Velocity adjustable TMD and numerical simulation of seismic performance

A new type of velocity adjustable tuned mass damper （TMD） consisting of impulse generators and clutches is presented. The force impulse is generated by a joining operation of electromagnets and springs and MR dampers are used as clutches. Rules for velocity adjustment are established according to the working mechanism of TMD. The analysis program is developed on a VB platform. Seismic response of SDOF structures with both passive TMD and velocity adjustable TMD are analyzed. The results show that （l） the control effectiveness of passive TMDs is usually unstable; （2） the control effectiveness of the proposed semi-active TMDs is much better than passive TMDs under typical seismic ground motions; and （3） unlike the passive TMD system, the proposed velocity adjustable TMDs exhibit good control effectiveness even when the primary structure performance becomes inelastic during severe earthquakes.

Test research and computer simulation analysis of construction state during form finding for suspen-dome system

A novel construction method without scaffold work called as assembly-prestressing form finding loop by loop is presented.Based on the theory of finite displacement,the cycle-forward analysis method is presented for its construction calculation,which adopts the finite element method of generalized geometric nonlinearity combined with the application in the real construction process.By means of the combination of the forward analysis according to real construction sequence and the cycle iteration according to the initial strain increment method of cable force adjustment,the influence of the structural geometric nonlinearity and the loss of prestress are taken into account due to prestressing of tendons in turn and so on.If the initial cable forces derived from the method were used for construction,expected cable forces and shape could be assured easily.Simulation analysis achieved real-time tracking and controlling of the construction status.Finally,according to the procedure and parameters in simulating,a model experimental research on the stage of form finding(namely prestressing)was carried out for suspen-dome structure.The feasibility on the assembly-prestressing form finding method loop by loop was testified.The cycle-forward analysis method was established and numerical simulation was performed,and the results show that it was useful for the design and the construction of similar suspen-dome structure.

A new type of damper with friction-variable characteristics

Professor T. T. Soong is one of the early pioneers in field of earthquake responsc control of structures. A new type of smart damper, which is based on an Energy Dissipating Restraint （EDR）, is presented in this paper. The EDR by Nims and Kelly, which has a triangle hysteretic loop, behaves like an active variable stiffness system （AVS） and possesses the basic characteristics of a linear viscous damper but has difficulty in capturing the output and large stroke simultaneously needed for practical applicataions in engineering structures. In order to overcome this limitation, the friction surface in the original Sumitomo EDR is divided into two parts with low and high friction coefficients in this paper. The results of finite element analysis studies show that the new type of smart friction damper enables large friction force in proportion to relative displacement between two ends of the damper and has a large allowable displacement to fit the demands of engineering applications. However, unlike the EDR by Nims and Kelly, this type of friction variable damper cannot self re-center. However, the lateral stiffness can be used to restore the structure. The nonlinear time history analysis of earthquake response for a structure equipped with the proposed friction variable dampers was carried out using the IDARC computer program. The results indicate that the proposed damper can successfully reduce the earthquake response of a structure.

A mathematical approach to evaluate maximum frost heave of unsaturated silty clay

Maximum frost heave of unsaturated frost-susceptible soils,in conjunction with a high water table,is an important consideration for the design of foundations in seasonally frozen regions.Therefore,it is necessary to evaluate accurately and efficiently the maximum frost heave for a given soil.For this purpose,a series of one-sided freezing experiments was conducted on unsaturated silty clay in an open system.Multistage cooling of sufficient duration was applied to the soil sample's top,while constant above-zero temperatures were maintained at the bottom.Then,a simple methodology for calculating maximum frost heave at a given cooling temperature was derived utilizing information obtained within the limited time allotted for each stage.On this basis,an empirical equation for defining maximum frost heave as a function of cooling temperature and overburden pressure was determined.Overall,this study provides a simple and practical procedure that is applicable to the evaluation of maximum frost heave of unsaturated frost-susceptible soils.

3D viscous-spring artificial boundary in time domain

After a brief review of studies on artificial boundaries in dynamic soil-structure interaction, a three-dimensional viscous-spring artificial boundary （VSAB） in the time domain is developed in this paper. First, the 3D VSAB equations in the normal and tangential directions are derived based on the elastic wave motion theory. Secondly, a numerical simulation technique of wave motion equations along with the VSAB condition in the time domain is studied. Finally, numerical examples of some classical elastic wave motion problems are presented and the results are compared with the associated theoretical solutions, demonstrating that high precision and adequate stability can be achieved by using the proposed 3D VSAB. The proposed 3D VSAB can be conveniently incorporated in the general finite element program, which is commonly used to study dynamic soil-structure interaction problems.

Simulation Experiment of Loading Influence to Reinforcement Corrosion Affected by Stray Current and Salt Solution

According to the service environment of subway structure,experiment is carried out to simulate influence of different loading levels to reinforcement corrosion of R.C element affected by stray current and chlorine salt solution. The current density of the corrosion is measured with the linear polarization resistance method,together with the qualitative analysis and quantitative calculation. Experiment shows that rebar corrosion current density increase accordingly with the increase of loading level. The quantitative relations and the time of rust corrosion of reinforcement are obtained.