Maximum Possible Ground Motion for Linear Structures

This article develops a method to generate ground motion time histories that maximize the response of a given linearly elastic structure. The root mean square (RMS) level of the input power spectral density (PSD) is used as a strong motion parameter. It is related to seismological data that is readily available. An empirical relation to estimate RMS value of the PSD from peak ground acceleration, magnitude, rupture distance, and shear wave velocity is derived from world-wide strong motion data. The ground motion is obtained by solving the inverse problem such that the structural response is maximized under the constraint of fixed value of RMS level of the input PSD enforced using a Lagrange multiplier. The proposed methodology is illustrated for a single-degree of freedom system, a six storey building and an earthen dam. It is shown that the critical PSD obtained in all the cases is a narrow band process resulting in stochastic resonance and not a Dirac-delta function with the entire energy of the system concentrated at its natural frequency. Moreover, the critical excitation samples generated using this critical PSD resembles actual earthquake acceleration time histories.     

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.     

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.     

Optimal Spectral Acceleration-based Intensity Measure for Seismic Collapse Assessment of P-Delta Vulnerable Frame Structures

This study proposes an “optimal” spectral acceleration-based intensity measure (IM) to assess the collapse capacity of highly inelastic frame structures vulnerable to the P-delta effect. The IM is derived from the geometric mean of the spectral pseudo-acceleration over a certain period interval. The lower bound period of the averaging interval is related to the mode in which 95% of the effective modal mass is exceeded. The upper bound period is 1.6 times the fundamental period. This IM provides minimum, or close to the minimum, dispersion for frames with different fundamental periods of vibration, or number of stories.     

Unusual Overshooting in Steady-state Response for Structure-dependent Integration Methods

It is numerically illustrated that an unusual overshooting phenomenon might occur in the solution of a forced vibration response if a structure-dependent integration method is applied to conduct the analysis, such as Chang explicit method [2002] and CR explicit method [2008]. This overshooting may occur in the steady-state response of a high frequency mode and it becomes significant as the natural frequency of the mode increases. This unusual overshooting behavior can be successfully detected by using a local truncation error derived from a forced vibration response rather than a free vibration response. A missing loading term in the difference equation for displacement increment is responsible for this unusual overshoot. It is analytically and numerically verified that the unusual overshooting behavior will automatically disappear after introducing the missing loading term into the difference equation for displacement increment.     

Analytical Seismic Assessment of a Tall Long-Span Curved Reinforced-Concrete Bridge. Part I: Numerical Modeling and Input Excitation

The seismic response of bridges is affected by a number of modeling considerations, such as pier embedment, buried pile caps, seat-type abutments, pounding, bond slip and architecturally flared part of piers, and loading considerations, such as non-uniform ground excitations and orientation of ground motion components, which are not readily addressed by design codes. This article addresses a methodology for the nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of a tall, long-span, curved, reinforced-concrete bridge, the Mogollon Rim Viaduct. Various modeling scenarios are considered for the bridge components, soil-structure interaction system, and materials, i.e., concrete and reinforcing steel, covering all its geotechnical and structural aspects based on recent advances in bridge engineering. Various analysis methodologies (nonlinear static pushover, time history response to uniform and spatially variable seismic excitations, and incremental dynamic analyses) are performed. For the dynamic analyses, a suite of nine earthquake accelerograms are selected and their characteristics are investigated using seismic intensity parameters. A recently developed approach for the generation of non-uniform seismic excitations, i.e., spatially variable simulations conditioned on the recorded time series, is used. Methods for the evaluation of structural performance are discussed and their limitations addressed. The numerical results of the seismic assessment of the Mogollon Rim Viaduct are presented in the companion article (Part II). The sensitivity of the bridge response to the adopted modeling, loading and analyzing strategies, as well as the correlation between structural damage and seismic intensity parameters are examined in detail.     

Long-Period Ground Motion Simulation and its Impact on Seismic Response of High-Rise Buildings

This paper first critically reviews a seismological model and then a three-segment curve model (in log-log space) to model the Q-f relationship is proposed to overcome the potential biased estimation in the long-period range by the “coda wave” method. The optimal curve-fitting process is performed to determine the Q-f relationship for the Hong Kong region. The calibrated seismological factors are incorporated with the stochastic simulation procedure to generate synthetic ground motions, which are validated through comparison with seismic records. The impact of long-period ground motions on the seismic response of high-rise buildings is finally manifested through a numerical study.     

Experimental Investigation of Exterior Unreinforced Beam-Column Joints with Plain and Deformed Bars

Experimental tests on four full-scale exterior unreinforced reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column joints, representative of the existing non-conforming RC frame buildings, are carried out. The specimens have different longitudinal reinforcements (plain or deformed) and they are designed in order to be representative of two typical design practices (for gravity loads only or according to an obsolete seismic code). Different failure modes are observed, namely joint failure with or without beam yielding. The local response of the joint panel is analyzed. The different joint deformation mechanisms and their contribution to the deformability and to the energy dissipation capacity of the sub-assemblages are evaluated.     

Influence of Time Step of Ground Motions on Site Effect and Structural Response Analyses for Long-Duration Earthquakes

Long-duration ground motions may be down-sampled to speed up the computational process. However, using ground motions with large time step (Δt) would inevitably bring in numerical errors. The influence of Δt on the site effect and structural response analyses was quantitatively examined in this study. The results show that the nonlinear site response method is more sensitive to a change of Δt than the equivalent-linear method. For the structural analysis, the impact of Δt is highly dependent on the magnitude of damage parameters. Thus, using input motions with Δt as 0.005 s is recommended for structures subjected to strong shakings.     

Transient Response of Concrete Gravity Dam Considering Dam-Reservoir-Foundation Interaction

This article deals with the finite element analysis of dam with and without fluid-structure, soil-structure and soil-structure-fluid interaction. A two-dimensional direct coupling methodology is proposed to obtain the response of dam-reservoir-foundation system considering fluid-structure and soil-structure interaction simultaneously. The displacement based finite element technique is used to formulate the dam and foundation. The reservoir is modeled by pressure based finite element to reduce the degree of freedoms and there by the computational cost. The responses of dam, reservoir, and foundation with and without fluid-structure, soil-structure and soil-structure-fluid interaction are compared to study the influence of reservoir and soil foundation on the behavior of these respective sub systems. The fundamental frequency of individual sub system decreases with the consideration of coupling effect among these sub systems. On the comparison of the responses of dam, it is observed that the displacement and principal stresses are increased if the effect of reservoir and foundation are considered and the worst responses were observed when both the fluid-structure and soil-structure interaction effects are considered simultaneously. The magnitude and distribution of stresses within the foundation change with the consideration of soil-structure-fluid interaction. Similar to wstresses in the foundation, the hydrodynamic pressure within the reservoir also gets magnified due to interaction effects. The velocity distribution within the reservoir becomes distorted when the fluid-structure and soil-structure-fluid interaction are considered.