• Title/Summary/Keyword: strong earthquakes

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Effect of excitation intensity on slope stability assessed by a simplified approach

  • Korzec, Aleksandra;Jankowski, Robert
    • Earthquakes and Structures
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    • v.21 no.6
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    • pp.601-612
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    • 2021
  • The paper concerns the selection of a design accelerograms used for the slope stability assessment under earthquake excitation. The aim is to experimentally verify the Arias Intensity as an indicator of the excitation threat to the slope stability. A simple dynamic system consisting of a rigid block on a rigid inclined plane subjected to horizontal excitation is adopted as a slope model. Strong ground motions recorded during earthquakes are reproduced on a shaking table. The permanent displacement of the block serves as a slope stability indicator. Original research stand allows us to analyse not only the relative displacement but also the acceleration time history of the block. The experiments demonstrate that the Arias Intensity of the accelerogram is a good indicator of excitation threat to the stability of the slope. The numerical analyses conducted using the experimentally verified extended Newmark's method indicate that both the Arias Intensity and the peak velocity of the excitation are good indicators of the impact of dynamic excitation on the dam's stability. The selection can be refined using complementary information, which is the dominant frequency and duration of the strong motion phase of the excitation, respectively.

An experimental study on a steel multi-slit damper for seismic retrofit of soft-first story structures

  • Mohammad Mahdi Javidan;Jinkoo Kim
    • Steel and Composite Structures
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    • v.50 no.6
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    • pp.721-734
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    • 2024
  • In this research, the efficiency of a metallic energy dissipation device for seismic retrofit of an existing structure is evaluated by cyclic loading test. The proposed device, which is called multi-slit damper, is made of weak and strong slit dampers connected in series. Its energy dissipation mechanism consists of two stages: (i) yielding of the weak-slit damper under minor earthquakes; (ii) restraint of further deformations of the weak slit damper and activation of the strong slit damper under major earthquakes using a gap mechanism. A reinforced concrete (RC) frame with characteristics similar to soft-first-story structures is tested under cyclic loading before and after retrofit using the proposed device. The details of the experimental study are described and the test is simulated in an available commercial software to validate the analytical model of the damper. To further verify the applicability of the damper, it is applied to an analysis model of a 4-story structure with soft first story and its seismic performance is evaluated before and after retrofit. The experimental and analysis results show that the multi-slit damper is effective in controlling seismic response of structures.

Assessing the effect of inherent nonlinearities in the analysis and design of a low-rise base isolated steel building

  • Varnavaa, Varnavas;Komodromos, Petros
    • Earthquakes and Structures
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    • v.5 no.5
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    • pp.499-526
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    • 2013
  • Seismic isolation is an effective method for the protection of buildings and their contents during strong earthquakes. This research work aims to assess the appropriateness of the linear and nonlinear models that can be used in the analysis of typical low-rise base isolated steel buildings, taking into account the inherent nonlinearities of the isolation system as well as the potential nonlinearities of the superstructure in case of strong ground motions. The accuracy of the linearization of the isolator properties according to Eurocode 8 is evaluated comparatively with the corresponding response that can be obtained through the nonlinear hysteretic Bouc-Wen constitutive model. The suitability of the linearized model in the determination of the size of the required seismic gap is assessed, under various earthquake intensities, considering relevant methods that are provided by building codes. Furthermore, the validity of the common assumption of elastic behavior for the superstructure is explored and the alteration of the structural response due to the inelastic deformations of the superstructure as a consequence of potential collision to the restraining moat wall is studied. The usage of a nonlinear model for the isolation system is found to be necessary in order to achieve a sufficiently accurate assessment of the structural response and a reliable estimation of the required width of the provided seismic gap. Moreover, the simulations reveal that the superstructure's inelasticity should be taken into account, especially if the response of the structure under high magnitude earthquakes is investigated. The consideration of the inelasticity of the superstructure is also recommended in studies of structural collision of seismically isolated structures to the surrounding moat wall, since it affects the response.

