• Computers and Concrete
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.113-126
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• 2022

Reinforced concrete bearing walls (RCBWs) are one of the most applicable structural systems. Therefore, vulnerability analysis and rehabilitation of the RCBW system are of great importance. In the present study, in order to the more precise investigation of the performance of this structural resistant system, pushover and nonlinear time history analyses based on several assumptions drawing upon experimental research were performed on several models with different stories. To validate the nonlinear analysis method, the analytical and experimental results are compared. Vulnerability evaluation was carried out on two seismic hazard levels and three performance levels. Eventually, the need for seismic rehabilitation with the basic safety objective (BSO) was investigated. The obtained results showed that the studied structures satisfied the BSO of the seismic rehabilitation guidelines. Consequently, according to the results of analyses and the desired performance, this structural system, despite its high structural weight and rigid connections and low flexibility, has integrated performance, and it can be a good option for earthquake-resistant constructions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1999

Seismic evaluation of a 32-story reinforced concrete framed tube building is performed by checking damageability, safety, and toughness limit states. The evaluation is based on Standard 2800 (Iranian seismic code) which recommends equivalent lateral static force, modal superposition, or time history dynamic analysis methods to be applied. A three dimensional linearly elastic model checked by ambient vibration test results is used for the evaluation. Accelerograms of three earthquakes as well as linearly elastic design response spectra are used for dynamic analysis. Damageability is checked by considering story drift ratios. Safety is evaluated by comparing demands and capacities at the story and element force levels. Finally, toughness is studied in terms of curvature ductility of members. The paper explains the methodology selected and various aspects in detail.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.719-733
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• 2015

Seismic risk management of the built environment is integrated by two main stages, the assessment and the remedial measures to attain its reduction, representing both stages a complex task. The seismic risk of a certain structure located in a seismic zone is determined by the conjunct of the seismic hazard and its structural vulnerability. The hazard level mainly depends on the proximity of the site to a seismic source. On the other hand, the ground shaking depends on the seismic source, geology and topography of the site, but definitely on the inherent earthquake characteristics. Seismic hazard characterization of a site under study is suggested to be estimated by a combination of studies with the history of earthquakes. In this Paper, the most important methods of seismic vulnerability evaluation of buildings and their application are described. The selection of the most suitable method depends on different factors such as number of buildings, importance, available data and aim of the study. These approaches are classified in empirical, analytical, experimental and hybrid. For obtaining more reliable results, it is recommends applying a hybrid approach, which consists of a combination between methods depending on the case. Finally, a recommended approach depending on the building importance and aim of the study is described.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.379-393
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to first evaluate the seismic behavior of ageing arch bridges by using the Intensity Measure - based demand and DCFD format, which is referred to as the fragility-hazard format. Then, an investigation is performed for their seismic vulnerability. Analytical models are created for bridges concerning different features and these models are subjected to Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) analysis using a set of 22 earthquake records. The hazard curve and results of IDA analysis are employed to evaluate the return period of exceeding the limit states in the IM-based probabilistic performance-based context. Subsequently, the fragility-hazard format is used to assess factored demand, factored capacity, and the ratio of the factored demand to the factored capacity of the models with respect to different performance objectives. Finally, the vulnerability curves are obtained for the investigated bridges in terms of the loss ratio. The results revealed that decreasing the span length of the unreinforced arch bridges leads to the increase in the return period of exceeding various limit states and factored capacity and decrease in the displacement demand, the probability of failure, the factored demand, as well as the factored demand to factored capacity ratios, loss ratio, and seismic vulnerability. Finally, it is derived that the probability of the need for rehabilitation increases by an increase in the span length of the models.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.169-174
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• 2018

A total of 594 reservoirs (17%), which are managed by KRC, equipped with earthquake-resistant facilities whereas remaining ones did not. In addition, reservoirs were placed without the effect of geological structures (i.e., fault and lineament). Therefore, development on technique for alleviating the potential hazards by natural disasters along faults and lineaments has required. In addition, an effective reinforcement guideline related to the geological vulnerabilities around reservoirs has required. The final goal of this study is to suggest the effective maintenance for the safety of earth fill dams. A radius 2 km, based on the center of the reservoir in the study area was set as the range of vulnerability impacts of each reservoir. Seismic design, precise safety diagnosis, seismic influence and geological structure were analyzed for the influence range of each reservoir. To classify the vulnerability of geological disasters according to the fault distribution around the reservoir, evaluation index of seismic performance, precise safety diagnosis, seismic influence and geological structure were also developed for each reservoir, which were a component of the vulnerability assessment of geological disasters. As a result, the reservoir with the highest vulnerability to geological disasters in the pilot district was analyzed as Kidong reservoir with an evaluation index of 0.364. Within the radius of 100km from the epicenter of the Pohang earthquake, the number of agricultural infrastructure facilities subject to urgent inspections were 1,180 including reservoirs, pumping stations and intakes. Four reservoirs were directly damaged by earthquake among 724 agricultural reservoirs. As a result of the precise inspection and electrical resistivity survey of the reservoir after the earthquake, it was reported that cracks on the crest of reservoirs were not a cause of concern. However, we are constantly monitoring the safety of agricultural facilities by Pohang aftershocks.

