Earthquake ground motion intensities (GMI’s) such as PGV, instrumental seismic intensity and spectrum intensity (SI) have been estimated for each mesh with side length of such as 250 m using hypothetic ground models created on the basis of boring investigation data. However, to employ effective measures for seismic damage mitigation and contribute to a resilient society, the GMI’s should be estimated in greater detail, such as at each construction site, and the seismic risk should be assessed accordingly. In order to do so, Sugai et.al proposed a modified Kriging method, which can take into account the non-negligible errors in estimations of the GMI’s of the boring points on ground surface. The method has already been applied to the estimations of seismic hazards and risks using earthquake scenarios in Owari-asahi City, Aichi prefecture, Japan. Developing the proposed method, it is thought that it becomes possible to estimate GMI’s at an arbitrary point by using a limited number of observation records obtained when an earthquake occurs.

 It is practically impossible to estimate the spatial distribution of GMI’s directly from the observation records by seismometers installed on the ground surface because it requires very dense distribution of seismometers. For example, in Owari-asahi City, approximately one seismometer in every 100 square meters is necessary considering the auto-correlation distance of GMI’s such as PGA, PGV and instrumental seismic intensity being about 150 to 700 m on the ground surface. On the contrary, the auto-correlation distance of GMI’s on engineering bedrock is much longer, about 1.5 to 2 km in the city. Accordingly, the spatial distribution of GMI’s on the engineering bedrock can be estimated with smaller number of observation records, approximately one seismometer in every 1 square kilo-meter. GMI’s on the engineering bedrock at the location of seismometers can be estimated by seismic response analysis of surface strata using the observation records (inverse analysis).

 One could estimate GMI on the ground surface at an arbitrary point by multiplying an amplification factor to the GMI’s on the engineering bedrock. However, an amplification factor of GMI depends on not only the characteristics of the surface strata but also the frequency characteristics of an earthquake ground motion.

 The aim of the present paper is to propose a method for estimating an acceleration Fourier amplitude spectrum (FS) at an arbitrary point using the limited earthquake ground motion observation records and a transfer function at boring points of surface strata by a modified kriging method. So, it is possible to evaluate the acceleration response spectrum using the acceleration FS. The transfer function at boring points can be estimated by seismic response analysis (forward analysis) using seismic waves on the engineering bedrock caused by earthquake scenarios. The transfer function at arbitrary points and the locations of seismometer can then be estimated by interpolation of the functions of the points using the modified kriging method. Also, the acceleration FS at each of 642 boring points on the ground surface inside Owari-asahi City estimated by the proposed method using only 20 records on the ground surface are compared with the FS estimated by transfer functions and seismic waves on the engineering bedrock at the same boring points. It is found that the spectral ratio is close to 1.

 In structural design of buildings against habitability such as walking vibration and wind vibration, current evaluation is mainly carried out based on the evaluation guideline of habitability. The guideline for evaluation of habitability is mainly based on the results of perceptual experiments of steady vibration. However, in the field of environmental vibration of recent years, the researches on sensory evaluation of random vibration have been advanced. If a random vibration is evaluated in the same way as steady vibration with only the dominant frequency and maximum acceleration, it is on the safety side as a building, but the evaluation of random vibration is often severe since deviation occurs between evaluation and bodily sensation, If we can quantitatively evaluate random vibration from the view of difference with the feeling of steady vibration, it will be possible to set the design value more realistic.

 Hence, if a vibration with relatively less time fluctuation of amplitude and frequency is called “steady vibration”, a vibration whose amplitude or frequency, or the both greatly fluctuate over time is called “random vibration”. Time fluctuation means fluctuation within the time that a human can feel a change.

