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A dedicated resource for engineers, students, scientists, and researchers about the advancements inherent in the Applied Element Method (AEM) fully nonlinear 3-D dynamic numerical analysis.
Research and Practice on Progressive Collapse and Robustness of Building Structures in the 21st Century
Extreme events (i.e. terrorist attacks, vehicle impacts, explosions, etc.) often cause local damage to building structures and pose a serious threat when one or more vertical load-bearing components fail, leading to the progressive collapse of the entire structure or a large part of it. Since the beginning of the 21st century there has been growing interest in the risks associated with extreme events, especially after the attacks on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma in 1995 and on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001. The accent is now on achieving resilient buildings that can remain operational after such an event, especially when they form part of critical infrastructures, are occupied by a large number of people, or are open to the public. This paper presents an ambitious review that describes all the main advances that have taken place since the beginning of the 21st century in the field of progressive collapse and robustness of buildings.
Using the applied element method for modelling calcium silicate brick masonry subjected to in‐plane cyclic loading
he response of calcium silicate unreinforced masonry construction to horizontal cyclic loading has recently become the focus of experimental and numerical research, given its extensive use in...
Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Of “Sion Cathedral” (Switzerland): An Integrated Approach To Detect And Evaluate Local Collapse Mechanisms In Heritage Buildings
Seismic assessment of existing heritage buildings remains a challenging task. There is a high level of complexity and uncertainty compared with the assessment of standard buildings. Heritage masonry churches are usually prone to partial collapses during earthquake due to local loss of stability, and exhibit particular seismic vulnerabilities. An important step in the seismic analysis of heritage masonry buildings is the detection of local mechanisms. The Italian Building Code provides a simplified approach (LV1-churches) to assess the vulnerability of heritage churches evaluating and comparing 28 potential mechanisms. A general index of vulnerability and hierarchy between mechanisms is thereby provided. Verification of safety against local mechanisms can also be carried out using the kinematic approach. This procedure is based on evaluating the horizontal action needed to activate out-of-plane collapse mechanisms. Based on a full-scale study (Sion Cathedral), this paper evaluates the reliability of the “LV1-church” approach and of the kinematic approach through a comparison with the results obtained with a complex 3D model using the Applied Element Method.
Usefulness of ambient-vibration measurements for seismic assessment of existing structures
A large number of buildings in regions with low to medium seismic hazard have been designed without considering earthquake actions. Retrofitting of all buildings that fail to meet modern code requirements is economically, technically and environmentally unsustainable. Decision-making regarding retrofitting necessity and prioritization is complex. Ambient vibrations are non-destructive and easy to measure, and thus an attractive data source. However, ambient vibrations have very low amplitudes, which potentially lead to sensitivity to testing conditions and stiffness contributions from non-structural elements. Seismic assessment necessitates non-linear behavior extrapolation from linear measurements, which results in biased model predictions.
Design and Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Columns in Uplift due to Internal Building Detonations
Current research with respect to the protection of civilian infrastructure against complex blast loading conditions is primarily focused towards the effect of external explosive sources. As a consequence, the general literature on internal building detonations and specifically in the context of protective design and assessment of structures against these loading conditions is incomplete. Existing guidelines developed for comparatively noncomplex external explosive blast remain unconservative when applied to internal building detonations due to blast wave confinement and complex interaction with structural components. In particular, reinforced concrete (RC) columns in internal blast environments are subjected to time-variant uplift forces coupled with lateral pressures leading to destabilisation and a critical loss of structural integrity. Research presented in this thesis provides an original understanding towards: (i) – the influence of transient uplift forces on the vulnerability of RC columns subject to lateral blast pressures and, (ii) – design and assessment of RC columns against the effect of time-variant coupled uplift and lateral blast pressures due to internal building detonations.
Simulation of Brick Masonry Wall Behavior Under Cyclic Loading Using Applied Element Method
nderstanding masonry wall behavior under lateral cyclic loads is important as it helps both evaluating the seismic vulnerability of existing buildings and developing proper retrofitting measures. In this...
Voronoi Applied Element Method for Structural Analysis: Theory and Application for Linear and Non-linear Materials
Voronoi Applied Element Method (VAEM) has been developed based on previous Appleid Element Method (AEM). Comparing to the original AEM, the advantage of VAEM can be described as the followings: the boundary...
Structural Stability of Buildings Exposed to the Risk of Terrorist Bomb Attacks
errorist acts of the past two decades have resulted in major changes in approaches further military actions, while having consequences for all areas of social life. Many of terrorist attacks targeted or...
Demolição de Edifícios de Betão Armado por Métodos Explosivos
s time advances structures in Portuguese built areas start to show high levels of degradation. This suggests that when rehabilitation is no longer a viable option these structures need to be demolished. The...