• Multiscale and Multiphysics Mechanics
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.143-156
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• 2016

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures require advanced analysis techniques for better estimation of their seismic responses, especially in the case of exhibiting complex three-dimensional coupling of torsional and flexural behaviors. This study focuses on validating a numerical approach for evaluating the seismic response of a three-dimensional unsymmetrical RC structure through the participation in the SMART 2013 international benchmark program. The benchmark program provides material properties, detailed drawings of the RC structure, and input ground motions for the seismic response evaluation. In this study, nonlinear constitutive models of concrete and rebar were formed and local tests were conducted to verify the constitutive models in finite element analysis. Elastic calibration of the finite element model of the SMART 2013 RC structure was performed by comparing numerical and experimental results in modal and linear time history analyses. Using the calibrated model, nonlinear earthquake analysis and seismic fragility analysis were performed to estimate the behavior and vulnerability of the RC structure with various ground motions.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.709-718
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• 2020

Fragility curves are useful tools to estimate the damage probability of buildings owing to seismic actions. The purpose of this study is to investigate seismic vulnerability of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings, according to the 2007 and 2018 Turkish Seismic Codes, using fragility curves. For the numerical analyses, typical five- and seven-storey RC buildings were selected and incremental dynamic analyses (IDA) were performed. To complete the IDAs, eleven earthquake acceleration records multiplied by various scaling factors from 0.2g to 0.8g were used. To predict nonlinearity, a distributed hinge model that involves material and geometric nonlinearity of the structural members was used. Damages to confined concrete and reinforcement bar of structural members were obtained by considering the unit deformation demands of the 2007 Turkish Seismic Code (TSC-2007) and the 2018 Turkey Building Earthquake Code (TBEC-2018). Vulnerability evaluation of these buildings was performed using fragility curves based on the results of incremental dynamic analyses. Fragility curves were generated in terms of damage levels occurring in confined concrete and reinforcement bar of structural members with a lognormal distribution assumption. The fragility curves show that the probability of damage occurring is more according to TBEC-2018 than according to TSC-2007 for selected buildings.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.701-713
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• 2018

Many bridges in Algeria were constructed without taking into account the seismic effect in the design. The implantation of a new regulation code RPOA-2008 requires a higher reinforcement ratio than with the seismic coefficient method, which is a common feature of the existing bridges. For better perception of the performance bridge piers and evaluation of the risk assessment of existing bridges, fragility analysis is an interesting tool to assess the vulnerability study of these structures. This paper presents a comparative performance of bridge piers designed with the seismic coefficient method and the new RPOA-2008. The performances of the designed bridge piers are assessed using thirty ground motion records and incremental dynamic analysis. Fragility curves for the bridge piers are plotted using probabilistic seismic demand model to perform the seismic vulnerability analysis. The impact of changing the reinforcement strength on the seismic behavior of the designed bridge piers is checked by fragility analysis. The fragility results reveal that the probability of damage with the RPOA-2008 is less and perform well comparing to the conventional design pier.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.31-40
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• 2017

In this study, a simple method to evaluate the seismic vulnerability of river levees was examined considering the structural characteristic of river levee, that is long, and the functional characteristic of river levee that performs temporary function against flood but is a permanent structure in the ordinary way. Considering the fact that one of the main failure modes of the levee during the earthquake are the settlement due to the strength reduction of the ground caused by the increase of the excess pore pressure in the levee body and foundation and the settlement due to liquefaction, the 2-dimensional section of the levee was regarded as the 1-dimensional section and the liquefaction potential index (LPI) for the regarded section was estimated. The estimated LPI was correlated with the seismic vulnerability of river levees. The relationship between the displacement of the levee crest caused by the earthquake and the seismic vulnerability of the levees was obtained from the results of previous researches and the correlation between the displacements of the levee crest computed by 2-dimensional dynamic coupled analyses and LPIs based on the results of 1-dimensional seismic response analyses was investigated. In connection with this correlation, as a result of examination of the correlation between LPI and the seismic vulnerability of the levee, it was concluded that the method for evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of the Korean river levee using LPI is applicable.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.45-57
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• 2020

This paper presents the experimental application of a new method for seismic vulnerability assessment of buildings recently introduced in literature, the SMAV (Seismic Model Ambient Vibration) methodology with reference to their operational limit state. The importance of this kind of evaluation arises from the civil protection necessity that some buildings, considered strategic for seismic emergency management, should retain their functionality also after a destructive earthquake. They do not suffer such damage as to compromise the operation within a framework of assessment of the overall capacity of the urban system. To this end, for the characterization of their operational vulnerability, a Structural Operational Index (IOPS) has been considered. In particular, the dynamic environmental vibrations of the two considered strategic buildings, the fire station and the town hall building of a small town in the South of Italy, have been monitored by positioning accelerometers in well-defined points. These measurements were processed through modern Operational Modal Analysis techniques (OMA) in order to identify natural frequencies and modal shapes. Once these parameters have been determined, the structural operational efficiency index of the buildings has been determined evaluating the seismic vulnerability of the strategic structures analyzed. his study aimed to develop a model to accurately predict the acceleration of structural systems during an earthquake.