Seismic Vulnerability of Building Contents for a Given Occupancy Due to Multiple Failure Modes

A methodology is presented for assessing the seismic vulnerability of inventories of contents to multiple failure modes. An ordering method to find out probabilities of failure of a conditional mode upon the survival of the other modes is applied. The procedure considers the statistical correlation of failure modes due to the dynamic response, such as sliding and/or overturning, of contents and also to non structural components. This methodology was applied to inventories of four types of occupancy (house, school, office, and hospital) located in Mexico City, considering that all contents are situated at ground level. Expected damage functions for these inventories show large differences between them, the house and school inventories being the least vulnerable, and the hospital inventory, the most vulnerable, even for low intensities.     

Passive Control of Steel Storage Racks for Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese under Seismic Accelerations

Recent earthquakes in Italy resulted in the collapse of steel storage racks for aging Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, damaging a huge number of cheese wheels. In order to improve the seismic performance of surviving racks with low-budget solutions, when replacement cannot be considered, we investigate the possibility of using viscous dampers that connect the racks to a surrounding structure. Time-history analyses with natural and spectrum-compatible artificial accelerograms allow one to determine the optimal damping factor that reduces both the stress in the rack and the actions transmitted to the constraining structure. Results confirm the noteworthy benefits of the proposed retrofitting system.     

Effect of Nonlinearity of Frame Buildings on Peak Horizontal Floor Acceleration

Using representative numerical models of eight code-designed steel moment-resisting frame buildings and several ground motions, time-history analyses are performed and a critical evaluation of Peak Horizontal Floor Acceleration (PHFA) demands is conducted. The frames are modeled alternatively as linear and nonlinear systems to isolate the effect of building nonlinearity on PHFA. In most cases, PHFA is reduced when nonlinear behavior of a building is considered; however, in some cases, significant amplification of PHFA is observed. Results from the numerical study provide insight into the trend of modal response modification factors presented taking ground motion spectral shape into account.     

Experimental Analysis of Bolted Steel Beam-to-Column Connections: Component Identification

In this paper, the results of an experimental program dealing with the ultimate behavior of bolted beam-to-column connections under cyclic actions are presented. The design criteria adopted for tested specimens are discussed in detail, aiming to point out how the ultimate behavior can be governed by properly strengthening the components for which yielding has to be prevented. To this scope, the component approach is adopted as a design tool for component hierarchy criteria. The aim of the paper is the investigation of the actual possibility of extending the component approach to the prediction of the cyclic response of beam-to-column joints. To this scope, the attention has been focused on the possibility to evaluate the overall energy dissipation capacity starting from the energy dissipation of the single joint components, provided that they are properly identified and their cyclic behavior is properly measured.     

Design and Assessment Spectra for Retrofitting of RC Buildings

This article presents a novel approach for deriving Retrofit Design Spectra (RDS) that are intended for use in preliminary development and assessment of seismic upgrading scenarios of existing structures. The new spectral representation relates the characteristics of the intervention method chosen as the core of the upgrading strategy, with the ductility and strength demand of the retrofitted structure. The methodology utilized for the derivation of the RDS is based on the Capacity Spectrum Method where the capacity curve is described by relationships for global and local intervention methods that are parameterized in terms of fundamental response quantities. The proposed spectra provide direct insight into the complex interrelation between the characteristics of the intervention method and the implications of the upgrading scenario on demand. Alternative retrofit solutions are thus assessed in an efficient way. A case study is used to illustrate practical application of the new approach.     

Seismic Response of Base-Isolated Benchmark Building with Variable Sliding Isolators

The seismic response of base-isolated benchmark building with variable sliding isolators like variable friction pendulum system (VFPS), variable frequency pendulum isolator (VFPI), and variable curvature friction pendulum system (VCFPS), along with conventional friction pendulum system (FPS), was studied under the seven earthquakes. The earthquakes are applied bi-directionally in the horizontal plane ignoring vertical ground motion component. The shear type base-isolated benchmark building is modeled as three-dimensional linear elastic structure having three degrees of freedom at each floor level. Time domain dynamic analysis of the benchmark building was carried out with the help of constant average acceleration Newmark-Beta method and nonlinear isolation forces was taken care by fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The base-isolated benchmark building is investigated for uniform isolation and hybrid isolation in combination with laminated rubber bearings through the performance criteria and time history response of important structural response parameters like floor accelerations, base displacement, etc. It is observed that variable sliding isolators performed better than conventional FPS due to their varying characteristic properties which enable them to alter the isolator forces depending upon their isolator displacements thus improves the performance of the structure. The VFPS efficiently controls large isolator displacements and VFPI and VCFPS improve super structural response on the cost of isolator displacement. It is also observed that the hybrid isolation is relatively better in comparison to the uniform isolation for the benchmark building.     

Direct Displacement-Based Design of Glulam Timber Frame Buildings

We introduce a direct Displacement-Based Design methodology for glued laminated timber portal frames with moment-resisting doweled joints. We propose practical expressions to estimate ultimate target displacement and equivalent viscous damping, and we demonstrate that these expressions provide prior values that are close to those obtained a posteriori using a more refined model. Applied to case studies, the method yields base-shear forces lower than those obtained using the force-based approach of Eurocode 8. This is due to the high dissipation capacity of the specific connection technology, which apparently is conservatively accounted for in the q-factor of Eurocode 8.     

Seismic Response of Rolling Isolation Systems with Concave Friction Distribution

This article attempted to improve the isolation performance of a rolling isolation system by assuming that the rolling friction force gradually and linearly increased with the relative displacement between the isolator and the ground. After the rolling isolation system under different ground motions was calculated by a numerical analysis method, it obtained more regular results than that of other uneven friction distributions. Results shows that the considered concavely distributed friction force can not only dissipate the earthquake energy, but also change the structural natural period. These functions improve the seismic isolation efficiency of the structural relative displacement in comparison with the general uniform distribution of rolling friction coefficient.     

Technical Note: Practical Challenges Facing the Selection of Conditional Spectrum-Compatible Accelerograms

There are various possibilities for the selection and scaling of ground motions for advanced seismic assessment of buildings using nonlinear response-history analyses. As part of an on-going project looking at building-specific loss assessment in Italy, this article highlights a number of challenges currently facing the use of conditional spectra for ground motion selection in practice, essentially related to the limited amount of seismic hazard information that is publicly available. To illustrate the points being made, the challenges faced when trying to develop conditional spectra and select spectrum-compatible accelerograms for a rock site in Napoli, Italy, are described and the seismic assessment results obtained for a number of reinforced concrete wall structures are presented. Aside from providing practitioners with an appreciation of the potential difficulty associated with using conditional spectra for record selection, this technical note should also motivate national authorities to provide more background information on national seismic hazard data and detailed guidance for record selection.     

Experimental Study on Seismic Performance of Mechanical/Electrical Equipment with Vibration Isolation Systems

A prototype diesel generator equipped with a vibration isolation system consisting of restrained isolators (denoted as I/system) is quasi-statically and dynamically tested. Sequentially, the seismic simulation tests are conducted to further investigate the effectiveness of additional snubbers incorporated into the vibration isolation system (denoted as I/R system). Comparing the test results to the static design demands specified in ASCE 7-10, the recommended component amplification factor could represent the horizontal acceleration amplification phenomenon of the generator equipped with I/R system; however, the seismic force demands for static design of I/R system might not be appropriate and conservative enough.