 In the guideline for evaluation of habitability, the evaluation curves are presented separately in the case of the three sources of vibrations: vertical vibration of floor caused by human motion or equipment, vertical or horizontal vibration caused by traffic, or horizontal vibration caused by wind. Among them, horizontal vibration caused by wind is random vibration but it is considered to have ergodicity. The wind vibration of a certain time (usually 10 minutes) is often regarded as continuous horizontal vibration by the repetition of similar amplitude. Therefore, it is generally evaluated as steady vibration.

 However, detailed design may be possible by evaluating it as a random vibration including multiple frequency components and varying frequency and amplitude even with horizontal vibration caused by wind. Especially in the case of long period vibration and long time vibration exceeding 10 minutes, it is necessary to consider the habitability as random vibration.

 We have conducted sensory evaluation on random horizontal vibration. As a result, we found the possibility of being able to evaluate by an evaluation method based on the predominant frequency by frequency analysis and the maximum acceleration in time series waveform, and the evaluation method using a filter that corrects the frequency characteristics. The other researches targeting vertical vibration based on 1/3 octave band analysis are ongoing.

 This paper focuses on a method using a filter that corrects the frequency characteristics. We presented and verified its evaluation method for the habitability of random horizontal vibration such as wind vibrations derived as a result of applying the method and verifying. As a result, although it is necessary to process filtering, it is possible to evaluate by the amplitude spectrum and the maximum accelerations.

 We also shows the specific value of excess duration time (te) based on the results of subject experiments. In the evaluation of psychological quantity, if we evaluated it according to evaluation procedure, we found a possibility to wake a corresponding evaluation by setting the excess duration time (te) as 0.5 seconds for anxiety, and 0.6 seconds for discomfort. On the other hand, in the perceptual evaluation, it was confirmed that it can is evaluated just by reduction using a filter.

 In June 2016, MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) has announced a countermeasure against the Nankai trough long period ground motions. However, the response spectrum method, indicated by the Ministry of Construction notification Vol. 2009, is out of the countermeasure, because this method was considered to be difficult to reflect the influence by long period ground motions. Therefore, required seismic performance can be different according to the design method. In order to deal with this task, in this study, the damping correction formula for long period ground motions, which considers periodic characteristics of the design earthquake response spectra, was proposed. Moreover, the applicability for the seismic isolation buildings was verified by comparing with the results by the time history analysis using SDOF models.

 Further, the authors compared the results by the response spectrum method and time history analysis considering the site amplification to confirm the applicability of the proposed formula to the site amplification. In addition, using the artificial ground motions generated by the sinusoidal synthesis method, the applicability of the proposed formula was verified. The conclusions are summarized as follows:

 1) The evaluation formula, based on the spectrum form of long period ground motions, is enable to accurately evaluate the response reduction factor by using the regression coefficient of each earthquake.

 2) In case of the response spectrum method using the existing formula, the displacement by the response spectrum method is more than 1.5 times larger than that by the time history analysis. However, the response spectrum method using the proposed formula shows good correlation with the results by the time history analysis in each period range. As a result, applicability of the proposed formula to the seismic isolation building has been verified.

 3) In case of the response prediction considering the site amplification, the response spectrum method using the proposed formula shows conservative estimations than the time history analysis. However, the improvement of prediction accuracy has been found compared to the existing formula.

 4) The proposed formula is enable to accurately evaluate the reduction factor for long period ground motions considering the construction site characteristics, which are based on the observed records generated by the sinusoidal synthesis method.

　Previous studies on prediction of responses of non-structural components during earthquakes based on response spectra analysis sometimes have inconsistent accuracy because of limitations on the parameters used. This paper proposes an improved simplified method for the prediction of the pseudo-spectral acceleration as well as spectral displacement of non-structural components in buildings. The method takes into account the frequency contents and duration of the earthquake input motion and the dynamic interaction and amplification effect from vibration periods and damping ratios of the building and non-structural components. The method is verified using single-mass systems, and then using multi-story building.