Computational Model for Hydrodynamic Pressure on Radial Gates during Earthquakes (레디얼 게이트에 작용하는 지진 동수압 계산 모형)

  • Phan, Hoang Nam;Lee, Jeeho
    • Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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    • v.32 no.5
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    • pp.323-331
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    • 2019
  • In this study, a computational model approach for the modeling of hydrodynamic pressures acting on radial gates during strong earthquakes is proposed. The use of the dynamic layering method with the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) algorithm and the SIMPLE method for simulating free reservoir surface flow in addition to moving boundary interfaces between the fluid domain and a structure due to earthquake excitation are suggested. The verification and validation of the proposed approach are realized by comparisons performed using the renowned formulation derived by the experimental results for vertical and inclined dam surfaces subjected to earthquake excitation. A parameter study for the truncated lengths of the two-dimensional fluid domain demonstrates that twice the water level leads to efficient and converged computational results. Finally, numerical simulations for large radial gates with different curvatures subjected to two strong earthquakes are successfully performed using the suggested computational model.

Transient Ground Deformation induced by Sequential Earthquakes and Estimation of Underground Water Pipeline Performance in Canterbury, New Zealand (뉴질랜드 캔터배리 지역 연속지진에 의해 발생된 일시지반변형과 매설된 상수도관 성능평가)

  • Jeon, Sang-Soo
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.16 no.4
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    • pp.2818-2827
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    • 2015
  • The spatial patterns and characteristics of these sequential earthquakes and ground motions induced by the earthquakes are examined by contours of peak ground velocity (PGV) and geometric mean peak ground velocity (GMPGV) using both ordinary kriging in geographical information system (GIS) and data, the records obtained from strong motion stations, acquired after recent sequential earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand (NZ). The performance of underground water pipeline system is examined by using data acquired after earthquakes. The spatial distribution of GMPGV is superimposed on water pipeline repairs throughout the water distribution system in areas affected principally by transient ground motion using GIS and then water pipeline repair rates, expressed as repairs/km, for different types of pipe are evaluated relative to the estimated GMPGV outside liquefaction areas. The earthquake performance of underground water pipeline systems is summarized in this study.

Assessment of Historical Earthquake Magnitudes and Epicenters Using Ground Motion Simulations (지진동 모사를 통한 역사지진 규모와 진앙 평가)

  • Kim, Seongryong;Lee, Sang-Jun
    • Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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    • v.25 no.2
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    • pp.59-69
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    • 2021
  • Historical records of earthquakes are generally used as a basis to extrapolate the instrumental earthquake catalog in time and space during the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). However, the historical catalogs' input parameters determined through historical descriptions rather than any quantitative measurements are accompanied by considerable uncertainty in PSHA. Therefore, quantitative assessment to verify the historical earthquake parameters is essential for refining the reliability of PSHA. This study presents an approach and its application to constrain reliable ranges of the magnitude and corresponding epicenter of historical earthquakes. First, ranges rather than specific values of ground motion intensities are estimated at multiple locations with distances between each other for selected historical earthquakes by reviewing observed co-seismic natural phenomena, structural damage levels, or felt areas described in their historical records. Based on specific objective criteria, this study selects only one earthquake (July 24, 1643), which is potentially one of the largest historical earthquakes. Then, ground motion simulations are performed for sufficiently broadly distributed epicenters, with a regular grid to prevent one from relying on strong assumptions. Calculated peak ground accelerations and velocities in areas with the historical descriptions on corresponding earthquakes are converted to intensities with an empirical ground motion-intensity conversion equation to compare them with historical descriptions. For the ground motion simulation, ground motion prediction equations and a frequency-wavenumber method are used to consider the effects of possible source mechanisms and stress drop. From these quantitative calculations, reliable ranges of epicenters and magnitudes and the trade-off between them are inferred for the earthquake that can conservatively match the upper and lower boundaries of intensity values from historical descriptions.

