Advances in Dynamics of Building Structures

The methods for preventing earthquake-induced structural pounding between two adjacent buildings include ensuring a sufficient separation distance between them or decreasing their relative displacement during seismic excitation. Some equations or even specific values of such gap sizes between two buildings have been introduced so as to avoid collisions. Increasing the stiffness of buildings, using tuned mass dampers, applying liquid dampers, or decreasing the mass of the structures may reduce lateral displacements, and therefore pounding can be prevented. On the other hand, the application of base isolation systems may result in the elongation of the natural period of the building, thus increasing the probability of structural pounding. The aim of the present paper is to verify the effectiveness of using rubber bumpers to reduce the negative effects of earthquake-induced pounding between base-isolated buildings. The analysis was conducted for different gap sizes between buildings, as well as for various values of the thickness, number and stiffness of rubber bumpers. The results of the study show that the peak impact force decreases with increasing thickness, stiffness, and number of bumpers. Moreover, the peak impact forces are reduced with increasing gap size. The results of the investigation clearly indicate that the use of additional rubber bumpers can be considered an effective method for reducing the negative effects of earthquake-induced pounding between base-isolated buildings. Full article

In this study, the seismic response and damage behavior of an isolated bridge under near-fault ground motion are studied and compared with the non-isolated bridge. To consider the local damage of the bridge pier and its evolution process, the nonlinear behavior of the bridge pier in the analysis is simulated by the fiber beam-column element model combined with the damage constitutive model of steel and concrete materials. The mechanical behavior of the isolation bearing is simulated by the three-dimensional isolation bearing model that can consider the instability and failure of the bearing. It is found that the isolation bearings do not work, and even amplify the seismic response of the bridge (pier displacement and pier shear) under the near-fault ground motion. This amplification also leads to more severe damage to the piers of the isolated bridge. In the case of the analyzed concrete bridge type and near-fault earthquake data, it can be concluded that the used isolating lead rubber bearings should not be recommended. In general, it can be stated that the selection of the types of bridge bearings in near-fault areas should always be analyzed in detail by designers in order to avoid unintentional amplifying of the bridge’s seismic response. Full article

The Continuous Surface Cap Model (CSCM) is one of the most widely used concrete models in LS-DYNA. The model is capable of capturing many important nonlinear mechanical behaviors of concrete well. The model has a built-in auto calibration procedure based on CEB-FIP code data. However, the built-in calibration procedure estimates material properties with significant errors, especially for tensile strength. Our study highlights the imperfection of the built-in automated material calibration procedure by the example of one-element uniaxial tension and compression tests. A calibration procedure is proposed, which significantly improves the accuracy of the material properties calculation: tensile and compressive strength and fracture energy. It is shown that the model with the proposed calibration procedure can describe the structure defamations and the fracture zone patterns more accurately. Full article

This paper considers the impact of foundation geometry on the vibrations transferred to a building in the vicinity of a railway line from the aspect of choosing an appropriate foundation type. For this purpose, a 1-g scale physical model is developed that includes the main parts containing dry sandy soil, a rigid soil container, and a five-story structure with three types of foundations, i.e., single, strip and mat. Next, the effects of the floor slab frequency associated with the local bending mode, the dominant soil frequency in vertical translation, and foundation geometry on the vibration level in the building are investigated. The experimental results obtained from the impulse loading exciting the frequency range of 0–156 Hz and scaled train axle load show that the vibration level transmitted to the floors in a structure with mat foundation is the smallest. Additionally, the strip and mat foundations reduced the root mean square ratio of vertical velocity on the first floor by, respectively, almost 8% and 53% in comparison with the single foundation, confirming the superior performance of the mat foundation. When the natural frequency of the slab bending mode approaches the dominant frequency of the ground’s vertical motion, resonance amplification becomes an inevitable phenomenon. Full article

An explicit finite element method is proposed to solve the u-p-formed dynamic equation of saturated porous media. In this method, a special discretization is implemented to discretize the global computational domain into local node systems of the individual nodes, and the dynamic equation of each local node system corresponding to each node is discretized by the completely explicit integration method in the time domain. By cycling through all the nodes, the dynamic responses of the global computational domain are obtained. In addition, a viscoelastic artificial boundary is added in the method. In numerical examples, the proposed FEM is verified by the good agreements between the results obtained from the proposed method and the analytical and numerical solutions of existing methods, respectively. After being embedded in OpenSees software, the proposed method is implemented into analysis of the seismic responses of liquefiable site. Full article