 We develop long-period and long-duration ground motion prediction equations for earthquakes along the Sagami Trough based on strong motion records to utilize the equations to design input motions for high-rise buildings. Equations of 5%-damped acceleration response spectra SA and the average and variance of group delay time in the period range of 0.1 to 10 s are developed. Mw range of dataset is 3.7 to 8.2. The fault distance range is 1.2 to 250 km. The main features of the equations are as follows.

 1) Since the strong motion records of big Sagami Trough earthquakes are rare, many records of earthquakes with M_J≧ 4.0 along the Sagami Trough are added to records of big subduction-zone earthquakes (M_J≧6.5) in whole Japan. The amplification factors for SA tend to be smaller than those for earthquakes along the Nankai Trough obtained by our previous paper. This result is the same result showed by 3-D FDM by Fujiwara et al..

 2) Records of crustal earthquakes are used only to estimate a coefficient which represents the saturation effect to S_A near fault regions because the upper depth of the Philippine Sea plate in south western part of Kanagawa prefecture is less than 10 km. The saturation effect is stronger than that for earthquakes along the Nankai Trough obtained by our previous paper.

 3) Magnitude coefficients for wide Mw range data are modeling well by introducing hinge magnitudes used in S_A equations of NGA-WEST2.

 4) Differences between interplate and intraplate earthquakes are modeling by using dummy valuables as fault depth dependency coefficients for S_A. The S_A is larger as the depth is shallower in the long period range. This tendency reflects feature of surface waves.

 5) Site coefficients of S_A and group delay time obtained at the surface are converted to site coefficients at the engineering bedrock with an S-wave velocity of 400 m/s based on 1-D wave propagation theory using shallow structures modeled by National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED). Even at a period of 1 s amplification factors for S_A at the surface were affected by shallow structures in the wide region around the center of the Kanto plane but the effects are removed in amplification factors at the engineering bedrock.

 6) Site coefficients of group delay time at the engineering bedrock become longer by shallow structures even in the periods longer than the predominant periods of shallow structures. This result means that 3-D FDM using the subsurface structure under the engineering bedrock cannot simulate these effects on duration by shallow structures.

 The developed equations are applied to the 1923 Taisho Kanto (Mw7.9) type earthquake using fault models by the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion (HERP). The long-period ground motion predicted near Hongo is consistent to the observed and restored record there. Predicted S_A are comparable to those predicted by 3-D FDM by HERP. This result is reasonable because the scaling relation of spectral level of the 1923 Taisho Kanto earthquake and the source models by HERP almost agrees with the previous empirical relation for earthquakes along the Pacific plate which are major dataset of our equations. We also applied the developed equations to the hypothetical south Tokyo metropolitan earthquake (Mw7.3) using fault models by Cabinet Office. The predicted S_A is a little larger and duration is a little longer than those predicted by stochastic Green’s function method by Cabinet Office. This result is reasonable because surface waves are not considered in the stochastic Green’s function method.

 In recent years, synthesis of strong ground-motion waveforms has increasingly been performed by finite-difference methods (FDM) in strong ground-motion prediction using models of subsurface velocity structures with irregular sediment-bedrock interfaces and incident waves from complex source processes. It is known that the seismic motions in the simulations of these complex subsurface velocity structure models exhibit remarkable temporal and spatial variations due to interference between waves (including transforms between P- and S-waves and between body and surface waves) dispersed by irregular sediment-bedrock interfaces. The characteristics of these variations can be investigated in more detail if these complex wavefields can be separated into P- and S-waves and the S-waves can further be separated into SV- and SH-waves.

 In this article, in the spatial domain, we have presented a procedure for the separation of waves in an irregular subsurface structure model into P-, SH-, and SV-waves based on the ground surface displacement (or velocity or acceleration) induced by the seismic motion (or velocity or acceleration) synthesized by FDM or other method or taken from high-density array earthquake observation recordings, and applied the procedure to the synthetic seismic motion response induced by a dislocation point source in a three-dimensional sedimentary-basin model (Figs. 1 and 2) to derive the acceleration waveforms corresponding to the P-, SH-, and SV-wave potentials. This enabled clear identification of the radiation characteristics of the body waves by the potentials corresponding to the point source mechanism, together with clear identification of a wave group (Rayleigh waves) formed by coupling of P- and SV-waves, and a wave group (Love waves) solely of SH-waves travelling horizontally in the sedimentary layer (Figs. 7 and 8).

