2021 - 2024
José Gonilha
ELSA Staff
2021 - 2024
Dissipate and Recentre
D&R
Dataset Description
The dataset gathers all the information relative to the Dissipate and Recentre (D&R) project, including data and metadata.
The project aimed at experimentally investigating the sway behaviour of large-scale GFRP frames. The objectives of the project were to assess the behaviour of these structures under lateral loading, assessing and proposing seismic design methods and guidelines.
The test specimens consisted of 2-storey frames, with 2 longitudinal bays and a single transverse bay. The structures were made of pultruded GFRP profiles, with stainless-steel connections and concrete precast slabs.
The experimental campaign included the testing of four specimens: two without lateral bracings and two with such bracings. The modal identification of all specimens was performed using data of snap-back tests. For both types of frames, the first specimen was tested under monotonic loading, while the second underwent cyclic pseudo-static loading with increasing displacement amplitude. All tests were performed under displacement control. During the tests, the monitoring system recorded the applied loads and displacements, as well as rotations and strains of joints and members at key locations.
Specimens
1. uFrame-M (Unbraced Frame - Monotonic testing)
3
The test specimen was a 2-storey unbraced frame, with 2 longitudinal bays and a single transverse bay. The structure was composed of pultruded GFRP profiles, with stainless-steel connections and concrete precast slabs. The slabs were not a part of the structural system under testing, but only used to simulate the vertical loads, and allowing to introduce the lateral loads.
This specimen underwent dynamic identification before and after the monotonic testing.
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1. Dynamic identification (snap-back test)
First, a snap-back test was conducted in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the specimen. One actuator was attached at the first floor through a fuse system. The actuator applied an increasing displacement (and force) to the specimen until the breaking of the fuse system which set the frame in free vibration.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation measured the force and displacement imposed by the actuator. Two optical digital linear encoders at each floor measured the longitudinal displacements of the slabs. The sampling rate was set at 1 kHz.
2. Monotonic testing
The sway tests were conducted controlling the displacement of both floors. The monotonic test was performed at a rate of 12 mm/min, with reference to the top storey lateral displacements. Following the results of preliminary numerical models, the displacement applied at the 1st storey was 54.5% of that applied in the top storey, simulating the displacement profile of the first longitudinal translation vibration mode.
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Instrumentation
Displacement and forces applied by the four actuators were measured by built-in instruments. Additionally, 8 sensors (linear encoders, Heidenhain MSA 375), installed on the opposite side with respect to the reaction wall, monitored the longitudinal horizontal displacements of the concrete slabs and the composite columns.
The rotations of the columns and beams were measured in the vicinity of the beam-to-column connections, with inclinometers (SEIKA SBU1) having stroke of ±5°. The column inclinometers were positioned under the longitudinal beams, at about 200 mm from their mid-axis, and the beam inclinometers were positioned at about 200 mm from the vertical axis of the columns.
Strain-gauges measured the strains of the columns. Two strain gauges were used per section, positioned at the mid-width of both flanges. The measurements were made at 4 levels: at distances of 200 mm, 2900 mm, 3500 mm, and 6100 mm from the base of the column profiles.
3. Dynamic identification (snap-back test)
At last, a snap-back test was conducted in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the damaged specimen. The same set-up and testing procedure of experiment 1 was adopted for this test.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation employed was identical to that used for the experiment 1.
2. uFrame-C (Unbraced Frame - Cyclic testing)
3
The test specimen was a 2-storey unbraced frame, with 2 longitudinal bays and a single transverse bay. The structure was composed of pultruded GFRP profiles, with stainless-steel connections and concrete precast slabs. The slabs were not a part of the structural system under testing, but only used to simulate the vertical loads, and allowing to introduce the lateral loads.
This specimen underwent dynamic identification before and after the cyclic testing.
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1. Dynamic identification (snap-back test)
First, a snap-back test was conducted in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the specimen. The adopted set-up and testing procedure are equal to those of experiment 1 performed on specimen 1 (uFrame-M).
Instrumentation
The instrumentation was identical to that used for the experiment 1 performed on specimen 1 (uFrame-M).
