• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.115-139
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• 2024

In this study, numerical study of a long, straight, side-anchored floating bridge with discrete pontoons subjected to combined earthquakes and waves is conducted. Ground motions with magnitude corresponding to 200 YRP (years return period) earthquake in South Korea are generated based on the spectral matching method from a past earthquake record in California. Several sensitivity studies are carried out for bridge end condition, for different site classes (hard rock S1 and soft and deep soil S5), and for three different excitations (earthquake only, wave only, and earthquake-wave combined). Bridge and pontoon motions, bending moments along the bridge, and mooring tensions are systematically examined through coupled time-domain simulations by commercial program OrcaFlex. The numerical results show that the impact of earthquakes on floating bridges is still of importance especially for soft soil although ground motions are less directly applied to the structure than fixed bridges.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2013

Structural elements of typical bridges are superstructure, connections, substuctures and foundations and earthquake resistance is decided with the failure mechanism formed by substuctures and connections. Therefore earthquake resistant design should be carried out in the basic design step where design strengths, e.g. design sections for structural elements are determined. The Earthquake Resistant Design Part of Korean Roadway Bridge Design Code provides two basic design procedures. The first conventional procedure applies the Code-provided response modification factors. The second new procedure is the ductility-based earthquake resistant design, where designer can determine the response modification factors. In this study, basic designs including the two design processes are carried out for a typical bridge and supplements are identified in view of providing earthquake resistance.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.237-246
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• 2022

Based on the random-vibration-theory methodology, dynamic responses of nuclear facilities subjected to obliquely incidental and incoherent earthquake ground motions are calculated. The spectral power density functions of the 6-degree-of-freedom motions of a rigid foundation due to the incoherent ground motions are obtained with the local wave scattering and wave passage effects taken into consideration. The spectral power density function for the pseudo-acceleration of equipment installed on a structural floor is derived. The spectral acceleration of the equipment or the in-structure response spectrum is then estimated using the peak factors of random vibration. The approach is applied to nuclear power plant structures installed on half-spaces, and the reduction of high-frequency earthquake responses due to obliquely incident incoherent earthquake ground motions is examined. The influences of local wave scattering and wave passage effects are investigated for three half-spaces with different shear-wave velocities. When the shear-wave velocity is sufficiently large like hard rock, the local wave scattering significantly affects the reduction of the earthquake responses. In the cases of rock or soft rock, the earthquake responses of structures are further affected by the incident angles of seismic waves or the wave passage effects.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2020

In 2016, an earthquake occurred at Gyeongju, Korea. At the Wolsong site, the observed peak ground acceleration was lower than the operating basis earthquake (OBE) level of Wolsong nuclear power plant. However, the measured spectral acceleration value exceeded the spectral acceleration of the operating-basis earthquake (OBE) level in some sections of the response spectrum, resulting in a manual shutdown of the nuclear power plant. Analysis of the response spectra shape of the Gyeongju earthquake motion showed that the high-frequency components are stronger than the response spectra shape used in nuclear power plant design. Therefore, the seismic performance evaluation of structures and equipment of nuclear power plants should be made to reflect the characteristics of site-specific earthquakes. In general, the floor response spectrum shape at the installation site or the generalized response spectrum shape is used for the seismic performance evaluation of structures and equipment. In this study, a generalized response spectrum shape is proposed for seismic performance evaluation of structures and equipment for nuclear power plants. The proposed response spectrum shape reflects the characteristics of earthquake motion in Korea through earthquake hazard analysis, and it can be applied to structures and equipment at various locations.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.197-211
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• 2018

The study presents the earthquake performance of the Bosphorus Bridge under multi-point earthquake excitation considering the spatially varying site-specific earthquake motions. The elaborate FE model of the bridge is firstly established depending on the new considerations of the used FEM software specifications, such as cable-sag effect, rigid link and gap elements. The modal analysis showed that singular modes of the deck and the tower were relatively effective in the dynamic behavior of the bridge due to higher total mass participation mass ratio of 80%. The parameters and requirements to be considered in simulation process are determined to generate the spatially varying site-specific ground motions. Total number of twelve simulated ground motions are defined for the multi-support earthquake analysis (Mp-sup). In order to easily implement multi-point earthquake excitation to the bridge, the practice-oriented procedure is summarized. The results demonstrated that the Mp-sup led to high increase in sectional forces of the critical components of the bridge, especially tower base section and tensile force of the main and back stay cables. A close relationship between the dynamic response and the behavior of the bridge under the Mp-sup was also obtained. Consequently, the outcomes from this study underscored the importance of the utilization of the multi-point earthquake analysis and the necessity of considering specifically generated earthquake motions for suspension bridges.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.471-493
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• 2013

