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The purpose of this paper is to investigate a dissipative reinforced concrete structural wall that can improve the behavior of a tall multi-storey building. The main objective is to evaluate the damage of a dissipative wall in comparison with that of a solid wall.

In this paper, a comparative nonlinear dynamic analysis between a dissipative wall and a solid wall is performed by means of SAP2000 software and using a layer model. The solution to increase the seismic performance of a reinforced concrete structural wall is to create a slit zone with short connections. The short connections are introduced as a link element with multi-linear pivot hysteretic plasticity behavior. The behavior of these short connections is modeled using the finite element software ANSYS 12. In this study, the authors propose to evaluate the damage of reinforced concrete slit walls with short connections using seismic analysis.

Using the computational model created in the second section of the paper, a seismic analysis of a dissipative wall from a multi-storey building was done in the third section. From the results obtained, the advantages of the proposed model are observed.

A simple computational model was created that consume low processing resources and reduces processing time for a dynamic pushover analysis. Unlike other studies on slit walls with short connections, which are focussed mostly on the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the short connections, in this paper the authors take into consideration the whole structural system, wall and connections.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a reinforced concrete multi-storey building with dissipative structural walls. These walls can improve the behaviour of a tall multi-storey building. The authors’ main objective is to evaluate the damage of a building with dissipative walls in comparison with that of a building with solid walls.

In this paper, a comparative nonlinear dynamic analysis between a building with slit walls and then the same building with solid walls is performed by means of SAP2000 software and using a layer model. The solution to increase the seismic performance of a building with structural walls is to create slit zones with short connections in to the walls. The short connections are introduced as a link element with multi-linear pivot hysteretic plasticity behaviour. The hysteretic rules and parameters of these short connections were proposed by the authors and used in this analysis. In this study, the authors propose to evaluate the damage of a building with reinforced concrete slit walls with short connections using seismic analysis.

Using the computational model created by the authors for the slit wall, a seismic analysis of a multi-storey building with slit walls was done. From the results obtained, the advantages of the proposed model are observed.

Using a simple computational model, created by the authors, that consume low processing resources and reduces processing time, a nonlinear dynamic analysis on high-rise buildings was done. Unlike other studies on slit walls with short connections, which are focused mostly on the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of the short connections, in this paper the authors take into consideration the whole structural system, wall, connections and frames.

This paper aims to study, the effects of opening shape, size and position as well as the aspect (height-to-length) ratio on the shear capacity, stiffness, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of triple-skin profiled steel-concrete composite shear wall (TSCSW) and investigate and compare them to those of concrete-stiffened steel plate shear walls (CSPSW). Two kinds of opening, circular and square, with different sizes and positions and two aspect ratios of 1:1 and 3:1 are considered in the simulations.

This study presents a novel TSCSW and compares its behavior with the existing CSPSW under the effect of monotonic and cyclic loadings. TSCSW is composed of three corrugated steel plates filled with concrete. The two external side plates are connected to the concrete core by means of several intermediate fasteners and the third one is an inner steel plate embedded within the concrete panel. The internal plate is a buckling restrained plate surrounded by concrete. This is the main superiority of TSCSW over other kinds of existing composite shear walls.

The results show that the shear capacity and the energy dissipation capacity of the proposed composite wall, TSCSW, are respectively about 16 and 12% higher than those of CSPSW when there is no opening. If an opening is considered in the wall, as the size of the opening is increased, the shear capacity, stiffness, ductility and absorbed energy of the two walls are decreased similarly. The destructive effect of square openings on the performance of the walls is more than that of circular openings.

This is an original work.

Recycled concrete is an economical and environmentally friendly green material. The shear performance of recycled concrete load-bearing masonry is studied, which is great of significance for its promotion and application and also has great significance for the sustainable development of energy materials.

In total, 30 new load-bearing block masonry samples of self-insulating recycled concrete are subjected to pure shear tests, and 42 samples are tested subjected to shear-compression composite shear tests. According to the axial design compression ratio, the test is separated into seven working conditions (0.1–0.8).

According to the test results, the recommended formula for the average shear strength along the joint section of recycled concrete block masonry is given, which can be used as a reference for engineering design. The measured shear-compression correlation curves of recycled concrete block masonry are drawn, and the proposed limits of three shear-compression failure characteristics are given. The recommended formula for the average shear strength of masonry under the theory of shear-friction with variable friction coefficient is given, providing a valuable reference for the formulation of relevant specifications and practical engineering design.

Simulated elastoplastic analysis and finite element modeling on the specimens are performed to verify the test results.

The infill masonry walls in recent worldwide earthquakes have shown that it is necessary to conduct further studies to characterize the behavior of existing buildings and, in particular, of infill masonry walls under seismic activity. The lack of characterization studies of infill walls made by concrete blocks justifies the investigation reported herein, which includes experimental tests on sample sets to evaluate the mechanical properties of masonry components (units and mortar) and assemblages (wallets) made with masonry units from Faial. For the later, normal compressive, diagonal tensile/shear and out-of-plane flexural strengths were obtained according to standard procedures, the results of which are presented in the manuscript. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

One experimental campaign was conducted with the aim to mechanically characterize concrete blocks masonry samples. Several experimental tests were carried out in full-scale masonry concrete wallets according to the constructive methodology used.

