Earthquake Motions (earthquake + motion)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Use of collision shear walls to minimize seismic separation and to protect adjacent buildings from collapse due to earthquake-induced pounding

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 12 2008
S. A. Anagnostopoulos
Abstract The use of collision shear walls (bumper-type), acting transversely to the side subject to pounding, as a measure to minimize damage of reinforced concrete buildings in contact, is investigated using 5-story building models. The buildings were designed according to the Greek anti-seismic and reinforced concrete design codes. Owing to story height differences potential pounding in case of an earthquake will occur between floor slabs, a case specifically chosen because this is when pounding can turn out to be catastrophic. The investigation is carried out using nonlinear dynamic analyses for a real earthquake motion and also a simplified solution for a triangular dynamic force of short duration, comparable to the forces caused by pounding. For such analyses, nonlinear, prismatic beam,column elements are used and the effects of pounding are expressed in terms of changes in rotational ductility factors of the building elements. The local effects of pounding on the collision shear walls are investigated using a detailed nonlinear finite element model of the shear walls and results are expressed in terms of induced stresses. It is found that pounding will cause instantaneous acceleration pulses in the colliding buildings and will somewhat increase ductility demands in the members of the top floor, but all within tolerable limits. At the same time the collision walls will suffer repairable local damage at the points of contact, but will effectively protect both buildings from collapse, which could occur if columns were in the place of the walls. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Response of SDOF system to non-stationary earthquake excitation

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 15 2004
R. S. Jangid
Abstract Earthquake excitation is often modelled by non-stationary random process (i.e. uniformly modulated broad-band excitation) for analysis of structural safety subjected to seismic hazards. In this paper, the non-stationary response of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system to non-stationary earthquake motion is investigated for different shapes of modulating functions. The evolutionary power-spectral density function (PSDF) of the displacement of the SDOF system is obtained using the time-varying frequency response function and the PSDF of the earthquake excitation. The close form expressions for time-varying frequency response function are derived for different shapes of the modulating functions. In order to study the effects of the shape of the modulating function, a comparison of the non-stationary earthquake response of the SDOF system is also made for different modulating functions having the same energy content. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Seismic response analysis on the stability of running vehicles

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 11 2002
Yoshihisa Maruyama
Abstract The seismometer network of the Japanese expressway system has been enhanced since the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Using earthquake information from the instruments, the expressways are closed if the peak ground acceleration (PGA) is larger than or equal to 80cm/s2. The aim of this regulation is to avoid secondary disasters, e.g. cars running into the collapsed sections. However, recent studies on earthquake damage have revealed that expressway structures are not seriously damaged under such-level of earthquake motion. Hence, we may think of relaxing the regulation of expressway closure. But before doing this, it is necessary to examine the effects of shaking to automobiles since the drivers may encounter difficulties in controlling their vehicles and traffic accidents may occur. In this study, a vehicle was modelled with a six-degree-of-freedom system and its responses were investigated with respect to PGA, peak ground velocity (PGV) and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) seismic intensity using five ground motion records. It was observed that the response of the vehicle shows a larger amplitude for the record that has larger response spectrum in the long period range compared to other records. However, similar response amplitudes of the vehicle were observed for all the records with respect to the JMA seismic intensity. The response characteristics of the vehicle model may be very useful for decision-making regarding the relaxation of the expressway closure under seismic motion. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Numerical Model for Biaxial Earthquake Response of Reinforced Concrete

COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2007
Cemalettin Dönmez
The model is tested using data from two types of experiments with reinforced concrete elements: (1) elements subjected to varying pseudo-static biaxial lateral loads and (2) elements that responded biaxially to simulated earthquake motions. The goal for the model was not only to help determine the absolute maxima for earthquake response but also to enable calculation of the entire waveform, including the ranges of low- and moderate-amplitude response. The comparisons of measured and calculated results and sensitivity of the proposed model to variations in the input parameters are discussed. The output was found to be insensitive to the changes in input parameters related to concrete and sensitive to input parameters related to reinforcing steel. The results of the calculations were tested using experimental data. [source]


Shaking table tests on seismic response of steel braced frames with column uplift

