This project provides international travel support for the Principal investigator to conduct cooperative studies in Taiwan on a short-term scientific visit basis. The investigation will conduct cooperative studies with researchers at the National Taiwan University and National Cheng-Kung University on the seismic repair and rehabilitation of low-rise reinforced concrete buildings. Extensive experimental data available through recent studies by Taiwanese researchers will be collected and analyzed to form the basis of a mathematical model for such structures. With such a model, complex nonlinear analysis which is required to determine the degree of potential seismic damage can then be performed. In addition, the feasibility of using Taiwan's building inventory and data base to investigate the hybrid techniques to control the dynamic movements caused by earthquakes and/or wind forces will be investigated. The cooperative studies will improve engineering understanding of the nonlinear seismic behavior of low-rise buildings, increase the ability to model such structures, and develop viable framework for cooperative studies in structural control research.
