Fragility function development and seismic loss assessment of expansion joints

Expansion joints are used as a special connection equipment between adjacent buildings to accommodate the relative motions generated by wind, thermal, or earthquake loads, but they often exhibit damage during severe earthquakes. The level of damage and safety factors required to avoid loss of function are not well considered in current design practices. The objective of this paper is to provide quantitative information on the seismic damage probability of common expansion joints and the associated repair costs. The designer and engineer can refer to this information as a basis for decision making in the selection of expansion joints. Four common types of expansion joints are considered: high- and standard-performance floor and wall expansion joints, whose damage states have been evaluated recently by the authors through shaking table tests. First, the fragility functions of expansion joints for seven damage patterns are developed utilizing the test results. Next, the vulnerability of expansion joints installed between adjacent building models is assessed via incremental dynamic analysis. The recommended level of safety factor to ensure the function of expansion joints is discussed. Finally, a procedure for cost-effective selection of expansion joints is introduced, where case studies are examined using buildings with different characteristics. The presented results are deemed to be beneficial for improving the design practice of expansion joints and for reducing future seismic loss.     

The Megadeltas of Asia: interlinkage of land and sea,and human development

This special issue describes research arising from the megadelta project of the Asia‐Pacific‐Networks (APN), undertaken between 2004 and 2009 ( www.megadelta.ecnu.edu.cn ). Numerous delta‐coast scientists from more than 20 countries were involved in the project concerned with developing our knowledge of land–estuarine–coastal interactions in megadeltas, and with fusing this knowledge with societal development and management. Project workshops were held in Bangkok (2004), Ho Chi Minh City (2005), Dhaka (2007) and Shanghai (2008) with over 500 participants. The main objectives of the project were: (1) development of regional databases; (2) understanding of delta formation and associated fluxes between land and sea; (3) knowledge transfer and building research capacity; and (4) understanding how better social management might follow. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-resolution records of thermocline in the Okinawa Trough since about 10000 aBP

The present paper uses planktonic foraminifera and their stable isotopes to study the changes in the depth of thermocline (DOT) in the Okinawa Trough since the last 10000 a based on the analysis of Core B-3GC in the northern Okinawa Trough, together with that of the core in the southern Okinawa Trough. As results show, the thermocline was shallow before 6400 aBP, and deepened afterward, then became shallow again from 4000 to 2000 aBP. The DOT fluctuations display a positive correlation with those of sea surface temperature (SST). In addition, the changes in the northern Okinawa Trough are similar to those in the southern trough, implying a possible connection with the variation of the Kuroshio Current. The changes of SST and DOT suggest that the Kuroshio Current changed its intensity or main axis from 4000 to 2000 aBP and around about 6400 aBP respectively. Moreover, the changes of DOT from 8200 to 6400 aBP may indicate a gradual intensification of the Kuroshio Current.     

Seismic-response-controlled structure with active mass driver system. Part 1: Design

An Active Mass Driver (AMD) system is proposed to suppress actively the response of a building to irregular external excitations such as earthquakes and typhoons. This system has been introduced to an actual ten-storey office building for the first time in the world. The system controls the motions of a structure by means of an external energy supply. It consists of an auxiliary mass installed in a building and an actuator that operates the mass and produces a control force which counters disturbances to the building. The design method of the AMD system, including the location of the installation and the capacity and stability of the system, is proposed. Simplification of the control algorithm is also described.     

Dissolved and labile particulate Zr,Hf, Nb,Ta, Mo and W in the western North Pacific Ocean

Dissolved and labile particulate Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo and W were determined at stations K1 (51°N, 165°E), K2 (47°N, 160°E), KNOT (44°N, 155°E) and 35N (35°N, 160°E) in the western North Pacific Ocean. A portion of seawater for dissolved species (D) was passed through a 0.2 μm Nuclepore filter and acidified to pH 2.2 with HCl and HF. A portion of seawater for acid-dissolvable species (AD) was acidified without filtration. Labile particulate (LP) species is defined as AD minus D, which represents a chemically labile fraction of particulate species. D-Zr, Hf and Ta increase with depth, Nb shows a slight depletion in surface water, whereas Mo and W have a conservative vertical profile. The concentration range of D-Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta and W is 31–275, 0.14–0.95, 4.0–7.2, 0.08–0.29 and 40–51 pmol kg⁻¹, respectively, whereas that of Mo is 97–105 nmol kg⁻¹. LP-species of Zr, Hf and Ta account for 10–14% of AD in average and increase up to 25% below 4000 m, whereas those for Mo and W are negligible. In contrast, LP-Nb shows maxima (up to 27%) in surface water. We also found that D-Zr/Hf, Nb/Ta and Mo/W mole ratios generally increase in the order continental crust < river water < coastal sea < open ocean.     