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 14 2006
Mitsumasa Midorikawa
Abstract Previous studies have suggested that rocking vibration accompanied by uplift motion might reduce the seismic damage to buildings subjected to severe earthquake motions. This paper reports on the use of shaking table tests and numerical analyses to evaluate and compare the seismic response of base-plate-yielding rocking systems with columns allowed to uplift with that of fixed-base systems. The study is performed using half-scale three-storey, 1 × 2 bay braced steel frames with a total height of 5.3 m. Base plates that yield due to column tension were installed at the base of each column. Two types of base plates with different thicknesses are investigated. The earthquake ground motion used for the tests and analyses is the record of the 1940 El Centro NS component with the time scale shortened by a factor of 1/,2. The maximum input acceleration is scaled to examine the structural response at various earthquake intensities. The column base shears in the rocking frames with column uplift are reduced by up to 52% as compared to the fixed-base frames. Conversely, the maximum roof displacements of the fixed and rocking frames are about the same. It is also noted that the effect of the vertical impact on the column associated with touchdown of the base plate is small because the difference in tensile and compressive forces is primarily due to the self-limiting tensile force in the column caused by yielding of the base plate. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Natural and accidental torsion in one-storey structures on elastic foundation under non-vertically incident SH-waves

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 7 2006
Javier Avilés
Abstract Factors , and , used in equivalent static analysis to account for natural and accidental torsion are evaluated with consideration of soil,structure interaction. The combined torsional effects of structural asymmetry and foundation rotation are examined with reference to a single monosymmetric structure placed on a rigid foundation that is embedded into an elastic half-space, under to the action of non-vertically incident SH waves. Dynamic and accidental eccentricities are developed such that when used together with the code-specified base shear, the resulting static displacement at the flexible edge of the building is identical to that computed from dynamic analysis. It is shown that these eccentricities do not have a unique definition because they depend on both the selection of the design base shear and the criterion used for separation of the torsional effects of foundation rotation from those of structural asymmetry. Selected numerical results are presented in terms of dimensionless parameters for their general application, using a set of appropriate earthquake motions for ensuring generality of conclusions. The practical significance of this information for code-designed buildings is elucidated. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Controlled overturning of unanchored rigid bodies

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 6 2006
Rubén Boroschek
Abstract Typical small hospital and laboratory equipment and general supplies cannot be anchored to resist earthquake motions. In order to protect these non-structural components, a common procedure is to provide barriers to restrain overturning of objects on shelves and other furniture. In many cases this option is not available, especially for hospital equipment, because of other functional requirements. This work presents an alternative approach. The method proposed here does not avoid overturning, but controls the direction of overturning by providing an inclination to the support base so that the overturning occurs in a preferential direction towards a safe area. For example, objects on shelves, could overturn towards the inside or a wall, and equipment on tables could overturn away from the edge. In both cases this would not only reduce the damage to the particular items, but reduce the amount of debris on the floor. In order to determine the proper inclination of the base, specific rigid bodies are analytically evaluated for bi-directional excitation obtained from 314 earthquake records, in approximately 7500 cases. For each case, several inclination angles are evaluated. Finally, a parametric curve is adjusted to the data, given a relation between angle of inclination and percentage of controlled overturning cases. In all cases a 7° angle gives more than 98% confidence of controlled overturning. The design expressions were later compared with experimental results obtained on a six-degree-of-freedom shake table; confirming the analytical expressions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Inelastic earthquake response of single-story asymmetric buildings: an assessment of simplified shear-beam models

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 12 2003
K. G. Stathopoulos
Abstract The inelastic seismic torsional response of simple structures is examined by means of shear-beam type models as well as with plastic hinge idealization of one-story buildings. Using mean values of ductility factors, obtained for groups of ten earthquake motions, as the basic index of post-elastic response, the following topics are examined with the shear-beam type model: mass eccentric versus stiffness eccentric systems, effects of different types of motions and effects of double eccentricities. Subsequently, comparisons are made with results obtained using a more realistic, plastic hinge type model of single-story reinforced concrete frame buildings designed according to a modern Code. The consequences of designing for different levels of accidental eccentricity are also examined for the aforementioned frame buildings. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Hysteretic energy spectrum and damage control

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 12 2001
Rafael Riddell
Abstract The inelastic response of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems subjected to earthquake motions is studied and a method to derive hysteretic energy dissipation spectra is proposed. The amount of energy dissipated through inelastic deformation combined with other response parameters allow the estimation of the required deformation capacity to avoid collapse for a given design earthquake. In the first part of the study, a detailed analysis of correlation between energy and ground motion intensity indices is carried out to identify the indices to be used as scaling parameters and base line of the energy dissipation spectrum. The response of elastoplastic, bilinear, and stiffness degrading systems with 5 per cent damping, subjected to a world-wide ensemble of 52 earthquake records is considered. The statistical analysis of the response data provides the factors for constructing the energy dissipation spectrum as well as the Newmark,Hall inelastic spectra. The combination of these spectra allows the estimation of the ultimate deformation capacity required to survive the design earthquake, capacity that can also be presented in spectral form as an example shows. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]