Based on the data obtained from the mechanical characterization tests of the concrete masonry blocks, it can be seen that under simple compression, the masonry specimens’ average resistance is about 6 times superior than the average resistance to diagonal shear/tension, while the stiffness is almost doubled. In simple compression tests, it was observed that the masonry specimens cracked in areas of higher drilling of the blocks. In the tensile tests by diagonal compression, it was found that the test specimens were mainly fissured by the block/mortar joint interfaces, following the delineation of settlement and top joints.

There are no experimental results available in the literature for this type of bricks that can contribute to the development of numerical studies.

This paper gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied to the analysis of ceramics and glass materials. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations on the subject that were published between 1977‐1998. The following topics are included: ceramics – material and mechanical properties in general, ceramic coatings and joining problems, ceramic composites, ferrites, piezoceramics, ceramic tools and machining, material processing simulations, fracture mechanics and damage, applications of ceramic/composites in engineering; glass – material and mechanical properties in general, glass fiber composites, material processing simulations, fracture mechanics and damage, and applications of glasses in engineering.

The purpose of this paper is to report the first of four planned fire experiments on the 9.1 × 6.1 m steel composite floor assembly as part of the two-story steel framed building constructed at the National Fire Research Laboratory.

The fire experiment was aimed to quantify the fire resistance and behavior of full-scale steel–concrete composite floor systems commonly built in the USA. The test floor assembly, designed and constructed for the 2-h fire resistance rating, was tested to failure under a natural gas fueled compartment fire and simultaneously applied mechanical loads.

Although the protected steel beams and girders achieved matching or superior performance compared to the prescribed limits of temperatures and displacements used in standard fire testing, the composite slab developed a central breach approximately at a half of the specified rating period. A minimum area of the shrinkage reinforcement (60 mm²/m) currently permitted in the US construction practice may be insufficient to maintain structural integrity of a full-scale composite floor system under the 2-h standard fire exposure.

This work was the first-of-kind fire experiment conducted in the USA to study the full system-level structural performance of a composite floor system subjected to compartment fire using natural gas as fuel to mimic a standard fire environment.

To make full use of the tensile strength of near surface mounting (NSM) pasted carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) strips and further increase the flexural bearing capacity and flexibility of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, a new composite reinforcement method using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) layer in the compression zone of RC beams is submitted based on embedding CFRP strips in the tension zone of RC beams. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned points.

The experimental beam was simulated by ABAQUS, and compared with the experimental results, the validity of the finite element model was verified. On this basis, the reinforced RC beam is used as the control beam, and parameters such as the CFRP strip number, UHPC layer thickness, steel bar ratio and concrete strength are studied through the verified model. In addition, the numerical calculation results of yield strength, ultimate strength, failure deflection and flexibility are also given.

The flexural bearing capacity of RC beams supported by the new method is 132.3% higher than that of unreinforced beams, and 7.8% higher than that of RC beams supported only with CFRP strips. The deflection flexibility coefficient of the new reinforced RC beam is 8.06, which is higher than that of the unreinforced beam and the reinforced concrete beam with only CFRP strips embedded in the tension zone.

In this paper, a new reinforcement method is submitted, and the effects of various parameters on the ultimate bearing capacity and flexibility of reinforced RC beams are analyzed by the finite element numerical simulation. Finally, the effectiveness of the new method is verified by the analytical formula.

This paper aims to provide an initial determination of the date of construction, locations and a typology of design of the pill‐boxes of the Gin Drinker's Line constructed by the colonial Hong Kong Government.

Post‐war aerial photos taken by the Royal Air Force and R.C. Huntings were examined and site visits made to locate and measure the pill‐boxes. Relevant archive materials were consulted to help interpret findings.

A total of 76 pill‐boxes, most in ruins due to post‐war destruction for obtaining their steel bars, were mapped on a 1:25,000 scale to give a good idea of the nature of the Gin Drinker's Line. The study finds that, of these, 50 have survived. The pill‐boxes predated those built in the UK to anticipate of German landing.

The paper demonstrates how aerial photos can be used for historical research and conservation planning. Though the locations of the pill‐boxes identified are subject to detailed site surveying, the basic pattern of pill‐box distribution has been identified.

This is the first attempt to map the Gin Drinker's Line and classify its pill‐boxes. The findings are useful references for the actual conservation of colonial heritage in Hong Kong as part of China, as well as for further inquiry into the military history of the Second World War.

IT was no surprise to us, that news published just as this issue was being prepared, that Clive Sinclair was in an advanced stage of examining the possibilities of his firm, known all over the world as pioneers of electronics and the one which has brought micro‐computers within the reach of every family, expanding into the production of battery‐driven electric motorcars. He has recognised, as so many other directorates have failed to do, that the recession can only be beaten by finding new markets for new products. The world of yesteryear will never return.