近万年来冲绳海槽北部浮游藻类沉积率反映的环境变化

对冲绳海槽北部B－3GC柱状样的84份样品做了浮游藻类（绝大多数是沟鞭藻孢囊）沉积率分析。冲绳海槽约6790a以前的全新世早期和3620－2390aB.P.两个阶段的沟鞭藻孢囊沉积率较高,特别是在全新世早期,孢囊沉积率明显高于其他阶段。沟鞭藻孢囊沉积率的变化反映了冲绳海槽北部全新世表层海水营养和生产力水平的变化,其趋势与黑潮影响强度的变化趋势一致。在黑潮影响甚微的全新世早期,表层海水富营养且高生产力,约6790aB.P.起黑潮影响强度明显加大,表层海水营养和生产力幅度下降,只是在3620－2390aB.P.期间因黑潮影响强度减弱而表层海水营养和生产力有小幅度上升。黑潮对于冲绳槽表层海水营养和生产力的营养,不公亩在为其本身低营养、低生产力的特性,也由于其对来自我国大陆一侧陆源输入物的阻隔作用。Operculodinium centrocarpum沉积率在剖面下段高于Spiniferites spp.,上段则呈相反的情况,Spiniferites spp沉积率较高,变化的转折点（约6790aB.P.)与黑潮对冲绳海槽影响强度出现骤然变化的时间吻合。所以,Operculodinium centrocarpum沉积率高实际上指示了偏低的表层水温,约6790aB.P.冲绳海槽北部表导水温明显上升。     

Stoichiometry among bioactive trace metals in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas

The distribution of Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in seawater was investigated in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas of the western Arctic Ocean in September 2000. The unfiltered and filtered seawater samples were used for determination of total dissolvable metal (TDM) and dissolved metal (DM), respectively. The concentration of labile particulate metal (LPM) was estimated with the difference between that of TDM and DM. The concentrations of TDAl, TDMn, TDFe, TDCo and TDPb varied substantially in the study area. The high concentrations occurred at stations near the Bering Strait, in the Mackenzie delta, and above reductive sediments on the shelf and slope. These elements were mostly dominated by labile particulate species, such as Fe?CMn oxides and species adsorbed on terrestrial clay. DCo was correlated with DMn over the study area (r?=?0.78, n?=?135), and the slope of the regression line was 27 times higher at a pelagic station than at a shelf station. TDNi, TDCu, TDZn and TDCd showed relatively small variations and were generally dominated by dissolved species. There was a moderate correlation between DCd and phosphate for all samples (r?=?0.79), whereas there were no significant correlation between the other DMs and nutrients. TDNi and TDCu showed a remarkable linearity for most stations except those near the Bering Strait (R ²?=?0.95, n?=?126). These results suggest that biogeochemical cycling including uptake by phytoplankton and remineralization from settling particles has only minor control over the distribution of trace metals in this area. Using the present data, the annual input of bioactive trace metals form the Bering Strait and the Mackenzie River was estimated. Also, the trace metal compositions of major water masses were evaluated. The dissolved elemental ratio was P:Al:Mn:Fe:Co:Ni:Cu:Zn:Cd?=?1:1.2?×?10^?2:4.4?×?10^?4:1.4?×?10^?3:3.7?×?10^?5:3.7?×?10^?3:1.4?×?10^?3:4.5?×?10^?3:2.2?×?10^?4 for Canada Basin deep water (CBDW). This ratio was significantly different from that for Pacific deep water and Bering Sea water, suggesting substantial modification of the trace metal compositions of seawater in the study area.     

Internal architecture and mobility of tidal sand ridges in the East China Sea

On the basis of bathymetric and seismic data and data from piston cores collected by the Chinese–French marine geology and geophysics investigation of 1996, we discuss the internal architecture and mobility of tidal sand ridges in the East China Sea (ECS). We characterized the sand ridges on the middle to outer shelf of the ECS as tide-dominated sand ridges with southwest dipping beds, indicating that the regional net sediment transport is toward the southwest. As the sand ridges gradually migrate toward the southwest, new sand ridges are continually replacing old ones, and several generations of sand ridges have developed in the study area.     

An overview of decadal climate predictability in a multi-model ensemble by climate model MIROC

Decadal climate predictability is examined in hindcast experiments by a multi-model ensemble using three versions of the coupled atmosphere-ocean model MIROC. In these hindcast experiments, initial conditions are obtained from an anomaly assimilation procedure using the observed oceanic temperature and salinity with prescribed natural and anthropogenic forcings on the basis of the historical data and future emission scenarios in the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change. Results of the multi-model ensemble in our hindcast experiments show that predictability of surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies on decadal timescales mostly originates from externally forced variability. Although the predictable component of internally generated variability has considerably smaller SAT variance than that of externally forced variability, ocean subsurface temperature variability has predictive skills over almost a decade, particularly in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic where dominant signals associated with Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) are observed. Initialization enhances the predictive skills of AMO and PDO indices and slightly improves those of global mean temperature anomalies. Improvement of these predictive skills in the multi-model ensemble is higher than that in a single-model ensemble.