 As given in Chapter 2, we have in particular presented a procedure for considering the expression (Eqs. 1(a)-(c)) of relations between the three-component displacements {u, v, w} and the P-, SV-, and SH-wave potentials {φ, χ, ψ} while assuming stress-free conditions (Eqs. 7(a)-(c)) at the ground surface, and thereby deriving their potentials in the spatial domain solely from the displacement vectors of the full wavefield at the ground surface. Using this procedure, we derived the P-wave potential (Eq. 8a) and the vertical displacement component (Eq. 8b) induced by this potential without performing partial differentiation of the ground surface displacement vectors in the vertical direction, and next derived the SH-wave potential as the solution of the two-dimensional Poisson equation (Eq. 3) at the ground surface. The three-component displacement induced by the SV-wave potential were obtained by subtracting the previously obtained components of displacement induced by the P-wave potential and the SH-wave potential from the three-component displacement induced by the given full wavefield (Eqs. 11(a)-(c)). To investigate the separation accuracy of the finite-difference approximation (Eqs. 12, 13 and 14) of the partial derivatives with respect to space, we compared the results with the three-directional acceleration waveforms induced by the potentials obtained by the near-field three-dimensional Aki and Larner method (NF3DALM)^{ref. 16)} (Fig. 3). The results showed that good accuracy is obtained by the finite-difference approximation with a grid spacing that is approximately one-fourth or less the shortest wavelength of waves travelling horizontally in the sedimentary layer (Fig. 6).

 Chimneys with various shapes are built in the thermal power plant. In particular, super high chimneys exceeding 100m in height, it is common to support chimneys with a steel tower or concrete outer cylinder and so on. Estimation of natural period is indispensable for evaluating dynamic behavior such as wind induced vibration and earthquakes. However, it is complicated to estimation of natural period of truss tower supported steel chimney. One of the reasons is that it is impossible to uniquely determine the weight and stiffness of truss tower, because there are many members that making up truss tower, and also chimney body weight concentrating on the tower support point height depends on the number of parts to support and the height. This paper presents estimation formula of natural period of truss tower supported steel chimney except such kind of complicate process.

 The target chimney type is truss tower supported chimneys. In this paper, 21 chimneys data are used refer from previous measurement results and previous design data that evaluated eigenvalue. The chimney heights are 131m to 230m, aspect ratio of chimneys are 20.7 to 47.6, aspect ratio of truss towers are 2.80 to 5.14. Proposed method of the past for estimate 1st natural period is given regression equation by chimney height. In focus as 1st natural period at 200m in height, the estimation result is 2.0s by regression equation as mentioned. However, the correct values evaluated by measurement or analysis are 1.7s to 2.6s despite of same height, the values of regression coefficient by chimney height are 0.007 to 0.014. Because, even the chimney height is same, the chimney body number is different this means the total weight is influence to natural period. And also aspect ratio both chimney and truss tower influence to natural period as well. These influences must be taken into account in order to evaluate the natural period.

