Jul 2026· International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering· Vol 20, pp. 888 - 901· 0 citations· 35 references
Abstract
ABSTRACT This paper experimentally investigates the prestressing effect of repeated strip footing loading on scaled reinforced earth walls and compares the results with numerical, analytical, and particle image velocimetry (PIV) analyses. Two wall configurations with full-height rigid and flexible facings and three reinforcement types were examined to evaluate soil–reinforcement interaction under repeated loading. Maximum reinforcement tensile forces and wall deflections were compared during the initial loading and subsequent reloading stages. Under the same footing load, wall deflection and footing settlement during reloading were approximately 50% lower than those measured during the initial loading stage. This improvement is attributed to a prestressing effect developed in the reinforcement, particularly near the wall facing. Numerical and analytical predictions showed good agreement with the experimental measurements of tensile forces and wall deformations. Larger discrepancies were observed for non-woven geotextile reinforcement because of its nonlinear response, which was further investigated using PIV analysis.
Masonry infill walls, although commonly treated as non-structural elements in reinforced concrete (RC) buildings, have a significant influence on the lateral response of RC frames. This study investigates the effects of masonry infills, opening configurations, and wall-post systems on the nonlinear lateral behavior of RC moment-resisting frames under quasi-static loading using advanced numerical modeling. Three-dimensional finite element models were developed in ABAQUS and validated against reliable experimental results. The numerical program includes bare frames, fully infilled frames, infilled frames with various opening sizes, and wall-post–strengthened configurations, all subjected to displacement-controlled quasi-static lateral loading up to large deformation levels. The results indicate that masonry infills considerably increase the initial stiffness and lateral strength of RC frames, while simultaneously increasing the potential for brittle behavior and stress concentration in the columns. The presence of openings reduces stiffness and disrupts the load transfer mechanism, leading to localized damage concentration around opening corners. In contrast, wall-post systems effectively mitigate these adverse effects by redistributing stresses, improving damage uniformity, and enhancing post-peak stability. The combined use of wall-posts and infilled walls with openings provides a more controlled lateral response in terms of strength, stiffness, and ductility, highlighting wall-posts as an efficient solution for improving the structural performance of infilled RC frames under lateral loading conditions.
Mahdi Mashhadiyan, E. Mousapoor, K. Niknam· Periodica polytechnica. Civi...· 0 citations
Dry-connected prefabricated composite walls have been increasingly used in steel structures owing to the development of building industrialization and the demand for rapid and efficient construction. However, the respective influences of dry-connection configuration and wall panel material on the seismic response of prefabricated composite walls require further clarification. To address this issue, full-scale quasi-static tests, continuum damage mechanics (CDM) analysis, and finite element simulations were conducted. Six specimens were tested under low-cycle reversed loading. The influence of connection type was evaluated by comparing MRC walls with U-type and Z-type connections, whereas the influence of wall panel material was evaluated by comparing MRC and SFC walls under U-type connections. For the tested MRC walls, the deformation capacity of the connections strongly influenced the failure mode. The U-type rigid connections provided limited deformation buffering, resulting in stress concentration at the wall ends, initial cracking at displacements of 8–10 mm, rapid crack propagation, and semi-brittle failure. In contrast, the Z-type flexible connections released deformation demand through the slip and rotation mechanisms of the slotted holes. The maximum tested displacements of the Z-type specimens were approximately 2.58–2.78 times the ultimate displacements of the corresponding U-type specimens. The Z-type specimens maintained stable load-carrying behavior with limited panel damage throughout the tested displacement range. Furthermore, a restoring-force calculation method was established based on CDM theory, and the predicted peak loads were generally consistent with the experimental results. This study identifies the load-transfer, deformation, and energy-dissipation characteristics of the tested connection–panel configurations and provides comparative evidence for the further development of prefabricated composite wall systems.
