The present invention relates to a shear link including replaceable cover plates. The shear link includes first and second combination plates combined with a structure, a main frame that includes both ends fixed to the first and second combination plates respectively and a hollow formed in a center to pass therethrough forward and backward, first and second cover plates positioned to come into contact with left and right sides of the main frame respectively to cover the hollow and including a plurality of through holes passing therethrough forward and backward, and a combination unit that separably combines the main frame with the first and second cover plates.

In the shear link including replaceable cover plates according to the present invention, since the first and second cover plates are separably combined with the main frame by the combination unit, the first and second cover plates deformed by an external force may be easily separated from the main frame to reduce time and costs consumed for a replacement operation.

A retrofitting structure includes a column fixed in the ground. A structural fuse is pivotally mounted to the retrofitting structure at two vertically offset locations. The structural fuse is further pivotally mounted at a third location above the column to a superstructure of a building. The structural fuse is designed to yield for loads for which the column only deforms elastically. The structural fuse may be a planar member captured between the column and a retention plate to prevent buckling of the structural fuse. The retention plate may include a channel beam in order to provide sufficient stiffness to prevent buckling. Desired yield properties are obtained by increasing width of the structural fuse with distance from the bottom of the column. The width is augmented with distance from the bottom of the column to account for friction with the column and retention plate.

A method of reinforcing a masonry structure is described wherein polyester thread reinforcement strips are manufactured and mounted on the masonry structure to protect it from lateral forces caused by earthquake and other natural occurring phenomena that generally produce bending moments in the masonry structure. The disclosed method can easily and economically be applied to reinforce masonry structures in underprivileged regions.

A metal frame assembly for seismic retrofitting of soft story buildings comprising a pair of half frame subassemblies. Each subassembly comprises front and rear steel column portions and front and rear steel beam portions. The column portions are configured to extend about and substantially encase the existing column of a wooden frame. The front and rear beam portions are secured to and carried by upper portions of the column portions in each subassembly and extend therefrom parallel to and laterally spaced from opposed sides of the beam in the wooden frame. Connector plates are provided in each subassembly securing together the front beam and column portions to the rear beam and column portions and the front and rear column and beam portions to the beam of the wooden frame.

A building structure having one or more of stories and including at least two columns supporting a first of the stories; where at least one of the columns is supported by at least one brace having a first portion and a second portion. The at least one brace has a first 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, and a second 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. The second configuration occurs when the at least one column undergoes a level of deformation sufficient to force the gap to be closed.

A vibration control pad (5) comprises a gel elastic body (7) made of an elastic-viscous material and heavy-object support members (8) embedded in the gel elastic body (7). A protrusion (11) is formed only on either the top or bottom surface of the gel elastic body (7) or formed on each of the top and bottom surfaces of the gel elastic body (7) in such a manner as to cover part of the support bodies (8). The protrusion (11) securely contains the support bodies (8) in the gel elastic body (7) to prevent the support bodies (8) from being detached or separated from the gel elastic body (7) when the vibration control pad (5) is taken out of its packaging member for use.

A stay-in-place lining is provided for lining a structure fabricated from concrete. The lining comprises a plurality of panels connectable via complementary connector components on their longitudinal edges. Each panel comprises a first connector component on a first longitudinal edge thereof and a second (complementary) connector component on a second longitudinal edge thereof. The lining comprises at least one edge-to-edge connection between the first connector component of a first panel and the second connector component of a second panel, the edge-to-edge connection comprising a protrusion of the first panel extended into a receptacle of the second panel through a receptacle opening. The receptacle is shaped to prevent removal of the protrusion from the receptacle and the receptacle is resiliently deformed by the extension of the protrusion into the receptacle to thereby apply a restorative force to the protrusion to maintain the edge-to-edge connection.

A structure for seismic isolation 10 provided on a structure plane 17 including a pair of left and right columns 5, 5 spaced apart in a horizontal direction, and a pair of upper and lower beams 7A, 7B spaced apart in a vertical direction, wherein the structure for seismic isolation comprises: a seismic isolation device 11 provided in a middle of each of the column 5, 5 to be displaced toward the beam 7A; and a horizontal rigid bearing element that is provided between an area in which the seismic isolation device 11 is provided and the beam 7B and that includes a connection beam 13 connecting the pair of columns 5, 5 and vertical braces 15L, 15R.

A method of reinforcing a masonry structure is described wherein polyester thread reinforcement strips are manufactured and mounted on the masonry structure to protect it from lateral forces caused by earthquake and other natural occurring phenomena that generally produce bending moments in the masonry structure. The disclosed method can easily and economically be applied to reinforce masonry structures in underprivileged regions.

An outdoor seismic cabinet assembly includes a base located at an outdoor deployment location and a cabinet for housing electronic equipment coupled to the base. The assembly also includes a first post disposed adjacent to a first sidewall of the cabinet and coupled to the base, a second post disposed adjacent to a second sidewall of the cabinet and coupled to the base, and a cross-member disposed adjacent to a top portion of the cabinet. At least one first bracket is coupled to the first post and to the cross-member and at least one second bracket is coupled to the second post and to the cross-member. Other example outdoor seismic cabinet assemblies and seismic cabinet conversion kits are also disclosed.