A building structure having at least one storey including at least one column; at least one brace attached at one end to one side of at least one of the columns and at a second end to a fixed foundation surface; the brace attached to the at least one column at an incline; the at least one brace having a first portion and a second portion; wherein the at least one brace has a first in-use configuration in which the first portion is freely moveable with respect to the second portion such that a gap is formed in the brace preventing the transmission of force axially along the brace by preventing tensional forces from travelling axially along the brace, and a second in-use configuration in which the gap is closed by the first portion and the second portion being in contact to permit the transmission of forces axially along the brace; and wherein the second in-use configuration allows compressive forces to be transmitted along the brace such that the brace is activated when sufficient deformation occurs in the column in a direction that compresses the brace; and further comprising at least one damper functionally connected to one or both of the first and second portions and configured to provide damping as the at least one brace moves from the first in-use configuration to the second in-use configuration.

A steel-fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite material reinforced concrete column comprises an inner steel pipe arranged in the center, wherein the inner steel pipe is internally provided with an unbonded steel strand; the outside of the inner steel pipe is provided with an outer steel pipe, concrete is poured between the inner steel pipe and the outer steel pipe, a plurality of additional small steel pipes are evenly arranged outside the outer steel pipe, and each of the additional small steel pipes is internally provided with an additional unbonded steel strand. A composite bar cage coaxial with the outer steel pipe and arranged on the outside thereof is also provided, wherein both the outer steel pipe and the composite bar cage are covered by high-ductility concrete, and at a core area, the outside of the high-ductility concrete is wrapped with an anti-spalling layer.

A method is provided for jointing a concrete column and an iron beam. A structure joint portion is provided between a column-beam junction and an end of the iron beam, which is mourned on a coning provided to the column. Prestressing tendons are arranged in plural rows to horizontally penetrate the column-beam junction, Tension-introduction forces are applied to the prestressing tendons to tensionally anchor an anchor plate, and thereby to integrally joint the column and the beam.

A rigid substructure (12) tied to a restrained column (16) at different floors undergoes rigid body rotation due to lateral dynamic loading. Flexural members (18) that are connected to the substructure (12) and another anchor column (14) resist the rigid body rotation and undergo vertical deflections. Damped diagonals (20) connected to common nodes of the rigid substructure and flexural members, for one embodiment, receive amplified displacements and more effectively dissipate energy. Flexural members restore the structure to the unloaded position. The system does not require moment connections and can work with flexure induced in simply supported beams. The system is highly effective and may remain elastic under maximum considered earthquake ground motions.

Embodiments of an enhanced node B (eNB), user equipment (UE) and methods of signaling for proximity services and device-to-device (D2D) discovery in an LTE network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the eNB may transmit signaling to indicate D2D discovery zone configuration to proximity service (ProSe) enabled UEs. The signaling may indicate time and frequency resources and a periodicity of a discovery zone and may indicate operational parameters for the discovery zone. The resources of the D2D discovery zone may be allocated for D2D discovery signal transmission by the ProSe-enabled UEs.

The present invention relates to a buckling resistant spring clad bar (BRSCB) to improve lateral confinement of compression system uniformly so as to enable it to (a). applied loads withstand both compression and tension (b). ability to withstand much higher axial compression loads (c). significant improvement in post-elastic behavior due to enhanced ductility without strength degradation. The BRSCB comprises a plurality of bar, a plurality of one-way spring in an embodiment, a plurality of grips, and a plurality of peripheral ties. The system further comprises a plurality of opposing spring in another embodiment. In the opposing spring, one of the springs is wrapped in a clockwise direction and another one in an anticlockwise direction. Both the ends of the bar are covered with the end grip to hold the assembly firmly and to avoid end slippage of the one-way/opposing spring. The multiple bars wrapped with the spring are connected together with the peripheral ties to form desired cage assembly. The cage assembly can be embedded in the concrete structure/suitable medium. Further, spring cladded bars can be housed in sleeve to improve the ductility and impact/shock resistance of the structure.

An elongate member reinforcement system and associated methods are disclosed. The system can include an elongate member, a collar secured about an end portion of the elongate member, a support layer surrounding the end portion of the elongate member, and a structural filler disposed between the support layer and the end portion of the elongate member. The collar can be disposed in the structural filler and can include a structural filler interface feature that mechanically couples the collar to the structural filler to facilitate transferring loads between the elongate member and the structural filler.

Embodiments relate to network management of a wireless network in which inactive cells are selectively activated thereby changing the radio environment of a user equipment. The changed radio environment is assessed to determine a preferred distribution of active cells for that user equipment.

A method of constructing seismic shock absorbing structure which transfers horizontal and vertical forces from the floor to allow buildings to withstand earthquake shocks. In a first embodiment, foundation column is structurally designed and casted in the form of a fin shape below plinth level. In another embodiment, strength of the construction frame is enhanced by structurally designing, casting and slotting in at least one of rhombus shaped beams, diagonal cross beams, corner beams, plus shaped beams, rectangle shaped beams, semi-quarter circular beams in horizontal, vertical and inclined directions at the plinth level, below and above the plinth level. In another embodiment, wall is interlocked with at least one of Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC), cement composites, steel, iron, metal, concrete, polystyrene, polyurethane, wood, plastic, fired bricks, cardboard and clay blocks. In another embodiment, interlocked wall is reinforced with GI (Galvanized) welded mesh, fiberglass mesh and wire mesh.

A rigid substructure (12) tied to a restrained column (16) at different floors undergoes rigid body rotation due to lateral dynamic loading. Flexural members (18) that are connected to the substructure (12) and another anchor column (14) resist the rigid body rotation and undergo vertical deflections. Damped diagonals (20) connected to common nodes of the rigid substructure and flexural members, for one embodiment, receive amplified displacements and more effectively dissipate energy. Flexural members restore the structure to the unloaded position. The system does not require moment connections and can work with flexure induced in simply supported beams. The system is highly effective and may remain elastic under maximum considered earthquake ground motions.