Curved multi-frame box-girder bridges with hinges are widely used in the United States due to the large spanning capacity, construction simplification and construction cost economy. This type of bridge frequently has the characteristics of column height asymmetry, adjacent bridge frames vibrating discrepancy. The combination of curved shape and random seismic excitation angles could aggravate the irregularity of the structural seismic response. In this study, an OpenSees model is established for an example bridge, and the hinge is taken as a key component to observe. The impacts of seismic excitation angles and column height layouts on fragility are investigated through the comparison of the fragility curves. The conclusions list the most unfavorable seismic excitation angles corresponding to the fragilities of bridge system, plug-type concrete elements in hinges, hinge restrainers, columns, abutment bearings as well as the secondary components, respectively. The symmetrical column height layout is proved to be beneficial to mitigate the damage risks of restrainers in intermediate hinges and reduce the fragility of the bridge system. This study can provide a reference for the rapid assessment of the fragile position and damage degree of bridges through structural configuration and shape, as well as the seismic excitation angle. Full article

In this paper, the dynamic response of a simply supported beam subjected to a moving load is reinvestigated. Based on a new beam theory, slope inertia-based Timoshenko (SIBT), the governing equations of motion of the beam are derived. An analytical solution is presented by using a coupled Fourier and Laplace–Carson integral transformation method. The finite element solution is also developed and compared with the analytical solution. Then, a comparative study of three beam models based on the SIBT, Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko, subjected to a moving load, is presented. The results show that for slender beams, the dynamic responses calculated by the three theories have marginal differences. However, as the ratio of the cross-sectional size to beam length increases, the dynamic magnification factors for the mid-span displacement obtained by the SIBT and Timoshenko beams become larger than those obtained by the Euler–Bernoulli beams. Furthermore, until the ratio is greater than 1/3, the difference between the calculated results of the SIBT and Timoshenko beams becomes apparent. Full article

Few studies have been published on the dynamic centrifuge model test of cohesive soil under earthquake action. The seismic response of cohesive soil foundation and tunnel was studied by the centrifuge experiment and numerical modelling. Through a comparison of the acceleration results of tunnel and cohesive soil foundation and the pore pressure and displacement of cohesive soil foundation, the influence of tunnel on cohesive soil foundation is discussed. The weak position of the tunnel under earthquake is predicted by effective numerical modelling. The results show that: (1) Under the Parkfield seismic wave, the natural frequency of the cohesive soil foundation with the tunnel is about 0.3 Hz, which is the most clear for the amplification of the low frequency component and the amplification of the seismic acceleration from bottom to top; (2) The acceleration response of the tunnel itself is small, and the effect of seismic wave on the surrounding soil is weakened due to the existence of tunnels; (3) The maximum bending moment and shear force appear at the corner of the rectangular tunnel, and the maximum axial force appears at the top of the rectangular tunnel; (4) The lateral displacement of the surface soil is the largest, and the pore pressure reduction in the middle soil is the largest compared with other soil layers. The existence of tunnels weakens the liquefaction potential of the surrounding soil. Full article

Story-added type apartments have recently been introduced as an option to resolve the housing supply shortage in areas that are undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization. However, the infrastructure of old apartment buildings (>20 years old) makes it difficult to introduce convenient facilities and recent technologies such as those involving the Internet of Things and augmented realities. Applying housing technologies to existing older apartments can increase housing supply and potentially address the aforementioned issues. However, story-added building remodeling increases the weight of existing buildings, necessitating seismic reinforcement, which is the major obstacle when performing vertical building extensions. This study presents methods for lowering seismic loads associated with vertical augmentation of buildings while improving the seismic performance. A model of a vertically extended building with three additional stories constructed on top of an existing 15-story apartment building was used. The applied seismic isolation system decreased the maximum response acceleration on top of the remodeled building by approximately 70% and 65% in the X-direction and Y-direction, respectively, while decreasing the base shear plane by approximately 30% in both the X- and Y-directions in comparison with forces on a non-seismically isolated building. These results demonstrate that the use of a seismic isolation system can significantly reduce seismic loads. Full article

