.The diameter of the bolt connecting the slab to the beam flange is slightly smaller than the aperture.Due to the existence of slippage,the skeleton curve has no evident yield point.The joint ductility coefficient is less than 3.0,and the initial rotational stiffness of the joint is also small.The buckling of the splicing panel causes a rapid decrease in the joint bearing capacity.The main approaches,appropriately reducing the weakening depth and increasing the thickness of the splicing plate,can delay the occurrence of buckling and improve the ductility of the joint.

Macro- and micromechanical evaluation of cyclic simple shear test by discrete element method

Direct simple shear tests are considered to be simple laboratory tests that are capable of imposing a cyclic loading that is analogous to that induced by earthquakes. A realistic evaluation of the test results demands a profound micromechanical investigation of specimens. Three-dimensional discrete element method models of a stacked-ring simple shear test were constructed, in which monotonic and cyclic loadings were applied under constant-volume conditions, and good agreement between the monotonic and cyclic macromechanical behaviors was noted. Micromechanical properties of specimens that were subjected to a cyclic loading are discussed in terms of lateral and intermediate principal stress development, fabric anisotropy, and principal stress rotation. The stress and strain states inside the specimen were investigated and it was shown that despite the uniform stress distribution inside the specimen, the volumetric strain distributes non-uniformly during loading and the non-uniformity grows with cycling, which leads to localized zones of dilative and contractive behavior.

Seismic behavior of multiple reinforcement,high-strength concrete columns:experimental and theoretical analysis

This study investigates the seismic performance of multiple reinforcement,high-strength concrete(MRHSC)columns that are characterized by multiple transverse and longitudinal reinforcements in core areas.Eight MRHSC columns were designed and subjected to a low cycle,reversed loading test.The response,including the failure modes,hysteretic behavior,lateral bearing capacity,and displacement ductility,was analyzed.The effects of the axial compression ratio,stirrup form,and stirrup spacing of the central reinforcement configuration on the seismic performance of the columns were studied.Furthermore,an analytical model was developed to predict the backbone force-displacement curves of the MRHSC columns.The test results showed that these columns experienced two failure modes:shear failure and flexure-shear failure.As the axial compression ratio increased,the bearing capacity increased significantly,whereas the deformation capacity and ductility decreased.A decrease in the spacing of central transverse reinforcements improved the ductility and delayed the degradation of load-bearing capacity.The proposed analytical model can accurately predict the lateral force and deformations of MRHSC columns.

Hysteretic behavior of post-tensioned precast segmental CFT double-column piers

Considering the desirable behavior of concrete filled steel tube(CFT)columns and the complicated behavior of segmental double-column piers under cyclic loads,three post-tensioned precast segmental CFT double-column pier specimens were tested to extend their application in moderate and high seismicity areas.The effects of the number of CFT segments and the steel endplates as energy dissipaters on the seismic behavior of the piers were evaluated.The experimental results show that the segmental piers exhibited stable hysteretic behavior with small residual displacements under cyclic loads.All the tested specimens achieved a drift ratio no less than 13%without significant damage and strength deterioration due to the desirable behavior of CFT columns.Since the deformation of segmental columns was mainly concentrated at the column-footing interfaces,the increase of the segment numbers for each column had no obvious effects on the loading capacity but reduced the initial stiffness of the specimens.The use of steel endplates improved the bearing capacity,stiffness and energy dissipation of segmental piers,but weakened their self-centering capacity.Fiber models were also proposed to simulate the hysteretic behavior of the tested specimens,and the influences of segment numbers and prestress levels on seismic behavior were further studied.

Effects of timber infill walls on the seismic behavior of traditional Chinese timber frames

This study investigates the enhanced effect of timber infill walls on the seismic behavior of traditional Chinese timber frames.Two 1/2 scaled traditional Chinese timber infill walls(TIWs),two 1/2 scaled timber frames with timber infill walls(TFTIWs)and one 1/2 scaled timber frame(TF)were fabricated and tested under low-cyclic reversed loading.The failure modes,strength,stiffness,and energy consumption capacity of the TIWs and the TFTIWs were obtained,and the effects of the TIWs on the seismic performance of the TFTIWs were investigated.The results showed that the TIWs can increase the stiffness and ultimate bearing capacity of the TF,up to 60%and 80%,respectively.The strength degradation coefficient of the TFTIWs was slightly higher than that of the TF when the inter-story drift ratio exceeded 0.02 rad,and the TIWs helped to mitigate the strength degradation of the TFTIWs.It was also found that the TFTIWs had a higher cumulative energy dissipation when compared with the TF(up to a 60%increase),indicating the TIWs had reasonably good energy dissipation capacity.When the TIWs generated a solid contribution to the carrying capacity and energy dissipation of the TF,the lateral drift thresholds were 1/100 and 1/43 of the column height,respectively.Furthermore,the TIWs and TFTIWs presented a good ductility,and the TIW could effectively reduce the pull-out amount of the tenon from the mortise of the TF;however,the TIWs had little influence on the stiffness degradation level or improvement of the ductility of the TF.

