Eccentrically Braced Frames (EBFs) have been widely used in the last decades and proved their efficiency to resist strong earthquake intensities by providing suitable ductility and lateral stiffness. Using the PBPD method for the design, EBFs can fulfill the target performance objectives under major earthquakes. The most commonly used configurations are the K-shaped and the recent Y-shaped EBFs, which have the advantage that the links are independent of the beam and can be easily replaced after an earthquake without serious damage to the beam and slab. This study focused on the lateral reliability of both systems under seismic loading. Nonlinear static pushover and Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) were performed on 5-story and 10-story K- and Y-shaped EBFs. A series of 14 near- and 7 far-field seismic records were considered to analyze and compare the inter-story drifts of both systems using the Seismostruct software. Moreover, Peak Ground Accelerations (PGA) and the different performance levels were also examined.

Sedimentation of dam reservoirs is a complex problem with several dimensions, including filling rates and characteristics of accumulated sediments. Sediment supply from river basins is particularly high in this region because of its semi-arid climate and especially because of poor vegetation protection. The amount of silt accumulated annually since the construction of this dam is estimated at 330000 m³. This silt accumulation strongly limits its storage capacity and consequently its operating duration. The consequences of this serious problem have been catastrophic, including a considerable reduction of 43–84% of the storage capacity of the dams and a clear degradation of water quality that can cause the degradation of the ecosystem functioning and can lead to irreversible changes. The silt present in abundance in the Algerian dams can, thus, constitute a potential resource to be judiciously exploited towards the increase of the performances of the construction materials. The extraction of sediments accumulated in the dam reservoir is, therefore, imperative. These sediments have a great geotechnical value. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of the recovery of mud by studying the knowledge of the sediments of the dam of Koudiat Medouar. The results of the tests carried out in laboratory allowed us to identify the various sediments from a physical and geotechnical point of view. These materials must of course meet certain rigorous criteria in terms of mechanical strength and durability and environmental impact. The experimental approach that we adopted allowed us to determine the characteristics of the materials necessary for the realization of compressed earth bricks (BTC) in conformity with the recommendations of the technical guides of construction.

The study of the collapse of soils under the effect of flooding is a major problem in soil mechanics. Most of the work done on the treatment of these soils has been devoted to the use of binders of hydraulic or organic types. However, little work has been devoted to the use of salt calcium chloride in collapsible soil treatments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect salt calcium chloride on a reconstituted collapsible soil in the laboratory, at different levels of water content, compaction energy and concentration of the saline solution. The results obtained showed a significant reduction in the potential for soil deformation and an illustration and a noticeable interaction between the soil particles and the saline solution resulting in a denser material.

Sebkha soils are defined as problem soils located in arid, semi-arid, and coastal areas. Generally, they are fine soil, composed of silt, sand, and clay, which are cemented by different salts (e.g., halite, gypsum, and calcite). In nature, sebkha saline soils are exposed to different drying and wetting (D-W) cycles. However, these cycles have a significant effect on the mechanical behavior of these soils. This study aims to characterize the chemical, mineralogical, and geotechnical properties of sebkha soil using an experimental approach. We focus on the effects of D-W cycles on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and salinity of sebkha soils from Ain M'Lila, Algeria. In addition, these D-W cycles were applied to the samples dried in the open air to achieve the targeted water content (water content values of 7%, 11.4%, and 13%). The results obtained show that the UCS increases with decrease in water content and decreases with an increase in the number of D-W cycles. In addition, these cycles affect the salinity of the sebkha soil. Indeed, a significant decrease in soil salinity was recorded with an increase in the number of D-W cycles. Finally, a relationship was found between the salinity of the soil and UCS. The latter decreases with a decrease in soil salinity; this relationship becomes very significant for low water content values of 7% or less.

Seismic fragility curves are considered an effective tool for the evaluation of the behavior of interaction of the soil-pile-structure (ISPS) subjected to earthquake loading. In this research, in order to better understand the ISPS effect, a nonlinear static analysis is applied with a variation of the vertical load, the diameter of pile, and finally the longitudinal steel ratio of the pile in different types of sand (loose, medium, dense) to obtain the capacity curves of each parameter for elaborating the curves of fragility. After a comparison of fragility curves of these parameters, it appears that the effect of the ISPS system is advantageous with respect to the vertical axial load and the diameter of pile, while the longitudinal ratio of the pile depending on the ductility and the lateral resistance of the ISPS system. The proposed equation is intended to help engineers in the design and performance of the soil-pile-structure interaction. The results of this equation provided a convergence with the results of the fragility curves.