Using lightweight reinforced concrete beams with glass fiber bars (GFRP) is one approach for achieving the requirement seismic design idea of “strong-columns weak-beams”. Twelve full-scale normal-strength concrete (NC with f_c` = 32 MPa) and high-strength lightweight concrete (HSLWC with f<sub>c</sub>` = 42, 49 and 52 MPa) exterior beam-column joints have been tested under cyclic loadings. The beams were reinforced with conventional steel bars (CS) and GFRP using steel fibers (SF). The experimental joint shear force was compared with that estimated by some international codes such as the American Concrete Institute (ACI-19), the Egyptian code (ECP-07), and the New Zealand Code (NZS-06). Nonlinear finite element analysis (ABAQUS) was carried out. In the present study, three main parameters were explored (1) HSLWC, (2) GFRP ratios equal to 0.70%, 1.03% and 1.37%, (3) SF ratios equal to 0.0%, 0.75% and 1.50%. The findings of the experiment revealed that increasing the concrete strength from NC with conventional steel bars to high-strength lightweight concrete HSLWC (f_c` = 42 MPa) with the same ratio of GFRP bars enhanced the first cracking load by about 25%. Increasing the SF ratio to 1.50% enhanced the failure load by 18–24% when compared with non-fiber specimens. The predicted joint shear strength estimated using the equations of the ACI 318-19 and ECP-07 are conservative for HSLWC exterior beam-column connection reinforced with GFRP bars but the predicted joint shear strength by using the equations of the NZS-07 is on the borderline for some cases. The finite element program ABAQUS can be used successfully to forecast the behavior of HSLWC beam-column connections reinforced with GFRP under seismic loadings. Full article

The seismic performance of a single-layer spherical reticulated shell is the key problem to be solved in the design and analysis of this structure. In previous studies, the influences of roofing systems on the seismic performance of shells were usually ignored, resulting in large discrepancies between the results of analyses and the actual stress states of shells. In this paper, the finite element analysis method is applied to a shell with a roofing system, and the applicability of the method is proven by static loading experiments. The influences of roofing systems on the seismic performance of shells are obtained from seismic response curves, the proportions and distributions of plastic members and the failure behaviours of the shells during strong earthquakes. The mechanism of the influence of the roofing system on the seismic response of a shell is revealed by analysing the damage of purlin joints and the energy consumption of the components of the shell. The relationships that describe the influence of different parameters of reticulated shells and roofing systems on the seismic response of the shells are studied, and the results show that the roofing system can greatly change the seismic response and failure of a shell under strong earthquake conditions. Full article

To examine the acousto-structural behavior of a sandwich cylindrical shell benefiting from hexagonal honeycomb structures in its core and functionally graded porous (FGP) layers on its outer and inner surfaces, a comprehensive study based on an analytical model which also considers the effect of an external flow is conducted. A homogenous orthotropic model is used for the honeycomb core while its corresponding material features are found from the modified Gibson’s equation. The distribution pattern of FGP parts is either even or logarithmic-uneven, and a special rule-of-mixture relation governs their properties. Based on the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), Hamilton’s principle is exploited to derive the final coupled vibro-acoustic equations, which are then solved analytically to allow us to calculate the amount of sound transmission loss (STL) through the whole structure. This acoustic property is further investigated in the frequency domain by changing a set of parameters, i.e., Mach number, wave approach angle, structure’s radius, volume fraction, index of functionally graded material (FGM), and different honeycomb properties. Overall, good agreement is observed between the result of the present study and previous findings. Full article

In situ observations and laboratory experiments showed that slow deformation waves widely exist in geomedia under loading conditions. Slow deformation waves’ behavior exhibits some similarities in media ranging from the scale as large as the Earth’s crust to the scale as small as the laboratory test samples. However, the mechanism underlying their generation has not been clarified yet. In this research an experimental study was performed on small-scale red sandstone samples subjected to uniaxial compression at the displacement rates of 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mm/min. Slow deformation waves under different loading rates were analyzed by speckle photography for microscopic characterization combined with the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The Luders deformation bands were predominantly observed in the flow channels formed at the stage of macro-elastic deformation. The spatial-temporal heterogeneity of the rock sample surface was quantified, and the deformation waves’ propagation velocities under different loading rates were obtained. The linear relationship between the propagation velocities of slow deformation waves and the loading rates was determined. The research findings shed some new light on the evolutionary characteristics of the slow deformation waves. Full article