 In this paper, we proposed two estimation formulas of 1st natural period of truss tower chimney those influence included. One is experience formula, the other is theoretical formula. The experience formula isn’t necessary evaluate the weight and stiffness of whole chimney. Because such influence is taken into account by proposal parameters using the chimney diameter, the number of chimney and aspect ratio of chimney. Among the proposal parameters used in experience formula, since the aspect ratio of chimneys and the number of chimneys are determined from the functional conditions required for plant, the structure designer only examines the truss tower shape. Previously, there was no way to logically examine the basic shape of the tower shape. However, by using this proposed formula, it is possible to plan the structure of truss tower considering the dynamical vibration characteristics of the chimney. On the other hand, the theoretical formula is a method for estimating 1st natural period from total mass and the truss tower stiffness, assuming truss tower supported chimney to one-degree-of-freedom model. In order to obtain the total mass and the stiffness of the truss tower, it is necessary to examine the cross section of the member. However, it is possible to estimate 1st natural period with the same accuracy of eigenvalue analysis. These proposal formula performs more accurately than previously estimation method. Furthermore, it is possible to examine the influence of higher order modes by clarifying the relationship between the 1st natural period and the 2nd natural period. Therefore, by using this proposed formula, it is possible to study a reasonable chimney shape from a multilateral perspective.

 A rotary press-in pile with wings has advantages to get large vertical bearing capacity for its pile diameter and to reduce the amount of soil excavated for its installation. On the other hand, it has been concerned that the rotary pile might cause weakening of the soil around the rotary pile. In the case of clay, the authors confirmed the ground around the pile with wings becomes density increase, stiffness decrease and gap occurrence by a past experiment. But, the influence of shape of pile with wings（D_w/D_p）and repeated loading on lateral loading behavior of pile with wings has not been confirmed. In this paper, a series of experiments was performed to grasp the behavior of a rotary press-in pile horizontally loaded, and the property changes of surrounding soil by installing a rotary press-in pile with wings.

 In the experiments, the execution of pile installation was managed with constantly maintaining the ratio of s/p below 1.0, where’s is the penetration length of pile rotated by one revolution and p is the helical pitch of it’s pile wing. The experiments were carried out at site with a diluvial loam layer. In the experiments, in order to investigate the properties of soil around a pile. We observed the state that the ground around the pile was expanded, after installing the pile. The lateral loading tests, apparatus of one of which was directly equipped with pile shaft and the other of which was normal test, were carried out. In order to investigate the lateral loading behavior, horizontal loading test of the pile was carried out. In order to compare the differences in the pile installation methods, the lateral loading tests for the pile installed by rotation method and the buried pile were carried out.

 As a result of this study, the conclusions are as follows.

 1) The coefficient of horizontal subgrade reaction for the rotary pile with wings decreased as D_w / D_p increased

 2)It was confirmed that as the number of times of repeated loading became larger, the coefficient of horizontal subgrade reaction of the pile with wings and straight-pile decreased.

 The Nuki-to-Column Joint using wedges has been used in Japanese traditional wooden structures. The joints are the most important structural elements which can resist a horizontal load such as seismic loads or wind loads. The structural characteristics of Nuki-to-Column Joints using wedges has been reported in the previous studies, but the target in the previous studies ware relatively small wooden structures such as residential house and so on. In Japan, there are many historical temples and shrines which have Nuki-to-Column Joints. The member size of the historical wooden structure is much larger than residential house, so it is needed to evaluate the structural characteristics of the Nuki-to-Column Joint for the traditional wooden structures. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the structural characteristics of the Nuki-to-Column joints with wedges for Japanese historical structures based on the experimental results by the full-scale tests of the Nuki-to-Column joints using wedges.

 In chapter 1, we described the significance of this paper.

 In chapter 2, we show the method of the full- scale static loading tests using three types of the wedge.

 In chapter 3, we considered the influence of the structural characteristics of joints by the wedge shape, the wedge type and the slip out behavior. All specimens showed procession-slip hysteresis in the moment-deformation relations. There are differences in the structural characteristics of the joint and the slip out behavior by the wedge type and the wedge angle. Furthermore, the larger the wedge angle becomes, the slip out behavior becomes larger in both the Futsu wedge and the Naname wedge.

 In chapter 4, we estimated the full moment-rotation relation curves of the joint based on the partial compression element tests.