During the last two decades, the attention of researchers has been focused on repairing and retrofitting concrete frames to make them more earthquake-resistant. Two methods have been developed to increase the seismic resistance of previously undamaged structures before they are subjected to an earthquake. The first is through the addition of new structural members, such as steel braces and the second is by selectively strengthening structural elements, for instance through steel caging. Seismic response analysis results have been utilized in multi-story RC frames that were designed without seismic design criteria. This study aims to determine whether the retrofitting technique is effective based on comparisons between steel braces, steel cages, and their combinations. The seismic performance is defined by the seismic code for Algeria RPA 2003 according to the latest recommendations. Static nonlinear analysis was used to compare seismic responses of existing non-ductile reinforced concrete RC frames under a variety of retrofit schemes. The results show that retrofitting with steel caging gives excellent performance in terms of ductility and low shear capacity. The retrofitting with steel bracing increased the shear capacity but led to a severe ductility deficiency. The retrofitting structure combined with steel bracing and steel caging shows good performance in shear capacity and ductility. Using the Zipper system (steel bracing) and V system in combination with steel caging gives similar results to the RPA model.

External confinement by the GFRP composites offers an actual process for retrofitting glass fibre reinforced concrete columns (GFRC) subject to static or seismic loads. This paper presents an experimental investigation and analytical modelling of the axial compression of confined circular concrete columns of different strengths (8.5, 16, and 25 MPa). Furthermore, the columns contain different percentages of glass fibres (0.3 to 1.2 %), and their confinement is given by GFRP composites of various thicknesses (0.8 to 2.4 mm). The uniaxial compression test on these specimens reveals that the glass fibre percentage and the thickness of the GFRP play a vital role in improving the load-deformation behaviour and crack propagation. Whatever the concrete strength, the ultimate axial strain and stress predicted using the suggested confinement model almost agrees with the available experimental results.

In this paper, numerous experimental tests were carried out to study the behavior of concrete containing glass fibers and confined with glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP). Concrete specimens containing different fiber percentages ( 0.3 wt.%, 0.6 wt.%, 0.9 wt.% or 1.2 wt.%) and with different strengths of concrete (8.5 MPa, 16 MPa and 25 MPa) and different confinement levels (two, four and six layers of GFRP) were used as research parameters. The samples were tested to failure under pure axial compression. The results imply that the confinement effect with GFRP is relatively higher for concrete samples containing glass fiber (GFCC) with a percentage equal to 0.6 wt.%. The theoretical of stress ratios (fcc/fco) estimated by using existing ultimate strength models are found to be close to the experimental results for high strength of GFCC, but not close to the experimental results for low strength of GFCC.

The aim of this work is to study the mechanical behavior of the sediments extracted from the Koudiet Meddaouar, Timgad dam (Algeria), for a possible valorization in the field for building works in order to minimize this phenomenon which is currently a concern for the operators and the persons in charge of the mobilization of the water resources. This siltation therefore severely limits its storage capacity and consequently it’s operating life. The extraction of the sediments accumulated in the dam's reservoir is therefore imperative, on the pain of seeing it perish in the medium term. These sediments are, however, of great geotechnical and mechanical value. The results of the tests conducted in the laboratory have enabled us to identify the different sediments from a physical and geotechnical point of view In front of the difficulties noted in the control of the silting up of the dams in Algeria, a very important quantity of silt being deposited annually in the dams. In order to achieve our objective, different mixtures of silt with or without lime treatment, cement glass fibers and powdered fibers were studied for the possible manufacture of Compressed Earth Bricks (CEB). The results obtained show that some of the mixtures present very interesting results in the different tests (compression and bending), verifying the conditions of the standards in force and thus allowing their use in the field of the manufacture of building materials.

Owing to the comeback of small-scale models, this paper presents results of an experimental study based on the effect of underground circular voids on strip footing placed on the edge of a cohesionless slope and subjected to eccentric loads. The bearing capacity-settlement relationship of footing on the slope and impact of diverse variables are expressed using dimensionless parameters such as the top vertical distance of the void from the base of footing, horizontal space linking the void-footing centre, and load eccentricity. The results verified that the stability of strip footing is influenced by the underground void, as well as the critical depth between the soil and top layer of the void. The critical horizontal distance between the void and the centre was also affected by the underground void. Furthermore, the results also verified that the influence of the void appeared insignificant when it was positioned at a depth or eccentricity equal to twice the width of footing.

The objective of the present manuscript is to describe the impact of polypropylene fibers on the behavior of heated concrete subjected to heating and cooling cycles at temperatures of 200, 450 and 600 °C respectively for six hours, through a series of experimental tests on mass loss, water absorption, porosity, compressive and tensile strength. For this purpose, mixes were prepared with a water/cement ratio with the incorporation of polypropylene fibers with a rate varying from 0.5 to 1.5%. These fibers were added in order to improve the thermal stability and to prevent the concrete from splitting. The results show that a considerable loss of strength was noticed for all tested specimens. The relative compressive strengths of the concretes containing polypropylene fibers were higher than those of the concretes without fibers. Also, a greater loss of mass of the polypropylene fibers compared to those without fibers was noticed when increasing the temperature. The flexural tensile strength of the concrete was more sensitive to elevated temperatures than the compressive strength and a rapid increase in porosity was observed for the fiber-reinforced concrete compared to the reference concrete. Furthermore, water absorption by the fibers is proportional to the fiber content of the concrete.

