Dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli in Assisi: Static and Dynamic Assessment

This study presents the results of the static and dynamic assessment of the dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, designed by Galeazzo Alessi. The first section is devoted to an overview of the masonry domes designed by the Italian architect and focuses on the structural solutions adopted in the several cases described to better understand Alessi’s designing skills. In the second part, the drum-dome system is analyzed in order to attain a structural assessment. The static assessment is performed by means of limit analysis and finite element model approaches with non-linear mechanical behavior. The obtained results are consistent with the detected crack pattern and confirm the suitability of the reinforcement steel rings applied to the drum. The seismic assessment has been performed by response spectrum analysis. Due to the lack of specific information, a probabilistic approach for the material mechanical properties was used. The results obtained highlight an adequate seismic response of the structure that can be attributed to the dynamic properties of the slender drum-dome system. This finding justifies the good performance of the structure during the seismic events of 1832 and 1997.     

Seismic History of the Church of San Pietro Di Coppito in L’Aquila

After the terrible 18th-century earthquakes—in L’Aquila in 1703, Lisbon in 1755, and Reggio Calabria in 1783—specific anti-seismic precepts were introduced in the rules of the art of masonry construction. Scrupulously adhered to in the first years after the earthquake, those precepts gradually ceased to be used until they were almost completely forgotten, centuries later, by which time the earthquake had become a distant memory. The church of San Pietro di Coppito, one of the most important churches of L’Aquila, is emblematic of this singular process. Deeply transformed in accordance with new anti-seismic construction techniques after it was particularly badly damaged in the terrible 1703 earthquake, the church was subjected, in the 1970s, to drastic alterations by the Commissioner Mario Moretti, who demolished all the baroque additions and redesigned it in the “medieval Abruzzo” style, eliminating in the process the intelligent anti-seismic provisions introduced in the 18th century. In addition to documentary purposes, this work aims to underline the effectiveness of this early 18th-century example of anti-seismic engineering in the belief that the constructive solutions it employed could still form a valid architectural and structural model in view of the massive restoration task for which, unfortunately, L’Aquila is still waiting today.     

宁波保国寺大殿风振性能研究

为了更科学地保护我国传统木构建筑,需要研究我国江南地区传统木构建筑的风振性能,为此,以江南地区最古老、保存最完整的佛教木构建筑——保国寺大殿的主殿为例进行风振性能研究。首先基于三维激光扫描获得的真实可靠的保国寺大殿的几何信息,采用SAP2000有限元软件建立主殿的有限元模型,并进行动力特性分析。再利用MATLAB软件编写脉动风速时程,并将风压作用于有限元模型上分析,得到主殿的风振响应。得到结构模态、位移时程曲线、位移谱曲线、加速度响应,并对时程位移风振系数和规范风振系数进行对比。结构的振动响应主要由前三阶振型控制,在强风荷载作用下,最容易出现的变形就是南北向振动、东西向振动和扭转振动;各个典型节点的最大位移均在侧向位移容许值内;迎风面阑额中心位移最大、屋面上半部次之、屋面下半部及檐柱柱头最小;主殿相连的两个部分的加速度相差较多,屋面和屋身的连接节点应成为日后保国寺大殿的保护重点;时程风振系数变化与规范风振系数的变化规律不同是因为结构横向刚度分布不均匀;时程风振系数是规范风振系数的1.2~1.4倍,这是由于按照规范计算风振系数的过程中只考虑了第一阶振型的影响而忽略其他所有振型的结果;规范风振系数的计算只适用于形状、质量沿高度不变的高耸结构,不适用于类似本研究中的低矮木构传统房屋结构。     

Simulation of Shake Table Tests on Out-of-Plane Masonry Buildings. Part (V): Discrete Element Approach

ABSTRACT

The analysis of the shaking table test of a 3-wall stone masonry structure performed with a discrete element model is presented. The numerical model, created with the code 3DEC, employed a rigid block representation and a Mohr-Coulomb joint model. Joint stiffness calibration to match the experimental natural frequencies is discussed, as well as the boundary conditions to simulate the shake table. Comparisons are made with the measured displacements at key locations, and the modes of deformation and fracture of the walls. The DEM model was able to reproduce important features of the shaking table tests. The experimental deformation and near collapse patterns were clearly identifiable in the numerical simulations, which produced displacements within the observed orders of magnitude, for the various levels of excitation.     