2. Cyclic testing
The cyclic tests were conducted applying series of two cycles at increasing displacement. The input at both floors was displacement controlled using the same displacement ratio as for the monotonic test, i.e. mimicking the displacement profile of the first mode of vibration. The displacement rate equalled about 18 mm/min, with respect to the top storey lateral displacement. Cycles were performed imposing an inter-storey drift at the first (governing) storey equal to 0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5%.
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Instrumentation
The instrumentation was identical to that used for the experiment 2 performed on specimen 1 (uFrame-M).
3. Dynamic identification (snap-back test)
At last, a snap-back test was conducted in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the damaged specimen. The same set-up and testing procedure of experiment 1 was adopted for this test.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation employed was identical to that used for the experiment 1.
3. BFrame-M (Braced Frame - Monotonic testing)
3
The test specimen was a 2-storey braced frame, with 2 longitudinal bays and a single transverse bay. The structure was composed of pultruded GFRP profiles, with stainless-steel connections and concrete precast slabs. The slabs were not a part of the structural system under testing, but only used to simulate the vertical loads, and allowing to introduce the lateral loads.
This specimen underwent dynamic identification before and after the monotonic testing.
gif
gif
1. Dynamic identification (snap-back test)
First, a snap-back test was conducted in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the specimen. The adopted set-up and testing procedure are equal to those of experiment 1 performed on specimen 1 (uFrame-M).
Instrumentation
The instrumentation was identical to that used for the experiment 1 performed on specimen 1 (uFrame-M).
2. Monotonic testing
The sway tests were conducted controlling the displacement of both floors. The monotonic test was performed at a rate of 3 mm/min, with reference to the top storey lateral displacements. Following the results of preliminary numerical models, the displacement applied at the 1st storey was 59.0% of that applied in the top storey, simulating the displacement profile of the first longitudinal translation vibration mode.
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Instrumentation
The instrumentation was almost identical to that used for the experiment 2 performed on specimen 1 (uFrame-M). The only difference was about strain-gauges added to monitor the deformation of all the bracings, installed in the vicinity of mid-span, on both sides of the longer angle leg.
3. Dynamic identification (snap-back test)
At last, a snap-back test was conducted in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the damaged specimen. The same set-up and testing procedure of experiment 1 was adopted for this test.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation employed was identical to that used for the experiment 1.
4. BFrame-C (Braced Frame - Cyclic testing)
3
The test specimen was a 2-storey braced frame, with 2 longitudinal bays and a single transverse bay. The structure was composed of pultruded GFRP profiles, with stainless-steel connections and concrete precast slabs. The slabs were not a part of the structural system under testing, but only used to simulate the vertical loads, and allowing to introduce the lateral loads.
This specimen underwent dynamic identification before and after the cyclic testing.
gif
gif
1. Dynamic identification (snap-back test)
First, a snap-back test was conducted in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the specimen. The adopted set-up and testing procedure are equal to those of experiment 1 performed on specimen 1 (uFrame-M).
Instrumentation
The instrumentation was identical to that used for the experiment 1 performed on specimen 1 (uFrame-M).
2. Cyclic testing
The same set-up and testing procedure of experiment 2 on specimen 2 (uFrame-C) was adopted for this test.
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Instrumentation
The instrumentation was identical to that used for the experiment 2 performed on specimen 3 (BFrame-M).
3. Dynamic identification (snap-back test)
At last, a snap-back test was conducted in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of the damaged specimen. The same set-up and testing procedure of experiment 1 was adopted for this test.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation employed was identical to that used for the experiment 1.
Publications- DOIs
Publication/Metadata DOIs
DOI
10.12688/openreseurope.20500.2)
Gonilha, J., Correia, J. R., Buttazzi, M., Ciani, F., Molina, F. J., & Peloso, S. (2026). Reaction Wall Tests on Large-Scale Pultruded GFRP Frames with Metallic Connections. In Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering (pp. 101–110). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-09399-8_10
Gonilha, J., Ramôa Correia, J., Buttazzi, M., Ciani, F., Molina, F. J., & Peloso, S. (2026). Dissipate and Recentre (D&R) experimental campaign on real scale GFRP composite frame structures: data set. Open Research Europe, 5, 308. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.20500.2
Dataset in Public Repository
DOI
10.5281/zenodo.15211782
Publication Date
26 Feb 2026, 08:29
Project Metadata
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.
CC BY 4.0
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