The response of steel moment frames is estimated by first considering that the mass matrix is the concentrated type (M_L) and then consistent type (M_C). The effect of considering more than one element per beam is also evaluated. Low-, mid- and high-rise frames, modeled as complex-2D-MDOF systems, are used in the numerical study. Results indicate that if M_L is used, depending upon the response parameter under consideration, the structural model, the seismic intensity and the structural location, the response can be significantly overestimated, precisely calculated, or significantly underestimated. Axial loads at columns, on an average basis, are significantly overestimated (up to 60%), while lateral drifts and flexural moments at beams are precisely calculated. Inter-story shears and flexural moments at columns, on average, are underestimated by up to 15% and 35%, respectively; however, underestimations of up to 60% can be seen for some individual strong motions. Similarly, if just one element per beam is used in the structural modeling, inter-story shears and axial loads on columns are overestimated, on average, by up to 21% and 95%, respectively, while the lateral drifts are precisely calculated. Flexural moments at columns and beams can be considerably underestimated (on average up to 14% and 35%, respectively), but underestimations larger than 50% can be seen for some individual cases. Hence, there is no error in terms of lateral drifts if M_L or one element per beam is used, but significant errors can be introduced in the design due to the overestimation and underestimation of the design forces. It is strongly suggested to use M_C and at least two elements per beam in the structural modeling. Full article

This study aims to explore the tensile and impact properties (tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and impact strength) of polypropylene (PP)-based nanocomposites reinforced with graphene nanosheets, nanoclay, and basalt fibers. The response surface methodology (RSM) with Box–Behnken design (BBD) was adopted as the experimental design. An internal mixer was used to prepare compounds consisting of 0, 0.75 and 1.5 wt% graphene nanosheets, 0, 10 and 20 wt% basalt fibers, and 0, 3 and 6 wt% nanoclay. The samples were prepared by a hot press machine for mechanical testing. The tensile tests were run to determine the tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity, and the Charpy impact tests were performed to assess the impact strength. It was found that the addition of basalt increased the tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and impact strength by 32%, 64% and 18%, respectively. Also, the incorporation of the low-weight graphene nanosheets increased the tensile and impact strength by 15% and 20%, respectively, Adding graphene nanosheets generally improved the modulus of elasticity by 66%. Similarly, the addition of nanoclay improved the tensile strength by 17% and increased the modulus of elasticity by 59%, but further addition of it decreased the impact strength by 19%. The values obtained by this experiment for the mechanical property were roughly close to the data yielded from desirability optimization. Full article

On 18 October 2016, the wind-induced effects of a high-rise building with square section was measured by the monitoring system in Haikou of China during Typhoon Sarika. The wind characteristics atop the building and the time-history responses of the translational and rotational accelerations on different floors were measured by the monitoring system; the first three modal parameters were identified according to the measured acceleration. The results show that the combinations of the cross spectral density function, phase spectrum, and coherence function can clearly judge the phase of the measured floors in the frequency resonance area as well as its modal frequencies at the first three orders. The modal frequencies at the first three orders decrease linearly with the growth of mean wind speed within the range of 0~20m/s. The estimation formula of the modal frequencies of high-rise buildings considering the influences of different wind speeds is put forward, which is expected to fill the gap in the existing specification for the quantitative analysis of the influences of wind-loads on the fundamental frequencies of high-rise buildings. Full article

Although many families of integration methods have been successfully developed with desired numerical properties, such as second order accuracy, unconditional stability and numerical dissipation, they are generally implicit methods. Thus, an iterative procedure is often involved for each time step in conducting time integration. Many computational efforts will be consumed by implicit methods when compared to explicit methods. In general, the structure-dependent integration methods (SDIMs) are very computationally efficient for solving a general structural dynamic problem. A new family of SDIM is proposed. It exhibits the desired numerical properties of second order accuracy, unconditional stability, explicit formulation and no overshoot. The numerical properties are controlled by a single free parameter. The proposed family method generally has no adverse disadvantage of unusual overshoot in high frequency transient responses that have been found in the currently available implicit integration methods, such as the WBZ-α method, HHT-α method and generalized-α method. Although this family method has unconditional stability for the linear elastic and stiffness softening systems, it becomes conditionally stable for stiffness hardening systems. This can be controlled by a stability amplification factor and its unconditional stability is successfully extended to stiffness hardening systems. The computational efficiency of the proposed method proves that engineers can do the accurate nonlinear analysis very quickly. Full article