This paper presents a framework for seismic damage evaluation for Algerian buildings adapted from HAZUS approach (Hazard-United States). Capacity and fragility curves were adapted to fit the Algerian building typologies (Reinforced Concrete structures, Confined or Non-Confined Masonry, etc). For prediction purposes, it aims to estimate the damages and potential losses that may be generated by a given earthquake in a prone area or country. Its efficiency is validated by comparing the estimated and observed damages in Boumerd$\grave{e}$s city, in the aftermath of Boumerd$\grave{e}$s earthquake (Algeria: May $21^{st}$ 2003; $M_w$ = 6.8). For this purpose, observed damages reported for almost 3,700 buildings are compared to the theoretical predictions obtained under two distinct modelling of the seismic hazard. In one hand, the site response spectrum is built according to real accelerometric records obtained during the main shock. In the other hand, the effective Algerian seismic code response spectrum (RPA 99) in use by the time of the earthquake is considered; it required the prior fitting of Boumerd$\grave{e}$s site PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration) provided by Ambraseys' attenuation relationship.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.7_spc
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• pp.461-472
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• 2016

Damage potential has been investigated for a domestic metropolitan railway bridge subjected to 2016 Gyeongju earthquake which has been reported as the strongest earthquake in Korea. For this purpose, nonlinear static pushover analyses for the bridge piers have been carried out to evaluate ductility capacities. Then, the capacities have been compared with those suggested by Railway Design Standards of Korea. This comparison shows that all piers possess enough safety margins. Nonlinear dynamic time-history analysis has also been conducted to estimate both displacement and shear force demands for the bridge subjected to ground motions recorded at stations in near of Gyeongju. Maximum demands reveal that response under the ground motions remains essentially in elastic. In addition, for a further assessment of the bridge under the Gyeongju earthquake, fragility analyses have been performed using those ground motions. The fragility results indicate that the recorded earthquakes do not significantly affect the damage exceedance probability of the bridge piers.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.7_spc
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• pp.473-483
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• 2016

In this paper, seismic performance assessment has been examined for a mid-rise RC building subjected to 2016 Gyeongju earthquake occurred in Korea. For the purpose of the paper, 2D external and internal frames in each direction of the building have been employed in the present comparative analyses. Nonlinear static pushover analyses have been conducted to estimate frame capacities. Nonlinear dynamic time-history analyses have also been carried out to examine demands for the frames subjected to ground motions recorded at stations in near of Gyeongju and a previous earthquake ground motion. Analytical predictions demonstrate that maximum demands are significantly affected by characteristics of both spectral acceleration response and spectrum intensity over a wide range of periods. Further damage potential of the frames has been evaluated in terms of fragility analyses using the same ground motions. Fragility results reveal that the ground motion characteristics of the Gyeongju earthquake have little influence on the seismic demand and fragility of frames.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.386-400
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• 2022

Seismic fragility analysis, a part of seismic probabilistic risk assessment (SPRA), is commonly used to establish the relationship between a representative property of earthquakes and the failure probability of a structure, component, or system. Current guidelines on the SPRA of nuclear power plants (NPPs) used worldwide mainly reflect the earthquake characteristics of the western United States. However, different earthquake characteristics may have a significant impact on the seismic fragility of a structure. Given the concern, this study aimed to investigate the effects of earthquake characteristics on the seismic fragility of concrete containments housing the OPR-1000 reactor. Earthquake time histories were created from 30 ground motions (including those of the 2016 Gyeongju earthquake) by spectral matching to the site-specific response spectrum of Hanbit nuclear power plants in South Korea. Fragility curves of the containment structure were determined under the linear response history analysis using a lumped-mass stick model and 30 ground motions, and were compared in terms of earthquake characteristics. The results showed that the median capacity and high confidence of low probability of failure (HCLPF) tended to highly depend on the sustained maximum acceleration (SMA), and increase when using the time histories which have lower SMA compared with the others.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.4
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• pp.369-382
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• 2024

The earthquake loss assessment framework of ductile reinforced concrete (or RC) frame using component-performance -based methodology was studied in this paper. The elasto-plastic rotation angle was used as the damage indicator of structural component, and the damage-to-loss model was proposed on the basis of the deformation indicator of structural component. Dynamic instability during incremental dynamic analysis was taken as collapse criterion, and column failure was taken as criterion that structure has to be demolished. Expected earthquake losses of low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise RC frames were discussed. The expected earthquake loss encompassed collapse loss, demolition loss and repair loss. Furthermore, component groups of RC frame were divided into structural components, nonstructural components and rugged components. The results indicate that ductile RC frame is more likely to be demolished than collapse, especially in low-rise and mid-rise RC frames. Furthermore, the less collapse margin ratio the structure has, the more demolition probability the structure will suffer under rare earthquake. The demolition share of total earthquake loss might be more prominent than repair share and collapse share in ductile RC frame.