EXTENSION OF EUROCODE 8 TORSIONAL PROVISIONS TO MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS

A procedure is presented to extend the static torsional provisions of the Eurocode 8 (EC8) to asymmetrical multi-storey buildings. It is shown that even if the conditions in Annex A of EC8 are satisfied, the static torsional provision will not be effective to compensate for the effect of torsion unless the building possesses a minimum level of torsional stiffness. By means of examples, it is shown that this minimum torsional stiffness condition can be specified in the Code using the mean stiffness radius of gyration of the building calculated based on the proposed procedure as an index.     

ELASTIC EARTH PRESSURES ON RIGID WALLS UNDER EARTHQUAKE LOADING

Elastic dynamic earth pressures induced by earthquakes are computed by analyzing a wall-foundation-backfill system. Both foundation and backfill are considered viscoelastic; the foundation is a semi-infinite space and the backfill, a uniform layer of constant thickness. A simple analytical solution is developed by assuming an approximate backfill-foundation interface condition and adopting the least squares method. The response functions computed indicate the large influence of the various system parameters on earth pressure, including the foundation characteristics,as well as wall geometry and mass. The transient response of the system is also studied by obtaining spectra for base shear. A large number of seismic records are analyzed to obtain average spectra and a total of three correction functions are used to take into account the foundation stiffness and density as well as wall inertia. A simple design method is proposed to estimate the maximum base shear.     

YIELDING OSCILLATOR UNDER TRIANGULAR GROUND ACCELERATION PULSE

An analytical solution is presented for the response of a bilinear inelastic simple oscillator to a symmetric triangular ground acceleration pulse. This type of motion is typical of near-fault recordings generated by source-directivity effects that may generate severe damage. Explicit closed-form expressions are derived for: (i) the inelastic response of the oscillator during the rising and decaying phases of the excitation as well as the ensuing free oscillations; (ii) the time of structural yielding; (iii) the time of peak response; (iv) the associated ductility demand. It is shown that when the duration of the pulse is long relative to the elastic period of the structure and its amplitude is of the same order as the yielding seismic coefficient, serious damage may occur if significant ductility cannot be supplied. The effect of post-yielding structural stiffness on ductility demand is also examined. Contrary to presently-used numerical algorithms, the proposed analytical solution allows many key response parameters to be evaluated in closed-form expressions and insight to be gained on the'response of inelastic structures to such motions. The model is evaluated against numerical results from actual near-field recorded motions. Illustrative examples are also presented.     

IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION OF SEISMIC DEMAND FROM DIFFERENT HYSTERETIC MODELS

The goal of this paper is to develop a modified Bouc-Wen hysteretic model from cyclic loading test data for reinforced columns, including the behavior of stiffness degradation, strength deterioration, pinching and softening effects of RC members. Seismic demands on this inelastic single degree of freedom system when subjected to both near-fault ground motion and far-field ground motion excitations were examined.

The cyclic loading test of reinforced concrete columns was experimentally observed and a system identification computer program was developed to solve each control parameter of the hysteretic model. A least-squared method for identifying parameters of the model is proposed in this paper. The hysteretic constitutive law produces a smoothly varying hysteresis such as the control-parameters for strength deterioration, stiffness degradation, pinching and softening effects. Two implementations of (1) flexure damage and (2) shear damage were conducted to provide better understanding of hysteretic behavior of RC structural members. A pseudo-dynamic experiment was also developed to verify the model parameters.

Based on the developed hysteretic model, the seismic demand of this inelastic model was investigated by using both near-fault ground motion data and far-field ground motion data as input motion. An R-μT inelastic response spectrum from different hysteretic models was generated.     

AN ALGORITHM FOR COMPUTING ISODUCTILE RESPONSE SPECTRA

The computation of constant ductility (or isoductile) response spectra for single-degree-of-freedom systems can require numerous individual response history analyses. Recognising that the same ductility response may be obtained for different strength oscillators of a given period, greater computational effort is required to reduce the possibility that a desired solution is not overlooked. Even a single solution may not exist if a local discontinuity in the strength-ductility relationship coincides with the desired value of ductility. This paper describes a two-phase algorithm to identify the highest strength solution for which the corresponding ductility equals (or does not exceed) the desired ductility. The first phase adopts a “check-reject” approach to reject intervals of strength where the possibility of unidentified higher-strength solutions is considered to be remote, thereby narrowing the strength interval in which the solution will be found. The second phase identifies a solution within this interval as rapidly as possible using a bisection approach. The algorithm is implemented in the USEE software program. The efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm are demonstrated by comparison to results obtained with other software programs.