The Concrete Damaged Plasticity (CDP) constitutive is introduced to study the dynamic failure mechanism and the law of damage development to the aqueduct structure during the seismic duration using a large-scale aqueduct structure from the South-to-North Water Division Project (SNWDP) as a research object. Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and multiple stripe analysis (MSA) seismic fragility methods are introduced. The spectral acceleration is used as the scale of ground motion record intensity measure (IM), and the aqueduct pier top offset ratio quantifies the limit of structural damage measure (DM). The aqueduct structure’s seismic fragility evaluation curves are constructed with indicators of different seismic intensity measures to depict the damage characteristics of aqueduct structures under different seismic intensities through probability. The results show that penetrating damage is most likely to occur on both sides of the pier cap and around the pier shaft in the event of a rare earthquake, followed by the top of the aqueduct body, which requires the greatest care during an earthquake. The results of two fragility analysis methodologies reveal that the fragility curves are very similar. The aqueduct structure’s first limit state level (LS1) is quite steep and near the vertical line, indicating that maintaining the excellent condition without damage in the seismic analysis will be challenging. Except for individual results, the overall fragility results are in good agreement, and the curve change rule is the same. The exceedance probability in the case of any ground motion record IM may be estimated using only two factors when using the MSA approach, and the computation efficiency is higher. The study of seismic fragility analysis methods in this paper can provide a reference for the seismic safety evaluation of aqueducts and similar structures. Full article

In order to improve the thrust-weight ratio, modern aeroengines generally adopt a coaxial dual-rotor system. Factors such as manufacturing errors, assembly errors, bearing wear, and structural deformation can cause misalignment failures in a dual-rotor system. Supporting misalignment is one of the common types of misalignments in a dual-rotor system. To analyze the vibration characteristics of misalignment faults, in this study, we aim to build a finite element model of a dual-rotor system with supporting misalignment. The bearing loads caused by supporting misalignment are calculated using the three-bending moment equation method. Bearing loads are introduced into the dynamic model of the dual-rotor system. The influence of supporting misalignment at different bearings on the dynamic characteristics of the rotor system is investigated based on the supporting misalignment model. Studies have shown that supporting misalignment at different bearings has similar effects on the dynamic characteristics of the dual-rotor system. The proposed supporting misalignment model is more adaptable than the coupling misalignment model. It indicates that the damping of a rolling bearing should be considered in the dynamic analysis of a dual-rotor system although the value of the damping is not large. An experimental analysis is carried out. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Full article

The vector form intrinsic finite (VFIFE) method is a new and promising structural analysis technique that has many advantages as compared with the conventional finite element method (FEM) in analyzing the complex behaviors of a structure. However, despite the popularization of its application in civil and infrastructure engineering, there is no available unified general analysis framework for it, which limits the applications and developments of VFIFE. This work develops and implements a platform (termed openVFIFE) based on a new proposed object-oriented framework to facilitate the development and application of the vector form intrinsic finite method as well as the efficient and accurate analyses of complex behaviors for civil structures. To validate the platform, a series of numerical examples are conducted. Furthermore, to extend the applications of VFIFE, the nonlinear dynamic and collapse processes of a transmission tower under earthquake load are studied using openVFIFE. The results of these numerical examples simulated by the developed truss or beam elements are consistent with theoretical solutions, previous research or conventional finite element models. The failure modes of the transmission tower under earthquake load simulated by the platform is consistent with those observed in real cases. In addition, the results of nonlinear dynamic analyses of the transmission tower show that the computational efficiency of the proposed platform is 6-10 times higher than that of the conventional finite element method. The results provide sufficient evidence to prove the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed platform in the static, dynamic and elastoplastic analyses of truss and frame structures, especially in the structure analysis characterized by strong geometry nonlinearity. It is noteworthy that in addition to the link and beam elements, further work is undergoing on implementing more elements, such as shell and solid elements. The openVFIFE also allows researchers who are interested in this topic to put their creative ideas into this platform and continuously improve the completeness and applicability of the VFIFE method. Full article