 In chapter 5, we proposed the simple estimation method for the structural characteristics of the joint for the structural designs of traditional Japanese temples and shrines. This method consider the slip out behavior of wedge.

 The conclusions obtained in this study are as follows:

 1) The structural characteristics of the Nuki-to-Column joint using wedges are greatly affected by the shape of wedge and the slip out behavior of wedge.

 2) Based on the mechanical models of the Nuki-to-Column joint, we proposed a useful method for estimating the full moment-rotation relation curves of the joints based on the simple partial compression tests for a couple of wedges.

 3) The simple and useful method for the calculating the characteristic values for the historical model of the joint are proposed based on the full moment-rotation relation curves estimation method.

 BACK GROUND AND PURPOSE

 The authors have developed I-shaped beam (I-beam) using Diagonal Lattice Panel (DLP) for the web and Laminated Veneer Lumber for the flange to promote the utilization of Japanese domestic timber. DLP, which consists of two ply of diagonal laminas arranged at 45 degree with some grid interval is able to compose a beam with high efficiency in cross section. The previous paper described short-term mechanical properties of the I-beam including strength, stiffness, stress distribution in bending and shear. That research results revealed that this I-beam has length effect in constant shear stress and design method was established.

 This report focuses on its properties in long-term loading test in bending and shear. Another essential purpose of this paper is to confirm whether length effect exists in long-term loading like in short-term loading.

 RESEARCH SUMMARY

 1. Long-term tests to acquire DOL factors and creep property were conducted in a facility without air conditioning. The span of bending test was 3990 mm and was loaded at two points of equally divided into three sections. In shear test, concentrated load was applied at the center of the span of 1500 mm.

 2. DOL tests were carried out at three stress levels in bending and five stress levels in shear. The strength in fifty years later was estimated by liner regression equation between load duration in common logarithmic scale and stress level. DOL factors were defined as the ratio of the strength in fifty years later to the average strength of short-term tests, they were approximately 0.52 in both bending and shear.

 3. Climograph between monthly average temperature and humidity shows seasonal variation. Strong correlation was observed between time to failure and temperature during loading.

 4. The previous research of the authors found length effects in short-term shear strength that is a relation of the length ratio to the power of -0.252. In the test results in this paper, length effect in long-term loading was also found like in short-term tests. This results suggest that composite lattice structure generally has length effect like this.

 5. In the creep tests, loads were applied for 35 days or more, for up to 4 months. Relative creep for fifty years is about 1.5 in both bending and shear according to Log time law. This value is considered appropriately in practical because of including mechano-sorptive creep, or MS creep. Composite beam like this I-beam is considered to have creep behavior like ordinary timber, because each parts resist with its axial direction that is parallel to grain.

 6. MS creep was observed in time-deflection history. Creep behavior was affected by high humidity due to typhoon and rainy weather several time. Particularly large creep observed with approaching of typhoon 21. It was consistent with findings in other previous research. MS creep in shear tends to be relatively larger than bending, because the web of I-beam is thin.

 7. Creep limit of this I-beam was estimated by creep function method that was proposed by Sugiyama. In this method, different levels of loads are applied at the same and creep limit is defined as load value at which creep function is dramatically changed. Based on the method, the creep limit of the I-beam in shear was estimated from 0.52 to 0.58 of stress level.

 8. Shear creep properties were compared between each web material (DLP, plywood and OSB) in I-beam and small specimen. Shear creep is thought to depend on the creep characteristic of the web material in the 45° direction, and the shear creep of the I-beam using DLP is smaller than that using OSB or plywood.

 1. Introduction

 Global out-of-plane stability of buckling-restrained braces is often governed by yielding of the neck. The authors previously proposed a method9) to evaluate this buckling mechanism, including the gusset rotational stiffness, connection length and neck - restrainer flexural continuity. While the proposed method has shown good agreement with experimental and numerical studies, this paper revisits a key assumption in the derivation, where the neck is modelled as an elasto-perfectly plastic hinge. Detailed FEM studies of a chevron BRB experiment with a range of gusset and framing boundary conditions are conducted, and an inelastic buckling model inspired by Shanley’s theory introduced.

