Estimating fixed-end rotations of reinforced concrete members at yielding and ultimate

Strain-penetration of the longitudinal reinforcement of reinforced concrete (RC) members in the joints and/or footings results in fixed-end rotations at the member ends. Several experimental studies have shown that fixed-end rotations caused by strain-penetration contribute significantly (up to 50%) to the total displacement capacity of RC members. Hence, accurate determination of these fixed-end rotations at yielding and ultimate limit states becomes of primary importance when defining the structural response of RC members. The purpose of this study is to present the theoretical background and the assumptions behind the most common relationships found in the literature for determining strain-penetration induced fixed-end rotations at yielding and ultimate. Furthermore, new simple relationships are proposed on the basis of realistic and mechanically-based assumptions. Comparisons between the existing and proposed relationships demonstrate the limitations of the former. Finally, the proposed relationships are calibrated against experimental measurements of RC column specimens subjected to cyclic loading with recorded fixed-end rotations due to strain-penetration in the adjacent joints and/or footings

Bridge-specific fragility analysis: when is it really necessary?

In seismic assessment of bridges the research focus has recently shifted on the derivation of bridge-specific fragility curves that account for the effect of different geometry, structural system, component and soil properties, on the seismic behaviour. In this context, a new, component-based methodology for the derivation of bridge-specific fragility curves has been recently proposed by the authors, with a view to overcoming the inherent difficulties in assessing all bridges of a road network and the drawbacks of existing methodologies, which use the same group of fragility curves for bridges within the same typological class. The main objective of this paper is to critically assess the necessity of bridge-specific fragility analysis, starting from the effect of structure-specific parameters on component capacity (limit state thresholds), seismic demand, and fragility curves. The aforementioned methodology is used to derive fragility curves for all bridges within an actual road network, with a view to investigating the consistency of adopting generic fragility curves for bridges that fall within the same class and quantifying the degree of over- or under-estimation of the probability of damage when generic bridge classes are considered. Moreover, fragility curves for all representative bridges of the analysed concrete bridge classes are presented to illustrate the differentiation in bridge fragility for varying structural systems, bridge geometry, total bridge length and maximum pier height. Based on the above, the relevance of bridge-specific fragility analysis is assessed, and pertinent conclusions are drawn

A distributed shear and flexural flexibility model with shear-flexure interaction for R/C members subjected to seismic loading

Α beam-column type finite element for seismic assessment of R/C frame structures is presented. This finite element consists of two interacting, distributed flexibility subelements representing inelastic flexural and shear response. Following this formulation, the proposed model is able to capture spread of flexural yielding, as well as spread of shear cracking, in R/C members. The model accounts for shear strength degradation with inelastic curvature demand, as well as coupling between inelastic flexural and shear deformations after flexural yielding, observed in many experimental studies. An empirical relationship is proposed for evaluating average shear distortion of R/C columns at onset of stirrup yielding. The proposed numerical model is validated against experimental results involving R/C columns subjected to cyclic loading. It is shown that the model can predict well the hysteretic response of R/C columns with different failure modes, i.e. flexure-critical elements, elements failing in shear after flexural yielding, and shear-critical R/C members

Damage Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structures with Substandard Detailing

The goal of this study is to investigate seismic behaviour of existing R/C buildings designed and constructed in accordance with standards that do not meet current seismic code requirements. In these structures, not only flexure, but also shear and bond-slip deformation mechanisms need to be considered, both separately and in combination. To serve this goal, a finite element model is developed for inelastic seismic analysis of complete planar R/C frames. The proposed finite element is able to capture gradual spread of inelastic flexural and shear deformations as well as their interaction in the end regions of R/C members. Additionally, it is capable of predicting shear failures caused by degradation of shear strength in the plastic hinges of R/C elements, as well as pullout failures caused by inadequate anchorage of the reinforcement in the joint regions. The finite element is fully implemented in the general inelastic finite element code IDARC2D and it is verified against experimental results involving individual column and plane frame specimens with nonductile detailing. It is shown that, in all cases, satisfactory correlation is established between the model predictions and the experimental evidence. Finally, parametric studies are conducted to illustrate the significance of each deformation mechanism on the seismic response of the specimens under investigation. It is concluded, that all deformation mechanisms, as well as their interaction, should be taken into consideration in order to predict reliably seismic damage of R/C structures with substandard detailing

existing buildings the new italian provisions for probabilistic seismic assessment