New vibration control device and analytical method for slender structures

  • Takabatake, Hideo;Ikarashi, Fumiya
    • Earthquakes and Structures
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    • v.4 no.1
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    • pp.11-39
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    • 2013
  • Since slender structures such as utility poles, radio masts, and chimneys, are essentially statically determinate structures, they often collapse during earthquakes. Although vibration control is the most logical method for improving the earthquake resistance of such structures, there are many practical problems with its implementation due to their very long natural vibration period. This paper proposes a new vibration control device to effectively prevent the collapse of slender structures subjected to strong earthquakes. The device consists of a pendulum, an elastic restraint and a lever, and is designed such that when it is attached to a slender structure, the second vibration mode of the structure corresponds to the first vibration mode of the same structure without the device attached. This is highly effective in causing the transverse motions of the device and the structure to oppose each other and so reduce the overall transverse vibration during an earthquake. In the present paper, the effectiveness of the vibration control device is first evaluated based on laboratory experiments and numerical studies. An example of applying the device to a tall chimney is then simulated. A new dynamic analytical method for slender structures with abrupt rigidity variations is then proposed.

Effects of consecutive earthquakes on increased damage and response of reinforced concrete structures

  • Amiri, Gholamreza Ghodrati;Rajabi, Elham
    • Computers and Concrete
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.55-66
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    • 2018
  • A large main shock may consist of numerous aftershocks with a short period. The aftershocks induced by a large main shock can cause the collapse of a structure that has been already damaged by the preceding main shock. These aftershocks are important factors in structural damages. Furthermore, despite what is often assumed in seismic design codes, earthquakes do not usually occur as a single event, but as a series of strong aftershocks and even fore shocks. For this reason, this study investigates the effect and potential of consecutive earthquakes on the response and behavior of concrete structures. At first, six moment resisting concrete frames with 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 15 stories are designed and analyzed under two different records with seismic sequences from real and artificial cases. The damage states of the model frames were then measured by the Park and Ang's damage index. From the results of this investigation, it is observed that the sequences of ground motions can almost double the accumulated damage and increased response of structures. Therefore, it is certainly insufficient to ignore this effect in the design procedure of structures. Also, the use of artificial seismic sequences as design earthquake can lead to non-conservative prediction of behavior and damage of structures under real seismic sequences.

Implementation of a macro model to predict seismic response of RC structural walls

  • Fischinger, Matej;Isakovic, Tatjana;Kante, Peter
    • Computers and Concrete
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    • v.1 no.2
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    • pp.211-226
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    • 2004
  • A relatively simple multiple-vertical-line-element macro model has been incorporated into a standard computer code DRAIN-2D. It was used in blind predictions of seismic response of cantilever RC walls subjected to a series of consequent earthquakes on a shaking table. The model was able to predict predominantly flexural response with relative success. It was able to predict the stiffness and the strength of the pre-cracked specimen and time-history response of the highly nonlinear wall as well as to simulate the shift of the neutral axis and corresponding varying axial force in the cantilever wall. However, failing to identify the rupture of some brittle reinforcement in the third test, the model was not able to predict post-critical, near collapse behaviour during the subsequent response to two stronger earthquakes. The analysed macro model seems to be appropriate for global analyses of complex building structures with RC structural walls subjected to moderate/strong earthquakes. However, it cannot, by definition, be used in refined research analyses monitoring local behaviour in the post critical region.

Seismic Hazard Analysis Considering the Incompleteness in the Korean Earthquake Catalog (한반도 지진목록자료의 불완정성을 고려한 지진재해도 분석)

  • 연관희
    • Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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    • 1998.10a
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    • pp.413-420
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    • 1998
  • In this paper, two methods, Stepp's and EQHAZARD, are introduced and applied to a recent earthquake catalog for the entire Korean Peninsula that can estimate the seismicity by incorporating the incompleteness of the earthquake catalog. EQHAZARD method, different from Stepp's method in that it used priori information besides the assumption of stationary Poisson process of the earthquakes, produces the higher seismicity rate for the smaller earthquakes. EQHAZARD method are also used to estimated the incompleteness of the recent earthquake catalog for the southern part of the Korean Peninsula in terms of the Probability of Activity for the specified earthquke magnitude classes and time periods. It is believed that the Probability of Activity thus obtained can be used as a strong priori information in estimating the seismicity for a seismic source within the region where there are not enough earthquakes detected. Finally, it is demonstrated that the arbitrary selection of the methods. of incompleteness analysis brings quite different seismic hazard results, which suggests the need to employ a rigid quantitative method for incompleteness analysis in estimating the seismicity parameters in order to reduce the uncertainty in the Seismic Hazard Results with the EQHAZARD method being one of the competent practical alternatives.

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