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ABSTRACT Under the action of complex earthquake loads, the elastic-plastic local buckling of a concrete-filled steel tubular column will most likely occur in the steel tube, which is difficult to [...]

ABSTRACT With constrained plates on both sides of steel coupling beam web, the continuous strengthening can be achieved in steel coupling beam subject to cyclic shear loading with web shear [...]

ABSTRACT This analysis was carried out based on the smeared crack model and plasticity damage model in general finite element program ABAQUS. Comparison and analysis were made on the key [...]

Transition from conventional energy paradigm to sustainable energy system is a major challenge in 21st century. This article presents a preliminary shape analysis of an accessorial roof with wind turbine to maximize the utilization of wind energy. This investigation focuses on the optimized accessorial roof shape to assess the performance of wind turbines mounted on an eco-roof. The optimization included inclination angle analyses of different variations of accessorial roofs and wind turbine power coefficient through numerical simulation. A V-shape accessorial roof with inclination angle of 19.5° is identified as the most effective roof inclination angle for wind energy harvesting which is due to a 63% wind speed-up and a lower turbulence intensity. The V-shape accessorial roof is capable of augmenting power output of a wind turbine installed on the building to about 1.375 times higher than that of 0.3366 without V-shape accessorial roof structure. A short straight channel integrated with the accessorial roof can further enhance the efficiency of the wind energy harvesting. This accessorial roof offered the possibility of harvesting wind energy in low wind speed areas. This design is also integrated with a solar photovoltaic system, daylight saving system, and rain water harvesting system. Finally, the power generated from the wind turbines of eco-roof system was estimated.

Abstract: A linear response history analysis method is used to determine the influence of three factors: geometric incoherency, wave-passage, and local site characteristics on the response of multi-support structures subjected to differential ground motions. A one-span frame and a reduced model of a 24-span bridge, located in Las Vegas, Nevada are studied, in which the influence of each of the three factors and their combinations are analyzed. It is revealed that the incoherency of earthquake ground motion can have a dramatic influence on structural response by modifying the dynamics response to uniform excitation and inducing pseudo-static response, which does not exist in structures subjected to uniform excitation. The total response when all three sources of ground motion incoherency are included is generally larger than that of uniform excitation.

The article offers information on an aluminum window replacement project administered by the author in a historic school building which called for the installation of rock-protection screens at all windows. The profile of the aluminum panning of the hopper windows has been reconfigured to double as a subframe for the screen. The frame of the screen is held in place against the modified panning with specially designed aluminum trim, following completion of the window installation.