Vol 20, No 2 (2024)

An analysis of changing patterns of the values of member forces in a scissors truss, depending on the position of connections of its lower chords to the upper chords, is performed. Exploring effective truss structure designs in terms of balanced combination of maximum strength and minimum weight is a sustainable approach to a more rational use of building materials and the development of green construction. This determines the relevance of this area of research. The analysis of configurations of the truss under study was performed using the parameterized Maxwell - Cremona diagram. Such diagram is a visually informative tool in presenting the calculation results and it fully reflects the relationship between the member forces and the parameters of the structure. The research process was performed using the MS Excel spreadsheet editor. This eventually developed into a software tool for finding effective scissors truss designs, which has full potential for further improvement and development. Thus, the functionality of the tool can be easily expanded to designing scissors trusses made of various structural materials, as well as with various crosssectional shapes of its elements. The proposed approach to the calculation of such structures can serve as a basis for parameterization of trusses with other types of web.

Most of the building stock in Nepal is based on masonry construction, which includes monumental, administrative, and residential structures. These structures are vulnerable during earthquakes, as evidenced by the massive structural damage, loss of human life, and property damage due to a lack of proper assessment and appropriate strengthening measures. An analysis of the seismic vulnerability of existing old Newari brick masonry buildings in the Pokhara Valley is presented. These buildings were built using indigenous knowledge and technology. The investigation is based on analytical studies, with some material properties obtained from field tests. Proper modeling of a masonry structure is crucial for reliable seismic resistance and structural design. However, modeling a real masonry structure is a challenging and computationally demanding task due to its complicated framework, requiring in-depth knowledge, realistic material properties, and relevant information. The aim of this research is to assess the seismic performance of old Newari masonry buildings using stress level and fragility curves. The research issues are addressed analytically through linear time history analysis using the finite element program-based software Sap 2000 v20. In dynamic analysis, numerical building models were subjected to three synthetic earthquakes. The performance status of the building based on various stress levels is evaluated, and weak regions are identified. The fragility curve of the structure is assessed, considering the ground motion parameters in the locality. The fragility function is plotted with the probability of failure at an interval of 0.10 g. The results of the analysis highlight that the studied structure is vulnerable compared to the codal provisions and standard recommendations.

A method of forming a curved orthogonal coordinate system on a plane and a technique of constructing new surface shapes with curved trapezoidal plans are presented. Multiple examples of curved trapezoidal plans based on different directrix curves and surfaces with the given plans, including combinations of surfaces with different conjugate directrix curves, are illustrated. The proposed technique of surface forming may be used in architecture and construction for development of thin-walled space structures in both urban and industrial buildings. But for the analysis of thin shells, geometric characteristics of the middle surface of the shell are usually used. Vector equation of surfaces with curved trapezoidal plan was used to obtain the formulas for the fundamental form coefficients and surface curvatures. Examples of calculation of the fundamental form coefficients and curvatures of surfaces with particular directrix curves and vertical coordinate functions are presented.

It is proved and illustrated that by taking the main frame of the surface, consisting of three plane curves placed in three coordinate planes, three different algebraic surfaces with the same rigid frame can be designed. For the first time, one three of new ruled surfaces in a family of five threes of ruled surfaces, formed on the basis of some shapes of hulls of river and see ships, which, in turn, are projected in the form of algebraic surfaces with a main frame of three superellipses or of three other plane curves, is under consideration in detail with a standpoint of differential geometry. The geometrical properties of the ruled surfaces taken as the middle surfaces of thin shells for industrial and civil engineering are presented. Analytical formulas for determination of force resultants with using the approximate momentless theory of shells of zero Gaussian curvature given by non-orthogonal conjugate curvilinear coordinates are offered for the first time. The results derived using these formulae will help to correct the results obtained by numerical methods.

The purpose of the study is to examine the physical and mechanical characteristics of steel fiber-reinforced concrete under compression, including: modulus of elasticity, Poisson ratio, values of ultimate strains under compression, values of compressive strength with different percentages of dispersed reinforcement. An experimental investigation program, which included the production of cube samples measuring 100×100×100 mm, as well as a compression test under static loading, taking into account unloading from the region of inelastic deformations, was developed and carried out. Two types of steel fiber were chosen as dispersed reinforcement: hooked end and wave shape. The volume content of steel fiber in the cube samples was 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 %. As a result of the investigation, the strength and deformation characteristics of steel fiber reinforced concrete under compression were obtained. Based on the experimental data, actual strain diagrams of steel fiber reinforced concrete were constructed, taking into account the type of reinforcing fibers and the percentage of reinforcing fiber. Based on the obtained diagrams, a law of deformation of steel fiber reinforced concrete is proposed, which can be described by a polynomial function of the fourth order with constant coefficients that determine the shape of the stress-strain curve. The presented research results can be used in developing a methodology for physically nonlinear analysis of steel fiber reinforced concrete elements with a percentage of dispersed reinforcement from 0.5 to 2.0 %.