In Europe, the reference document for the seismic assessment of buildings is the Eurocode 8-Part3, whose first draft goes back to 1996 and, for what concerns its safety format, has strong similarities with FEMA 276. Extended use of this document, especially in Italy after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake has shown its inadequacy to provide consistent and univocal results. This situation has motivated the National Research Council of Italy to produce a document of a level higher than the one in force, characterized by a fully probabilistic structure allowing to account for all types of uncertainties and providing measures of performance in terms of mean rates of exceedance for a selected number of Limit States (LS). The document, which covers both reinforced concrete and masonry buildings, offers three alternative approaches to risk assessment, all of them belonging to the present consolidated state of knowledge in the area. These approaches include, in decreasing order of accuracy: (a) Incremental dynamic analysis on the complete structural model, (b) Incremental dynamic analysis on equivalent SDOF oscillator(s), (c) Non-linear static analysis. In all three approaches relevant uncertainties are distinguished in two classes: those amenable of description as continuous random variables and those requiring the set-up of different structural models. The first ones are taken into account by sampling a number of realizations from their respective distributions and by associating each realization with one of the records used for evaluating the structural response, the latter by having recourse to a logic tree. Exceedance of each of the three considered Limit States: Light or Severe damage and Collapse, is signaled by a scalar indicator Y, expressing the global state of the structure as a function of that of its members, taking a value of one when the Limit State is reached. For the first two LS's, which relate to functionality and to economic considerations, the formulation of Y is such as to leave to the owner the choice of the acceptable level of damage, while for the Collapse LS the formulation is obviously unique. An application to a real school building completes the paper

Palatal development of preterm and low birthweight infants compared to term infants – What do we know? Part 3: Discussion and Conclusion

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that prematurity and adjunctive neonatal care is 'a priori' a risk for disturbances of palatal and orofacial development which increases the need for later orthodontic or orthognathic treatment. As results on late consequences of prematurity are consistently contradictory, the necessity exists for a fundamental analysis of existing methodologies, confounding factors, and outcomes of studies on palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants. METHOD: A search of the literature was conducted based on Cochrane search strategies including sources in English, German, and French. Original data were recalculated from studies which primarily dealt with both preterm and term infants. The extracted data, especially those from non-English paper sources, were provided unfiltered in tables for comparison (Parts 1 and 2). RESULTS: Morphology assessment of the infant palate is subject to non-standardized visual and metrical measurements. Most methodologies are inadequate for measuring a three-dimensional shape. Several confounding factors were identified as causes contributing to disturbances of palatal and orofacial development. CONCLUSION: Taking into account the abovementioned shortcomings, the following conclusions may be drawn for practitioners and prospective investigators of clinical studies. 1) The lack of uniformity in the anatomical nomenclature of the infant's palate underlines the need for a uniform definition. 2) Metrically, non-intubated preterm infants do not exhibit different palatal width or height compared to matched term infants up to the corrected age of three months. Beyond that age, no data on the subject are currently available. 3) Oral intubation does not invariably alter palatal morphology of preterm and low birthweight infants. 4) The findings on palatal grooving, height, and asymmetry as a consequence of orotracheal intubation up to the age of 11 years are inconsistent. 5) Metrically, the palates of orally intubated infants remain narrower posteriorly, beginning at the second deciduous molar, until the age of 11 years. Beyond that age, no data on the subject are currently available. 6) There is a definite need for further, especially metrical, longitudinal and controlled trials on palatal morphology of preterm and low birthweight infants with reliable measuring techniques. 7) None of the raised confounding factors for developmental disturbances may be excluded until evident results are presented. Thus, early orthodontic and logopedic control of formerly premature infants is recommended up to the late mixed dentition stage

Palatal development of preterm and low birthweight infants compared to term infants – What do we know? Part 2: The palate of the preterm/low birthweight infant

BACKGROUND: Well-designed clinical studies on the palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants are desirable because the literature is characterized by contradictory results. It could be shown that knowledge about 'normal' palatal development is still weak as well (Part 1). The objective of this review is therefore to contribute a fundamental analysis of methodologies, confounding factors, and outcomes of studies on palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants. METHODS: An electronic literature search as well as hand searches were performed based on Cochrane search strategies including sources of more than a century in English, German, and French. Original data were recalculated from studies which primarily dealt with both preterm and term infants. The extracted data, especially those from non-English paper sources, were provided unfiltered for comparison. RESULTS: Seventy-eight out of 155 included articles were analyzed for palatal morphology of preterm infants. Intubation, feeding tubes, feeding mode, tube characteristics, restriction of oral functions, kind of diet, cranial form and birthweight were seen as causes contributing to altered palatal morphology. Changes associated with intubation concern length, depth, width, asymmetry, crossbite, and contour of the palate. The phenomenon 'grooving' has also been described as a complication associated with oral intubation. However, this phenomenon suffers from lack of a clear-cut definition. Head flattening, pressure from the oral tube, pathologic or impaired tongue function, and broadening of the alveolar ridges adjacent to the tube have been raised as causes of 'grooving'. Metrically, the palates of intubated preterm infants remain narrower, which has been examined up to the age of the late mixed dentition. CONCLUSION: There is no evidence that would justify the exclusion of any of the raised causes contributing to palatal alteration. Thus, early orthodontic and logopedic control of formerly orally intubated preterm infants is recommended, as opposed to non-intubated infants. From the orthodontic point of view, nasal intubation should be favored. The role that palatal protection plates and pressure-dispersing pads for the head have in palatal development remains unclear

