@article{MarinkovicButenweg2022, author = {Marinkovic, Marko and Butenweg, Christoph}, title = {Numerical analysis of the in-plane behaviour of decoupled masonry infilled RC frames}, series = {Engineering Structures}, volume = {272}, journal = {Engineering Structures}, number = {1}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0141-0296}, doi = {10.1016/j.engstruct.2022.114959}, pages = {18 Seiten}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Damage of reinforced concrete (RC) frames with masonry infill walls has been observed after many earthquakes. Brittle behaviour of the masonry infills in combination with the ductile behaviour of the RC frames makes infill walls prone to damage during earthquakes. Interstory deformations lead to an interaction between the infill and the RC frame, which affects the structural response. The result of this interaction is significant damage to the infill wall and sometimes to the surrounding structural system too. In most design codes, infill walls are considered as non-structural elements and neglected in the design process, because taking into account the infills and considering the interaction between frame and infill in software packages can be complicated and impractical. A good way to avoid negative aspects arising from this behavior is to ensure no or low-interaction of the frame and infill wall, for instance by decoupling the infill from the frame. This paper presents the numerical study performed to investigate new connection system called INODIS (Innovative Decoupled Infill System) for decoupling infill walls from surrounding frame with the aim to postpone infill activation to high interstory drifts thus reducing infill/frame interaction and minimizing damage to both infills and frames. The experimental results are first used for calibration and validation of the numerical model, which is then employed for investigating the influence of the material parameters as well as infill's and frame's geometry on the in-plane behaviour of the infilled frames with the INODIS system. For all the investigated situations, simulation results show significant improvements in behaviour for decoupled infilled RC frames in comparison to the traditionally infilled frames.}, language = {en} } @article{RossiWinandsButenweg2022, author = {Rossi, Leonardo and Winands, Mark H. M. and Butenweg, Christoph}, title = {Monte Carlo Tree Search as an intelligent search tool in structural design problems}, series = {Engineering with Computers : An International Journal for Simulation-Based Engineering}, volume = {38}, journal = {Engineering with Computers : An International Journal for Simulation-Based Engineering}, number = {4}, editor = {Zhang, Jessica}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, address = {Cham}, issn = {1435-5663}, doi = {10.1007/s00366-021-01338-2}, pages = {3219 -- 3236}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) is a search technique that in the last decade emerged as a major breakthrough for Artificial Intelligence applications regarding board- and video-games. In 2016, AlphaGo, an MCTS-based software agent, outperformed the human world champion of the board game Go. This game was for long considered almost infeasible for machines, due to its immense search space and the need for a long-term strategy. Since this historical success, MCTS is considered as an effective new approach for many other scientific and technical problems. Interestingly, civil structural engineering, as a discipline, offers many tasks whose solution may benefit from intelligent search and in particular from adopting MCTS as a search tool. In this work, we show how MCTS can be adapted to search for suitable solutions of a structural engineering design problem. The problem consists of choosing the load-bearing elements in a reference reinforced concrete structure, so to achieve a set of specific dynamic characteristics. In the paper, we report the results obtained by applying both a plain and a hybrid version of single-agent MCTS. The hybrid approach consists of an integration of both MCTS and classic Genetic Algorithm (GA), the latter also serving as a term of comparison for the results. The study's outcomes may open new perspectives for the adoption of MCTS as a design tool for civil engineers.}, language = {en} } @article{MistlerButenwegMeskouris2006, author = {Mistler, Michael and Butenweg, Christoph and Meskouris, Konstantin}, title = {Modelling methods of historic masonry buildings under seismic excitation}, series = {Journal of seismology}, volume = {Volume 10}, journal = {Journal of seismology}, number = {No. 4}, issn = {1383-4649 (Print) ; 1573-157X (E-Journal)}, doi = {10.1007/s10950-006-9033-z}, pages = {497 -- 510}, year = {2006}, language = {en} } @article{ButenwegMarinkovicKubalskietal.2016, author = {Butenweg, Christoph and Marinkovic, Marko and Kubalski, Thomas and Klinkel, Sven}, title = {Masonry infilled reinforced concrete frames under horizontal loading}, series = {Mauerwerk}, volume = {20}, journal = {Mauerwerk}, number = {4}, publisher = {Ernst \& Sohn}, address = {Berlin}, issn = {1437-1022}, doi = {10.1002/dama.201600703}, pages = {305 -- 312}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The behaviour of infilled reinforced concrete frames under horizontal load has been widely investigated, both experimentally and numerically. Since experimental tests represent large investments, numerical simulations offer an efficient approach for a more comprehensive analysis. When RC frames with masonry infill walls are subjected to horizontal loading, their behaviour is highly non-linear after a certain limit, which makes their analysis quite difficult. The non-linear behaviour results from the complex inelastic material properties of the concrete, infill wall and conditions at the wall-frame interface. In order to investigate this non-linear behaviour in detail, a finite element model using a micro modelling approach is developed, which is able to predict the complex non-linear behaviour resulting from the different materials and their interaction. Concrete and bricks are represented by a non-linear material model, while each reinforcement bar is represented as an individual part installed in the concrete part and behaving elasto-plastically. Each brick is modelled individually and connected taking into account the non-linearity of a brick mortar interface. The same approach is followed using two finite element software packages and the results are compared with the experimental results. The numerical models show a good agreement with the experiments in predicting the overall behaviour, but also very good matching for strength capacity and drift. The results emphasize the quality and the valuable contribution of the numerical models for use in parametric studies, which are needed for the derivation of design recommendations for infilled frame structures.}, language = {en} } @article{MorandiButenwegBreisetal.2022, author = {Morandi, Paolo and Butenweg, Christoph and Breis, Khaled and Beyer, Katrin and Magenes, Guido}, title = {Latest findings on the behaviour factor q for the seismic design of URM buildings}, series = {Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering}, volume = {20}, journal = {Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering}, number = {11}, editor = {Ansal, Atilla}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, address = {Cham}, issn = {1573-1456}, doi = {10.1007/s10518-022-01419-7}, pages = {5797 -- 5848}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Recent earthquakes as the 2012 Emilia earthquake sequence showed that recently built unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings behaved much better than expected and sustained, despite the maximum PGA values ranged between 0.20-0.30 g, either minor damage or structural damage that is deemed repairable. Especially low-rise residential and commercial masonry buildings with a code-conforming seismic design and detailing behaved in general very well without substantial damages. The low damage grades of modern masonry buildings that was observed during this earthquake series highlighted again that codified design procedures based on linear analysis can be rather conservative. Although advances in simulation tools make nonlinear calculation methods more readily accessible to designers, linear analyses will still be the standard design method for years to come. The present paper aims to improve the linear seismic design method by providing a proper definition of the q-factor of URM buildings. These q-factors are derived for low-rise URM buildings with rigid diaphragms which represent recent construction practise in low to moderate seismic areas of Italy and Germany. The behaviour factor components for deformation and energy dissipation capacity and for overstrength due to the redistribution of forces are derived by means of pushover analyses. Furthermore, considerations on the behaviour factor component due to other sources of overstrength in masonry buildings are presented. As a result of the investigations, rationally based values of the behaviour factor q to be used in linear analyses in the range of 2.0-3.0 are proposed.}, language = {en} } @article{RosinButenwegCacciatoreetal.2018, author = {Rosin, Julia and Butenweg, Christoph and Cacciatore, Pamela and Boesen, Niklas}, title = {Investigation of the seismic performance of modern masonry buildings during the Emilia Romagna earthquake series}, series = {Mauerwerk}, volume = {22}, journal = {Mauerwerk}, number = {4}, publisher = {Ernst \& Sohn}, address = {Berlin}, issn = {1437-1022}, doi = {10.1002/dama.201800013}, pages = {238 -- 250}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The article presents the investigation of the seismic behaviour of a modern URM building located in the municipality of Finale Emilia in province of Modena, Northern Italy. The building is situated in the centre of the series of the 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes and has not suffered any damage during the earthquake series in 2012. The observed earthquake resistance of the building is compared with predicted resistances based on linear and nonlinear design approaches according to Eurocode. Furthermore, probabilistic analyses based on nonlinear calculation models taking into account scattering of the most relevant input parameters are carried out to identify their influence to the results and to derive fragility curves.