Using Smart Materials in Enhancing the Seismic Behavior of Structures State-of-the-Art Report

Recently, with the improvement of materials and innovation, numerous new materials discover their applications in structural designing to manage the infrastructure deteriorating. One example of these materials is smart material that needs a deep attention, from study to application. Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are increasingly becoming a topic of research in the area of ?smart materials?. SMAs are novel functional materials, which can exhibit large strains under loading?unloading process without residual deformation. They have the ability to remember a predetermined shape even after severe deformation. Under various temperatures, the two phases of shape memory alloy, Austenite and Martensite, the smart material shows two uncommon properties not quite the same as other metallic materials. One is shape memory, and the other is superelasticity. Both of these two properties can suit different applications in structural engineering, for example, prestress bars, self-restoration, and two-way actuators, and so on. The aim of this article is to investigate the using smart materials in enhancing the seismic behavior of structures by focusing on the literature review, basic information collection, and basic mechanical properties of smart materials. This article first presents an overview of the characteristics of SMAs associated with the temperature-induced and stress-induced reversible hysteretic phase transformation between austenite and martensite. The recent experimental studies and numerical simulations, which have been led to demonstrate the powerful role played by SMAs, are also presented in this article. Currently, research efforts have been extended to using SMAs as sensors, actuators, passive energy dissipaters and dampers for shape control and vibration control of civil structures. This article then presents a review of applications of the SMAs materials for controls of different structures. This article shows a broad survey of seismic uses of SMAs. Initial, an essential portrayal of two special effects of SMAs, shape memory and superelastic effect, is given. Next, the material models genius presented to catch the reaction of SMAs in seismic applications are quickly presented. Finally, utilizations of SMAs to structures and extensions to improve seismic behavior are completely assessed.