Strengh and deformation capacity of reinforced concrete members, with of without retrofitting

The present Thesis belongs in the general field of seismic assessment, design and redesign of concrete structures with displacement based procedures. Modern methods of this kind are based in controlling and comparing seismic demand with structural elements capacity in terms of displacements rather than forces. This leads in the need of estimating reinforced concrete elements performance under bending and shear, in terms of displacements. The object of the Thesis is development of models for calculating the basic performance characteristics of reinforced concrete elements under bending, in particular: yield moment, deformation at yielding, effective stiffness, deformation at ultimate, shear strength under cyclic loading, maximum strength of members with low shear ratio and behavior under biaxial loading. Members with various types of section and various characteristics are included, as also members retrofitted with FRP jacket or concrete jacket and members with lap-splice of longitudinal reinforcement in plastic hinge region. In order to develop new models and check older ones, a database of more than 2800 experiments from international literature on reinforced concrete elements was created and used here. Simple equations and procedures are suggested for calculating yield moment and corresponding curvature, based on section analysis, by specifying the appropriate yield criteria. Equations for calculating deformation at yielding, in particular chord rotation at yielding, θy as the sum of deformations due to bending, due to shear and due to slippage of longitudinal reinforcement from anchorage zone, are also developed. Calculation of effective stiffness is based on two alternative models, one theoretical and one purely empirical. Deformation at ultimate is then examined where two methods for calculating chord rotation at ultimate are suggested. 1st one is based on ultimate curvature, φu, where an appropriate concrete confinement model is used, and plastic hinge length Lpl, while 2nd one is based on purely empirical equations. Shear strength under cyclic loading is also examined and new models for calculating shear strength for shear tension and shear compression failure after flexural yield are developed. Behavior of reinforced concrete elements under biaxial loading is then examined. Elements with low shear ratio are also covered and new, more representative, criteria to characterize an element as a “short element” are suggested. A procedure based on an appropriate combination of Shohara and Kato 1981 model and Fardis et al. 1998 model is then suggested for calculating maximum strength of such “short elements”. Retrofitted members with FRP jacket are then examined and models for chord rotation at yielding and ultimate, as well as for shear strength are suggested. Behavior of members with lap-splice of longitudinal reinforcement inside plastic hinge region is then examined, including also retrofitting of this region with FRP jacket. Performance at yielding and ultimate of retrofitted members with concrete jacket is also examined. Development of all the suggested models of the Thesis is based on best fit with experimental results of the database, without sacrificing simplicity and applicability of the models.