}, language = {en} } @article{BaumgartnerFidlerWethetal.2008, author = {Baumgartner, Werner and Fidler, Florian and Weth, Agnes and Habbecke, Martin and Jakob, Peter and Butenweg, Christoph and B{\"o}hme, Wolfgang}, title = {Investigating the locomotion of the sandfish in desert sand using NMR-Imaging}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {3}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {10}, publisher = {Plos}, address = {San Francisco, California, US}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0003309}, pages = {e3309}, year = {2008}, abstract = {The sandfish (Scincus scincus) is a lizard having the remarkable ability to move through desert sand for significant distances. It is well adapted to living in loose sand by virtue of a combination of morphological and behavioural specializations. We investigated the bodyform of the sandfish using 3D-laserscanning and explored its locomotion in loose desert sand using fast nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. The sandfish exhibits an in-plane meandering motion with a frequency of about 3 Hz and an amplitude of about half its body length accompanied by swimming-like (or trotting) movements of its limbs. No torsion of the body was observed, a movement required for a digging-behaviour. Simple calculations based on the Janssen model for granular material related to our findings on bodyform and locomotor behaviour render a local decompaction of the sand surrounding the moving sandfish very likely. Thus the sand locally behaves as a viscous fluid and not as a solid material. In this fluidised sand the sandfish is able to "swim" using its limbs.}, language = {en} } @article{MarinkovicButenweg2019, author = {Marinkovic, Marko and Butenweg, Christoph}, title = {Innovative decoupling system for the seismic protection of masonry infill walls in reinforced concrete frames}, series = {Engineering Structures}, volume = {197}, journal = {Engineering Structures}, number = {Article 109435}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0141-0296}, doi = {10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.109435}, year = {2019}, language = {en} } @article{ŠakićMarinkovićButenwegetal.2023, author = {Šakić, Bogdan and Marinković, Marko and Butenweg, Christoph and Klinkel, Sven}, title = {Influence of slab deflection on the out-of-plane capacity of unreinforced masonry partition walls}, series = {Engineering Structures}, volume = {276}, journal = {Engineering Structures}, editor = {Yang, J.}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0141-0296}, doi = {10.1016/j.engstruct.2022.115342}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Severe damage of non-structural elements is noticed in previous earthquakes, causing high economic losses and posing a life threat for the people. Masonry partition walls are one of the most commonly used non-structural elements. Therefore, their behaviour under earthquake loading in out-of-plane (OOP) direction is investigated by several researches in the past years. However, none of the existing experimental campaigns or analytical approaches consider the influence of prior slab deflection on OOP response of partition walls. Moreover, none of the existing construction techniques for the connection of partition walls with surrounding reinforced concrete (RC) is investigated for the combined slab deflection and OOP loading. However, the inevitable time-dependent behaviour of RC slabs leads to high values of final slab deflections which can further influence boundary conditions of partition walls. Therefore, a comprehensive study on the influence of slab deflection on the OOP capacity of masonry partitions is conducted. In the first step, experimental tests are carried out. Results of experimental tests are further used for the calibration of the numerical model employed for a parametric study. Based on the results, behaviour under combined loading for different construction techniques is explained. The results show that slab deflection leads either to severe damage or to a high reduction of OOP capacity. Existing practical solutions do not account for these effects. In this contribution, recommendations to overcome the problems of combined slab deflection and OOP loading on masonry partition walls are given. Possible interaction of in-plane (IP) loading, with the combined slab deflection and OOP loading on partition walls, is not investigated in this study.}, language = {en} } @article{MistlerAnthoineButenweg2007, author = {Mistler, Michael and Anthoine, A. and Butenweg, Christoph}, title = {In-plane and out-of-plane homogenisation of masonry}, series = {Computers \& structures}, volume = {Volume 85}, journal = {Computers \& structures}, number = {Issues 17-18}, issn = {1879-2243 (E-Journal); 0045-7949 (Print)}, doi = {10.1016/j.compstruc.2006.08.087}, pages = {1321 -- 1330}, year = {2007}, language = {en} }