• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.49-65
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• 2013

This article presents the statistical characteristics of elastic floor acceleration spectra that represent the peak response demand of non-structural components attached to a nonlinear supporting frame. For this purpose, a set of stiff and flexible general moment resisting frames with periods of 0.3-3.6 sec. are analyzed using forty-nine near-field strong ground motion records. Peak accelerations are derived for each single degree of freedom non-structural component, supported by the above mentioned frames, through a direct-integration time-history analysis. These accelerations are obtained by Floor Acceleration Response Spectrum (FARS) method. They are statistically analyzed in the next step to achieve a better understanding of their height-wise distributions. The factors that affect FARS values are found in the relevant state of the art. Here, they are summarized to evaluate the amplification and/or reduction of FARS values especially when the supporting structures undergo inelastic behavior. The properties of FARS values are studied in three regions: long-period, fundamental-period and short-period. Maximum elastic acceleration response of non-structural component, mounted on inelastic frames, depends on the following factors: inelasticity intensity and modal periods of supporting structure; natural period, damping ratio and location of non-structural component. The FARS values, corresponded to the modal periods of supporting structure, are strongly reduced beyond elastic domain. However, they could be amplified in the transferring period domain between the mentioned modal periods. In the next step, the amplification and/or reduction of FARS values, caused by inelastic behavior of supporting structure, are calculated. A parameter called the response acceleration reduction factor ($R_{acc}$), has been previously used for far-field earthquakes. The feasibility of extending this parameter for near-field motions is focused here, suggested repeatedly in the relevant sources. The nonlinearity of supporting structure is included in ($R_{acc}$) for better estimation of maximum non-structural component absolute acceleration demand, which is ordinarily neglected in the seismic design provisions.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.53-58
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• 2002

A recent development, a concrete-filled steel(CFS) pier is an alternative to a reinforced concrete bridge pier in an urban area, because of its fast construction and excellent ductility against earthquakes. The capacity of CFS piers has not been used to a practical design, because there is no guide of a seismic design for CFS piers. Therefore, the guide of a seismic design value is derived from tests of CFS piers in order to apply it to a practical seismic design. Steel piers and concrete-filled steel piers are tested with constant axial load using quasi-static cyclic lateral load to check ductile capacity and using the real Kobe ground motion of pseudo-dynamic test to verify seismic performance. The results prove that CFS piers have more satisfactory ductility and strength than steel piers and relatively large hysteretic damping in dynamic behaviors. The seismic performance of steel and CFS piers is quantified on the basis of the test results. These results are evaluated through comparison of both the response modification factor method by elastic response spectrum and the performance-based design method by capacity spectrum and demand spectrum using effective viscous damping. The response modification factor of CFS piers is presented to apply in seismic design on a basis of this evaluation for a seismic performance.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.2C
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• pp.109-120
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• 2006

SPT-Uphole test is a seismic field test using receivers on ground surface and a SPT (Standard penetration test) source in depth. Even though this method is simple and economic, it makes hesitate to apply in real field that it is difficult to obtain reliable travel time information of shear wave because of the characteristics of SPT impact source. To overcome this shortcoming, in this paper, modified SPT-Uphole method using two component surface geophones was suggested. Numerical analysis was performed using finite element method for understanding the characteristics of surface motion induced by in-depth vertical source, and comparison study of the various methods which determine the travel time information in SPT-Uphole method was performed. In result, it is thought that the most reasonable method is using the first local maximum point of the root mean square value signals of vertical and horizontal component in time domain. Finally, modified SPT-Uphole method using two component surface geophones was performed at the site, and the applicability in field was verified by comparing wave velocity profiles determined by the SPT-Uphole method with the profiles determined by SASW method and SPT-N values.