Η παρούσα διατριβή ανήκει στο γενικότερο θεματικό πεδίο της σεισμικής αποτίμησης, σχεδιασμού ή ανασχεδιασμού κατασκευών οπλισμένου σκυροδέματος με βάση τις μετακινήσεις. Οι σύγχρονες μέθοδοι αυτού του τύπου, στηρίζονται σε έλεγχο και σύγκριση της σεισμικής απαίτησης με την ικανότητα των μελών της κατασκευής σε όρους μετακινήσεων παρά σε όρους δυνάμεων. Δημιουργείται επομένως η ανάγκη για απλό και αξιόπιστο υπολογισμό της συμπεριφοράς μελών οπλισμένου σκυροδέματος σε κάμψη και διάτμηση, σε όρους μετακινήσεων. Το αντικείμενο της παρούσης διατριβής είναι η ανάπτυξη προσομοιωμάτων για τον υπολογισμό των βασικών χαρακτηριστικών της συμπεριφοράς καμπτόμενων μελών οπλισμένου σκυροδέματος και συγκεκριμένα: της ροπής διαρροής, της παραμόρφωσης στη διαρροή, της ενεργού δυσκαμψίας, της παραμόρφωσης στην αστοχία, της διατμητικής αντοχής σε ανακυκλιζόμενη φόρτιση, της αντοχής μελών με χαμηλό λόγο διάτμησης και της συμπεριφοράς υπό διαξονική καταπόνηση. Εξετάζονται μέλη διαφόρων τύπων και διαφορετικής διατομής, μέλη με ενίσχυση μανδύα οπλισμένου σκυροδέματος ή μανδύα σύνθετων υλικών, καθώς επίσης και μέλη με μάτιση του διαμήκους οπλισμού στην περιοχή πλαστικής άρθρωσης. Για την ανάπτυξη των προσομοιωμάτων, καθώς και για τον έλεγχο άλλων παλαιότερων, αναπτύχθηκε και αξιοποιήθηκε βάση πειραματικών δεδομένων μελών οπλισμένου σκυροδέματος με περισσότερα από 2800 πειράματα από τη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία. Για τον υπολογισμό της ροπής και της καμπυλότητας στη διαρροή, αναπτύσσονται απλές σχέσεις υπολογισμού, βασιζόμενες σε ανάλυση σε επίπεδο διατομής και καθορίζονται τα κατάλληλα κριτήρια διαρροής. Αναπτύσσονται ακολούθως σχέσεις υπολογισμού της παραμόρφωσης στη διαρροή, και συγκεκριμένα της γωνίας στροφής χορδής του μέλους στη διαρροή, θy, ως άθροισμα τριών όρων: καμπτικής παραμόρφωσης, διατμητικής παραμόρφωσης και παραμόρφωσης λόγω ολίσθησης των ράβδων διαμήκους οπλισμού από την περιοχή αγκύρωσης. Προτείνονται δε δύο εναλλακτικοί τρόποι υπολογισμού της ενεργού δυσκαμψίας, ένας θεωρητικός και ένας καθαρά εμπειρικός. Στη συνέχεια εξετάζεται η παραμόρφωση στην αστοχία και προτείνονται δύο εναλλακτικοί μέθοδοι υπολογισμού της γωνίας στροφής χορδής στην αστοχία, θu. Η 1η βασίζεται στον υπολογισμό της καμπυλότητας στην αστοχία, φu, με εφαρμογή του κατάλληλου προσομοιώματος περίσφιγξης του σκυροδέματος, και στην εφαρμογή της φu σε μήκος πλαστικής άρθρωσης ίσο με Lpl, ενώ η 2η σε καθαρά εμπειρικές εξισώσεις. Εξετάζεται ακολούθως η διατμητική αντοχή σε ανακυκλιζόμενη φόρτιση και προτείνονται προσομοιώματα για αστοχία σε διαγώνιο εφελκυσμό ή αστοχία σε λοξή θλίψη, μετά την καμπτική διαρροή. Στη συνέχεια εξετάζεται η συμπεριφορά μελών οπλισμένου σκυροδέματος υπό διαξονική καταπόνηση. Εξετάζονται επίσης μέλη με χαμηλό λόγο διάτμησης και προτείνονται νέα αντιπροσωπευτικότερα κριτήρια για τον χαρακτηρισμό ενός μέλους ως “κοντό μέλος”, καθώς και νέα μεθοδολογία υπολογισμού της αντοχής των μελών αυτών, με κατάλληλο συνδυασμό του προσομοιώματος των Shohara and Kato, 1981 και των Φαρδής και συνεργάτες 1998. Ακολούθως εξετάζονται μέλη ενισχυμένα με μανδύα σύνθετων υλικών και προτείνονται προσομοιώματα υπολογισμού της γωνίας στροφής χορδής στη διαρροή και την καμπτική αστοχία, καθώς και προσομοίωμα υπολογισμού της διατμητικής αντοχής. Στη συνέχεια εξετάζεται η συμπεριφορά μελών με μάτιση του διαμήκους οπλισμού στην περιοχή πλαστικής άρθρωσης, καθώς και η εφαρμογή μανδύα σύνθετων υλικών για την ενίσχυση της περιοχής αυτής. Τέλος εξετάζεται η συμπεριφορά στη διαρροή και στην αστοχία, μελών ενισχυμένων με μανδύα οπλισμένου σκυροδέματος. Η ανάπτυξη όλων των προτεινόμενων προσομοιωμάτων της διατριβής βασίζεται στην καλύτερη δυνατή συμφωνία με τα πειραματικά αποτελέσματα της βάσης δεδομένων, χωρίς όμως να θυσιάζεται η απλότητα και η ευχρηστία αυτών