This article examines a self-centering semi-constrained steel shear wall (SSW) proposed as a new lateral load resisting system through an experimental testing and numerical simulation. The SSW is semi-constrained, connected to the floor beam, and supported by a self-centering steel frame. The frame includes steel beams and columns and uses post-tensioned cables to provide restoring force and help the structure return to its original position after loading. Since SSWs can dissipate energy and show good ductility, integrating the wall within a self-centering frame is intended to limit residual drift and achieve a system with very small permanent deformation. To evaluate performance, cyclic loading tests were conducted on a one-story, one-bay steel frame and on a self-centering frame incorporating a steel shear wall. Key response measures including yield and ultimate strength, residual displacement, effective stiffness, equivalent viscous damping ratio, and cumulative dissipated energy were obtained and compared with results for a comparable conventional SSW. The results show that the residual drift in the proposed system is roughly two to three times lower than that in the non self-centering shear wall system. The equivalent viscous damping ratio is approximately 0.17, and at higher loading levels it becomes close to that of the conventional wall. The numerical parametric study further indicates that increasing the shear wall plate thickness directly improves load capacity, while a very stiff end stiffener with large moment of inertia can reduce the self-centering performance.
Hossein Afsharimoghadam, H. Shariatmadar· Scientific Reports· 0 citations
This study investigates the ultimate lateral behavior of prestressed high-strength concrete (PHC) piles in layered ground conditions at a thermal power plant site in Nhon Trach, Vietnam. Full-scale free-head lateral load tests were conducted on single PHC piles with diameters of 300, 400, and 500 mm, and the measured load–displacement responses were used to calibrate a three-dimensional finite element model in Plaxis 3D. The calibrated model reproduced the experimental H–u curves with good agreement and was further used to examine the effects of soil stratification and head boundary conditions. Comparison with the Japanese Road Association (JRA) analytical approach shows that JRA provides conservative displacement predictions for the larger-diameter piles (D400–D500) over practical displacement ranges, while the agreement improves for D300 at larger deformations, reflecting the stronger influence of the underlying soft clay and the limitations of equivalent-soil idealizations in layered profiles. Normalized head displacements at maximum test loads fall within u/D≈0.06–0.13, consistent in order of magnitude with reported full-scale lateral pile tests in the literature. The results support using JRA for rapid screening, whereas calibrated 3D numerical analysis is recommended for working design and for translating free-head test outcomes to fixed-head or pile-group boundary conditions in similar layered ground settings.
Luan Nhat Vo, Van Quang Nguyen, Ngo Thị Thanh Hương Ngô et al.· Journal of Science and Trans...· 0 citations
As a lightweight load‐bearing member for aerospace truss structures, thin‐walled metal tubes require improved buckling resistance without additional mass. To this end, this paper innovatively designs a thin‐walled metal inflatable tube structure. The axial compressive behavior of the proposed tube and the influence of internal pressure are preliminarily investigated through experiments and numerical simulations. Axial compression buckling tests were conducted on two sets of specimens under 0 and 2 bar to evaluate the pressure‐induced changes in axial stiffness, critical buckling load, and buckling mode. Concurrently, a finite element model was established using material parameters obtained from independent tensile tests. The model was validated against the experimental results at 0 and 2 bar and was subsequently employed to numerically investigate the axial compressive response over a wider pressure range. In addition, initial local dimple imperfections were introduced into the finite element model to examine the imperfection sensitivity of pressurized thin‐walled tubes. Combining experimental and numerical simulation results reveals that pressurization significantly increases the buckling critical load of thin‐walled tubes and improves buckling morphology, thereby suppressing the occurrence of abnormal deformation. The numerical results also indicate that internal pressure can reduce the sensitivity of thin‐walled tubes to local dimple imperfections.
Dahai Zhang, Jiarong Jiang, Pengfei Yan et al.· Advanced Engineering Materia...· 0 citations
This study proposes a prefabricated grid wall for low‐ to mid‐rise rural buildings. Based on experimental and numerical analyses of three specimens under low‐cycle reversed loading, the effects of core material type and face layer on seismic performance were investigated. The results show that the core material works synergistically with the grid by sharing compressive stress and restraining the lateral deformation of the grid ribs. The specimen with autoclaved aerated concrete as the core material showed better hysteretic behavior and load‐bearing capacity than that with expanded polystyrene particle concrete (EPSPC), whereas the EPSPC specimen exhibited better energy dissipation. The face layer provided a skin‐like confinement effect during the elastic and elasto‐plastic stages, effectively improving crack resistance and load‐bearing capacity. However, this effect weakened in the later loading stage because of the brittle tensile fracture of the face layer. In addition, increasing the number of grids in the prefabricated part improved the mechanical performance in the later loading stage, although an overly dense grid arrangement increased concrete consumption and construction complexity. Based on this study, a 3 × 3 concrete grid layout is recommended for the prefabricated part.
Bin Luo, Fengnian Zhao, G. Cao et al.· Structural Concrete· 0 citations