1,721,073 research outputs found
Nomograms for the pre-dimensioning of RC beam-column joints according to Eurocode 8
No full textBeam-column joints in reinforced concrete frame buildings are very important elements whose design must be done with particular attention to guarantee the development of full strength and ductility of structural elements, as well as the respect of the hierarchy principles. Nowadays many codes worldwide require the evaluation of the beam-column joint capacity and provide expressions for the verification of this fundamental element. The respect of these verifications may lead the designer to take decisions which can affect, even significantly, the structural component geometry and also the architectural design of buildings. In this paper a simple and fast-to-use graphical tool is provided to support the design of beam-column joints satisfying Eurocode 8 verification expressions. In detail, nomograms are proposed with the great advantage of being largely applicable for all types of beam-column joints. The use of nomograms makes it possible to obtain an estimation of the beam-column joint sizing and of the horizontal hoop amount. If the joint dimension reveals to be underestimated and/or the hoop amount leads to an excessive close spacing, the designer can promptly modify the design at the early stages of the design process. Worked examples are also proposed, and many types of nomograms are reported in a dedicated appendix
Modal Identification of Buildings with Complex Geometry and Tested at Different Times
No full textBuildings with complex geometries often present challenges in dynamic identification due to the presence of numerous vibration modes, some of which are closely spaced and difficult to clearly identify. These modes can be hard to differentiate during modal testing, which can create complications when tests are performed at different times. This study addresses the challenges encountered in the dynamic identification of a complex hospital building using operational modal analysis. The building consists of several structural bodies of the same height and structural typology, built adjacent to each other, resulting in a complex floor plan geometry. Additionally, the entire structure underwent seismic retrofitting, with the once separate bodies now interconnected by steel elements and dissipative devices. The issues in the comprehensive dynamic identification are addressed, and a procedure for the definition of a reference sensor configuration for ambient vibration tests on such buildings is proposed
Advancing bridge resilience: a review of monitoring technologies for flood-prone infrastructure
Full text linkFloods pose a critical threat to bridge infrastructure, which plays an essential role in transportation networks and economic resilience. This review examines state-of-the-art Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technologies tailored to mitigate flood risks, focusing on their real-world applications in flood-prone bridges. A central feature of this review is the extensive use of case studies, illustrating diverse SHM methods applied globally to monitor challenges such as debris accumulation, hydrodynamic forces, and scour—primary causes of bridge failures. These examples provide detailed insights into technologies like sonar-based devices, scour probes, photographic monitoring, rotation- and vibration-based techniques. By showcasing specific case studies—such as bridges monitored using smart magnetic rocks, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), and fibre optic sensors—the review highlights practical outcomes, demonstrating how SHM systems enhance resilience through early detection and predictive maintenance. It also explores the challenges of implementing these systems, including environmental sensitivity, cost, and data complexity, while identifying gaps in integrating hydraulic and structural data for holistic risk assessments. This review advocates for multidisciplinary collaboration and advanced data-driven solutions, such as AI-based predictive maintenance, to address climate change impacts and increasing flood risks. By bridging cutting-edge research with real-world applications, this article provides actionable insights into scalable, adaptive SHM solutions, inspiring engineers and researchers to develop more resilient infrastructure for a changing world
A novel optimal sensor placement software for supporting the development of monitoring systems in civil engineering structures
Full text linkThis paper proposes a new software for the Optimal Sensor Placement (OSP) featuring an intuitive graphical user interface that simplifies its use. The software automates OSP analyses, enhancing efficiency, reducing human error, and supporting the development of effective dynamic monitoring systems as a result. It incorporates five well-established OSP methods that allow users to explore the optimal number of sensors and their locations on a structure. Moreover, it accommodates both numerical and experimental data as input. Results are provided in both tabular and graphical format. It can be used in all types of structures, even though it was developed primarily for civil engineering applications. A key innovation of the proposed software is its ability to perform OSP analyses on multi-block, complex, and non-orthogonal buildings, increasing versatility. After a comprehensive description of the new software, its applicability and potentiality are shown through simple applications, as well as with real case studies