 2. Stability Evaluation Method for BRBs with Different Connections at each End

 The previous evaluation method for BRBs in a chevron configuration adopted several key assumptions:

  Out-of-plane buckling displacements y_r1 and y_r2 are proportional to initial geometric imperfections a_r1 and a_r2, such that the ratio r_a= a_r1/a_r2 = y_r1/y_r2 remains constant.

  Buckling limit is determined from the ultimate strength, at the point at which the combined axial and moment demands exceed the critical hinge plastic capacity.

  Neck hinge plastic capacities at each end are assumed equal M_p^r = M_p^r1 = M_p^r2.

 The assumption that the displacement ratio r_a remains constant is not valid when the connections at each end substantially differ. A new formulation is derived that relaxes this limitation.

 3. Calibration and Validation of Numerical Models against Cyclic Experimental Results⁹⁾

 A detailed shell model of the chevron BRBs, gussets and frame was assembled, and the rotational stiffness of the transverse secondary beams, torsional stiffness of the primary beam and flexural stiffness of the gusset plate validated against the experimental stiffness obtained from static pull tests. The cyclic out-of-plane buckling of the FEM and experimental models are in good agreement, with the peak inelastic buckling load matching within 10%. Using the calibrated FEM model, it is demonstrated that the monotonic buckling capacity is slightly larger than the cyclic buckling capacity.

 4. Numerical Study of Gusset and Beam Stiffness

 Gusset plates (GPL) with 3 different stiffener arrangements and 5 transverse beam sizes were modelled and the equivalent rotational stiffness evaluated.

 5. Effect of Gusset and Beam Stiffness on the Buckling Capacity of BRBs in Single Diagonal Configuration

 FEM models with the gussets introduced in Chapter 4 are analyzed and the peak inelastic buckling load is compared to the analytical capacity predicted by Chapter 2. While the error is within 20%, the neck yield limit is predicted within 10%, indicating greater confidence in elastic range.

 6. Proposal of Inelastic Buckling Amplification Factor α based on Shanley’s Theory

 An inelastic amplification factor α is introduced, defined as the ratio of the peak inelastic buckling load to the neck yield limit. Shanley’s theory is extended to the case where the gusset provides supplemental residual elastic stiffness after the neck has yielded. This is compared to the FEM results and found to predict the peak inelastic buckling load within 20%.

 7. Effect of Gusset and Beam Stiffness on the Buckling Capacity of BRBs in Chevron Configuration

 The analysis from Chapter 5 is extended to the chevron configuration using the beams from Chapter 4. The evaluation method from Chapter 6 is in good agreement with the FEM results, with errors within 20%.

 The experiments of post-installed adhesive rebar systems were taken in focusing on bond failure during the fire condition. The bond strengths have different performances depending on kinds of injection. Epoxy type decreased to about 1/10 in about 280°C, Urethane type decreased about 1/5 in about 200°C, and Inorganic type reduced about 1/3 in about 270°C. The test results are close to the prediction process for Epoxy while the two other resins fluctuated widely. The heating then loading test can be used as a method for predicting the bond strength of loading then heating test in the range of temperature from 50°C to 100°C.

 This paper was interesting; however, lack of description prevented me from correct understanding of it. I also thought that the authors could not recognize strictly what the specimen and the test equipment are, respectively. This leads to an inappropriate testing and verification of analytical modeling. The damping characteristics due to the grease filled in the nut are interesting.

 The authors thanks Dr. Masashi Yamamoto for his discussion, and the answers are as follows: The authors clearly defined test specimen and test equipment. The meaning of displacement described in this paper is also shown. The analysis results when the measured damper displacement is input to the damper model are shown. The damping characteristics may be affected by grease, but details are unknown.