Experimental study on the seismic performance of new sandwich masonry walls

Sandwich masonry walls are widely used as energy-saving panels since the interlayer between the outer leaves can act as an insulation layer.New types of sandwich walls are continually being introduced in research and applications,and due to their unique bond patterns,experimental studies have been performed to investigate their mechanical properties,especially with regard to their seismic performance.In this study,three new types of sandwich masonry wall have been designed,and cyclic lateral loading tests were carried out on five specimens.The results showed that the specimens failed mainly due to slippage along the bottom cracks or the development of diagonal cracks,and the failure patterns were considerably influenced by the aspect ratio.Analysis was undertaken on the seismic response of the new walls,which included ductility,stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity,and no obvious difference was observed between the seismic performance of the new walls and traditional walls.Comparisons were made between the experimental results and the calculated results of the shear capacity.It is concluded that the formulas in the two Chinese codes（GB 50011 and GB 50003） are suitable for the calculation of the shear capacity for the new types of walls,and the formula in GB 50011 tends to be more conservative.

Numerical evaluation of group-pile foundation subjected to cyclic horizontal load

In this paper,three-dimensional(3D)finite element analyses of a real-scale group-pile foundation subjected to horizontal cyclic loading are conducted using a program named DBLEAVES.In the simulations,nonlinear behaviors of ground and piles are described by subloading tij.model and the axial-force dependent model(AFD model)which considered the axial-force dependency in the nonlinear moment-curvature relations.In order to consider the influence of an effective stress path on the prediction of the group-pile foundation,the analyses are conducted within the framework of the soil-water coupling method with finite-difference and finite-element regime.The material parameters of soils are determined based on conventional triaxial drained compression tests on undisturbed and remolded specimens.The applicability of the proposed numerical method is encouraging,and therefore,it is quite confident to say that the method can be used to predict the mechanical behaviors of group-pile foundation to a satisfactory accuracy,particularly with the effective stress analysis.

Pectin May Hinder the Unfolding of Xyloglucan Chains during Cell Deformation： Implications of the Mechanical Performance of Arabidopsis Hypocotyls with Pectin Alterations

Plant cell walls, like a multitude of other biological materials, are natural fiber-reinforced composite materials. Their mechanical properties are highly dependent on the interplay of the stiff fibrous phase and the soft matrix phase and on the matrix deformation itself. Using specific Arabidopsis thaliana mutants, we studied the mechanical role of the matrix assembly in primary cell walls of hypocotyls with altered xyloglucan and pectin composition. Standard microtensile tests and cyclic loading protocols were performed on tour1 hypocotyls with affected RGII borate diester cross-links and a hindered xyloglucan fucosylation as well as qua2 exhibiting 50% less homogalacturonan in comparison to wild-type. As a control, wild-type plants （Col-0） and mur2 exhibiting a specific xyloglucan fucosylation and no differences in the pectin network were utilized. In the standard tensile tests, the ultimate stress levels （-tensile strength） of the hypocotyls of the mutants with pectin alterations （mur1, qua2） were rather unaffected, whereas their tensile stiffness was noticeably reduced in comparison to Col-0. The cyclic loading tests indicated a stiffening of all hypocotyls after the first cycle and a plastic deformation during the first straining, the degree of which, however, was much higher for tour1 and qua2 hypocotyls. Based on the mechanical data and current cell wall models, it is assumed that folded xyloglucan chains between cellulose fibrils may tend to unfold during straining of the hypocotyls. This response is probably hindered by geometrical constraints due to pectin rigidity.

Experimental study on slender buckling-restrained knee braces with round steel bar cores

This study aimed to investigate a novel slender buckling-restrained knee brace damper (BRKB) for welded and weld-free steel framing systems. The proposed BRKB adopts steel bar cores connected by a central coupler and restrained by tube buckling restrainers with a cover tube supporter. The advantages of the proposed damper include easy assembly compared to conventional buckling restrained braces, and high architectural flexibility for the retrofitting of large-span weld-free or welded steel moment-resisting systems. Specifically, by increasing the number of contraction allowances, undesirable failure mechanisms that are global instability and local buckling of the restrainer ends can be effectively suppressed because the more uniform plastic deformation of the core bar can be achieved longitudinally. In this study, displacement-controlled compression and cyclic loading tests were carried out to investigate the deformation capacities of the proposed BRKBs. Structural performance metrics associated with both loading tests, such as strength capacities, strains at the cover tubes and buckling restrainers, and hysteretic behaviors of the proposed damper under cyclic loads, were measured and discussed. Test results revealed that the geometrical characteristics of the cover tubes and adopted contraction allowances at the dampers play essential roles in their load-bearing capacities.