Modelling Strategies for the Updating of Infilled RC Building FEMs Considering the Construction Phases
No full textThis paper deals with modelling strategies for the updating of Finite Element Models (FEMs) of infilled Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame buildings. As is known, this building typology is the most adopted worldwide for residential houses and strategic buildings, such as hospitals, schools, police stations, etc. The importance of achieving trustworthy numerical models for these kinds of structures, especially the latter ones, is clear. The updating procedure mainly consists in changing the geometrical and mechanical material properties of models until pre-determined convergence criteria are verified, the latter based on the comparison between numerical and experimental outcomes. In this work, the modelling strategies that can be adopted to refine FEMs of infilled RC buildings are treated in-depth, starting from the simple model usually developed for design purposes. Modelling techniques relevant to the geometry, the mechanical properties, the mass, and the restraint conditions of the model are discussed. Moreover, the approaches that can be adopted to calibrate numerical models during the construction process are addressed as well. Then, an application of the proposed strategies is provided with reference to a real building that was investigated during its construction. The proposed modelling strategies proved to be effective in the model updating of the considered building and provide useful support for the calibration of FEMs of this building typology in general
Beam-column joint nomogram: A simple and fast-to-use tool to evaluate the joint integrity in RC structures
No full textBeam-Column Joints (B-CJs) are crucial elements in Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame structures since their behaviour strongly affects the seismic performance of the structures. Indeed, design hierarchy principles of these kind of structures are conceived to obtain the BCJs preservation from premature failure, allowing the structural members to develop their full strength and ductility and assuring a global dissipative structural behaviour. As well known, B-CJs are the last link of the hierarchy chain and are designed in the last step; if code joint verifications are not satisfied, the B-CJ needs to be re-designed, with possible consequences on the redesign of the structural members framing into the joint and, often, on the architectural details. For these reasons, an early knowledge of the BCJs adequacy, since the early stages of the design process, can help engineers and architects to save time and to optimize the architectural and structural design of buildings. In this paper, a new graphical tool for supporting the design of B-CJs in RC frame structures is proposed. Diagrams (called nomograms) are presented, consisting in charts that lead to achieve the BCJ geometric dimensions and hoop amount so that the NTC18 B-CJ verifications are satisfied. The proposed nomograms can be used for all types of joints, and with any kind of geometry since they are dimensionless. Nomograms can simplify the RC building design since they offer an indication of the joint verification outcomes even from the early stages of the design process, i.e., at the moment in which the structure is conceived and built within a finite element model
Experimental modal analysis and finite element model updating of a historical masonry arch bridge
Full text linkThis paper presents the experimental test campaign to calibrate a finite element model intend-ed to evaluate the seismic vulnerability of the SS Filippo e Giacomo historical masonry arch bridge in Ascoli Piceno (Italy). The bridge has undergone very complex vicissitudes related mainly to exceptional river floods; it was partially rebuilt twice and other strengthening works were carried out over the time. The bridge, which is almost completely built with travertine blocks, has a total length of 146 m and follows a slightly curved path. Six arches, the main of which is semi-circular with span of 25 m and the others are lancet arches with span of about 8 m, support the carriageway that is about 8 m wide. The piers and abutments are founded on the bedrock and consequently some piers are deeply embedded in the sandy gravel deposit. A campaign of experimental tests was executed encompassing onsite measurements of stresses and modulus of elasticity, as well as laboratory measurements on specimens taken from the structures. Vibration tests were also carried out to evaluate the modal properties of the bridge. The acquired experimental data were used to calibrate a 3D Finite Element Model that has been developed considering the complex geometry of the bridge also including the deformable soil deposit. A very good consistency was achieved between experimental and theoretical be-haviours
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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