This paper focuses on the dynamic behaviour of a low-rise masonry building representing the Italian residential heritage through experimental and numerical analyses. The authors discuss an application of combined Operational Modal Analysis and Finite Element Model updating for indirect estimation of the structural parameters. Two ambient vibration tests were carried out to estimate the structure’s dynamic behaviour in operational conditions. The first experimental setup consisted of accelerometers gathered in a row along the first floor to characterize the local dynamic of the floor. Conversely, the second setup had the accelerometers placed at the building’s corners to characterize the global dynamics. The outcomes of the first setup were used to estimate the mechanical parameters of the floor, while the ones form the second were used to characterize the mechanical parameters of the masonry piers. Therefore, two finite element models were implemented: (i) a single beam with an equivalent section of the floor to grasp the local behaviour of the investigated horizontal structure; (ii) an equivalent frame model of the entire building to characterise the global dynamic behaviour. The model updating process was developed in two phases to seize local and global dynamic responses. The updated numerical model formed the basis for a sensitivity analysis using the modelling parameters. The authors chose to delve into the influence of the floor on the dynamic behaviour of low-rise masonry buildings. With this aim, non-linear dynamic analyses were carried out under different mechanical characteristics of floors, expressing the scatter for ordinary masonry buildings. The displacements’ trends along the height of the building evidenced the notable role of the floor’s stiffness in the non-linear dynamic behaviour of the building. Lastly, the authors derived the fragility curves predicting the seismic performance in failure probability under a highly severe damage state. Full article

A bridge structure is subjected to different external loads and environmental effects during its operation, which results in different types and degrees of damage to the structure during its service life. Reinforcement is often required to maintain regular operation and extend its service life. However, a reinforced bridge structure continues to be subjected to vehicle loads and environmental erosion. Therefore, research on the durability deterioration mechanisms and fatigue life decay of reinforced structures is key to ensuring the long service lives of bridge structures. To study the influence of freeze–thaw cycle erosion on the basic mechanical properties and fatigue characteristics of a bridge structure and a strengthened structure, 2 m long prestressed hollow slab beams were designed and fabricated based on the principle of a similarity ratio and subsequently pre-cracked by fatigue failure. The prestressed hollow slab beams were strengthened after fatigue damage by two methods: pasting steel plates and pasting carbon fiber cloths. After this, a freeze–thaw cycle test was conducted to study the dynamic and static mechanical index changes and the attenuation of the fatigue characteristics of the prestressed strengthened hollow slab beams under freeze–thaw cycle erosion. Meanwhile, a numerical model for reinforced structures was established based on the ABAQUS software to study the mechanisms governing the attenuation of the fatigue life of the prestressed hollow slab beams with different freeze–thaw cycles. The results showed that the deflections and strains observed for the two methods were less than those prior to reinforcement. For instance, the deflection in the span decreased by 14–15%, and the compressive strain decreased by 5.2% to 6%. Under the fatigue load, the prestressed hollow slab beams strengthened by the two methods could withstand a fatigue load cycle of 2 million, and the reinforced components exhibited good fatigue resistance. Under cyclic erosion and fatigue loading, the deflections and strains in the reinforced prestressed hollow slab beams were increased by varying degrees, such as a 30–40% increase in the tensile strain and a 65–70% increase in the span. The fatigue life of the reinforced hollow slab beams decreased with the increasing number of freeze–thaw cycles, and the decay rate of the fatigue life was accelerated. Full article

The performance of precast concrete frame structures against seismic loads mainly depends on the beam-to-column connection. A ductile hybrid connection consists of unbonded post-tensioning steel and bonded reinforcement bars, both of which provide overall moment resistance to the frame. Post-tensioning steel acts as a restoring force which brings the structure back to its initial position upon unloading. Mild steel acts as an energy dissipator which yields in tension and compression. To evaluate the performance of precast frame structures, the structural engineer requires extensive knowledge of the complex nonlinear behavior of the connection. Standardization to mass produce is one of the benefits of precast construction, but with standardization in design there is severe risk. All previous earthquakes have clearly shown that continuous repetition of accepted practice without proper engineering review can lead to disaster. It is important to understand how different parameters of the connection influence the behavior and performance of the frame against seismic loads. The present study helps structural engineers and researchers with a detailed review of hybrid post-tensioned connections. This review is focused mainly on precast beam-to-column connections, studies on the development of hybrid connections, performance evaluations of hybrid connections, and the performance evaluation of precast frames with hybrid connections. Full article

The Bouc–Wen nonlinear hysteretic model has many control parameters, which has been widely used in the field of seismic isolation. The isolation layer is the most important part of the isolation system, which can be effectively simulated by the Bouc–Wen model, and the isolation system can reflect different dynamic characteristics under different control parameters. Therefore, this paper mainly studies and analyzes the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the isolation system under different influence factors based on the incremental harmonic balance method, which can provide the basis for the dynamic design of the isolation system. Full article