The stability and strength of slender Reinforced Concrete (RC) columns depend directly on the flexural stiffness EI, which is a major parameter in strain calculations including those with bending and axial load. Due to the non-linearity of the stress-strain curve of concrete, the effective bending stiffness EI always remains variable. Numerical simulations were performed for square and L-shaped reinforced concrete sections of slender columns subjected to an eccentric axial force to estimate the variation of El resulting from the actual behavior of the column, based on the moment-curvature relationship. Seventy thousand (70000) hypothetical slender columns, each with a different combination of variables, were used to investigate the main variables that affect the EI of RC slender columns. Using linear regression analysis, a new simple and linear expression of EI was developed. Slenderness, axial load level, and concrete strength have been identified as the most important factors affecting effective stiffness. Finally, the comparison between the results of the new equation and the methods proposed by ACI-318 and Euro Code-2 was carried out in connection with the experimental results of the literature. A good agreement of the results was found.

The infill walls are usually considered as nonstructural elements and, thus, are not taken into account in analytical models. However, numerous researches have shown that they can significantly affect the seismic response of the structures. The aim of the present study is to examine the role of masonry infill on the damage response of steel frame without and with various types of openings systems subjected to nonlinear static analysis and nonlinear time history analysis. For the purposes of the above investigation, a comprehensive assessment is conducted using twelve typical types of steel frame without masonry, with full masonry and with different heights and widths of openings. The results revealed that the influence of the successive earthquake phenomenon on the structural damage is larger for the infill buildings compared to the bare structures. Furthermore, when buildings with masonry infill are analyzed for seismic sequences, it is of great importance to account for the orientation of the seismic motion. The nonlinear static response indicated that the opening area has an influence on the maximal strength, the ductility and the initial rigidity of these frames. But the shape of the opening will not influence the global behavior. Then, the nonlinear time history analysis indicates that the global displacement is greatly decreased and even the behavior of the curve is affected by the earthquake intensity when opening is considered.

This study aimed to investigate whether the seismic fragility and performance of interaction soil-pile-structure (ISPS) were affected by different parameters:  axial load, a section of the pile, and the longitudinal steel ratio of the pile were implanted in different type of sand (loose, medium, dense). In order to better understand the ISPS phenomena, a series of nonlinear static analysis have been conducted for two different cases, namely: (i) fixed system and (ii) ISPS system, to get the curves of the capacity of every parameter for developing the fragility curve. After a comparison of the numerical results of pushover analysis and fragility curves, the results indicate that these parameters are significantly influenced on lateral capacity, ductility and seismic fragility on the ISPS. The increasing in the axial load exhibit high probabilities of exceeding the damage state. The increase in pile section and longitudinal steel ratio, the effect of probability damage (low and high) are not only related to the propriety geometrically, but also related to the values of ductility and lateral capacity of the system.

A steel frame with a semi-rigid connection is one of the most widely used structural systems in modern construction. These systems are cheap to make, require less time to construct and offer the highest quality and reliable construction quality without the need for highly skilled workers. However, these systems show greater natural periods compared to their perfectly rigid frame counterparts. This causes the building to attract low loads during earthquakes. In this research study, the seismic performance of steel frames with semi-rigid joints is evaluated. Three connections with capacities of 50, 70 and 100% of the beam’s plastic moment are studied and examined. The seismic performance of these frames is determined by a non-linear static pushover analysis and an incremental dynamic analysis leading finally to the fragility curves which are developed. The results show that a decrease in the connection capacity increases the probability of reaching or exceeding a particular damage limit state in the frames is found.

Soil-structure interaction is the key to study the behavior of structures under static or dynamic loading. The pile foundation is adopted to transfer loads from the structure to the soil when the structure is embedded in a weak soil stratum. Soil-pile system has a nonlinear behavior; thus, it is more complicated to understand. This study focuses on the numerical investigation of interaction of soil–pile–structure system (ISPS) and interaction of soil–pile system (ISP) under lateral loads. Nonlinear static analysis is carried out considering the lateral capacity of ISPS and ISP systems under lateral loading using pushover analysis. A parametric study concerning different types of axial loading, pile length and pile radius, as well as longitudinal steel ratio in different types of sand is conducted to observe the response of (ISPS) and (ISP) systems. Besides that, lateral capacity deflection and moment curves, as well as the formation of plastic hinge are evaluated for ISPS and ISP systems for a typical pile and various soil types and their results are presented. The results show that the lateral capacity is influenced by the parametric study.