Simulation of multi-support depth-varying earthquake ground motions within heterogeneous onshore and offshore sites

This paper presents a novel approach to model and simulate the multi-support depth-varying seismic motions (MDSMs) within heterogeneous offshore and onshore sites. Based on 1D wave propagation theory, the three-dimensional ground motion transfer functions on the surface or within an offshore or onshore site are derived by considering the effects of seawater and porous soils on the propagation of seismic P waves. Moreover, the depth-varying and spatial variation properties of seismic ground motions are considered in the ground motion simulation. Using the obtained transfer functions at any locations within a site, the offshore or onshore depth-varying seismic motions are stochastically simulated based on the spectral representation method (SRM). The traditional approaches for simulating spatially varying ground motions are improved and extended to generate MDSMs within multiple offshore and onshore sites. The simulation results show that the PSD functions and coherency losses of the generated MDSMs are compatible with respective target values, which fully validates the effectiveness of the proposed simulation method. The synthesized MDSMs can provide strong support for the precise seismic response prediction and performance-based design of both offshore and onshore large-span engineering structures.     

Spatial variability effects of ground motions on cable-stayed bridges

In this paper, stochastic analysis of a cable-stayed bridge subjected to spatially varying ground motions is performed. While the ground motion is described by power spectral density (PSD) function, the spatial variability of ground motions is taken into account with the incoherence and the wave-passage effects. The incoherence effect is examined by taking into account two extensively used models. As the effect of the wave-passage effect is investigated by using various wave velocities, the effect of local soil conditions where the bridge supports are constructed is outlined by using homogeneous firm, medium and soft soil conditions. Solutions obtained for the spatially varying ground motions are compared with those of the specialised cases of the ground motion model. Stationary as well as the transient response analyses are performed for the considered bridge model. It is concluded that spatial variability and propagation effects of ground motions have important effects on the dynamic behaviour of the bridge and the variability of the ground motions should be included in the stochastic analysis of cable-stayed bridges.     

Influence of irregular topography and random soil properties on coherency loss of spatial seismic ground motions

Coherency functions are used to describe the spatial variation of seismic ground motions at multiple supports of long span structures. Many coherency function models have been proposed based on theoretical derivation or measured spatial ground motion time histories at dense seismographic arrays. Most of them are suitable for modelling spatial ground motions on flat‐lying alluvial sites. It has been found that these coherency functions are not appropriate for modelling spatial variations of ground motions at sites with irregular topography (Struct. Saf. 1991; 10 (1):1–13). This paper investigates the influence of layered irregular sites and random soil properties on coherency functions of spatial ground motions on ground surface. Ground motion time histories at different locations on ground surface of the irregular site are generated based on the combined spectral representation method and one‐dimensional wave propagation theory. Random soil properties, including shear modulus, density and damping ratio of each layer, are assumed to follow normal distributions, and are modelled by the independent one‐dimensional random fields in the vertical direction. Monte‐Carlo simulations are employed to model the effect of random variations of soil properties on the simulated surface ground motion time histories. The coherency function is estimated from the simulated ground motion time histories. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed method. Numerical results show that coherency function directly relates to the spectral ratio of two local sites, and the influence of randomly varying soil properties at a canyon site on coherency functions of spatial surface ground motions cannot be neglected. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

非一致激励条件下非线性工程场地地震动相干函数研究

将土非线性分析的等效线性化方法与随机工程波动散射问题的求解方法相结合,建立了开放系统中非一致激励条件下考虑岩土介质非线性的工程场地地震动随机场数值模拟方法并研究了介质非线性对场地地震动相干性的影响。分析结果表明：与不考虑非线性相比,在地震过程中,场地土介质的非线性改变了复杂场地的局部特性从而导致场地地震动空间相干性的变化,因此有必要在场地地震动相干函数的分析中考虑场地介质非线性特性对地震动相干性的影响。     

Random vibration analysis of long-span structures subjected to spatially varying ground motions

On the basis of the pseudo-excitation method (PEM), a random vibration methodology is formulated for the seismic analysis of multi-supported structures subjected to spatially varying ground motions. The ground motion spatial variability consists of the wave passage, incoherence and site–response effects. Advantages of this method are that less computation effort is required and that the cross-correlations both between normal modes and between excitations are automatically included. Random seismic responses of a realistic long-span bridge due to the wave passage, incoherence and site–response effects are extensively investigated. It is shown that all these effects have significant influence on the seismic response of the structure.     

Effects of spatially variable ground motions on the seismic response of a skewed, multi-span, RC highway bridge

This paper presents a study of the influence of spatially variable ground motions on the longitudinal seismic response of a short, three-span, 30-degree skewed, reinforced concrete highway bridge. Linear and nonlinear finite element models are created for the bridge and linear elastic and nonlinear inelastic time history analyses conducted. Three different types of illustrative excitations are considered: The first utilizes spatially variable ground motions incorporating the effects of variable soil conditions, loss of coherency and wave passage as input motions at the structures' supports. The time history with the smallest peak displacement and the one with the largest peak displacement from the spatially variable ones are then used as uniform input motions at all bridge supports. The comparative analysis of the bridge model shows that the uniform ground motion input with the largest peak displacement cannot provide conservative seismic demands for all structural components—in a number of cases it results in lower response than that predicted by spatially variable motions. The present results indicate that there is difficulty in establishing uniform input motions that would have the same effect on the response of bridge models as spatially variable ones. Consequently, spatially variable input motions need to be applied as excitations at the bridge supports.     

地震动记录选取及其对网架屋盖动力响应的影响

地震动记录的合理选取对预测结构响应有着重要的作用。本文通过对风雨操场建筑混合结构的抗震性能分析,提出了一种对水平及竖向地震动频谱特性均进行控制的改进选波方法。为了评价不同选波方法的可靠性和有效性,根据初选条件选取55组三向地震动记录,并以55组地震动的统计反应谱作为目标反应谱,以55组记录计算的结构响应均值作为"预测值",通过与单周期点和双频段选波方法的计算结果对比,分析表明:改进选波方法计算的结构基底剪力、柱顶位移、支座位移和网架竖向位移的相对误差和变异系数均小于前两种选波方法,其计算结果更加可靠有效。     

Dynamic soil–structure interaction effects on the seismic response of suspension bridges

A stochastic approach has been formulated for the linear analysis of suspension bridges subjected to earthquake excitations. The transfer functions of various responses have been formulated while including the effects of dynamic Soil–Structure Interaction (SSI) via the use of the fixed-base modes of the structure. The excitation has been characterized by the ‘equivalent stationary’ processes corresponding to the free-field motions at each support and by an assumed coherency function between these motions. The proposed formulation considers the non-stationarity in the structural response due to sudden application of excitation by considering (i) the time-dependent frequency response functions, and (ii) the order statistics formulation for the peak factors in evolutionary response processes. The formulation has been illustrated by analysing the seismic response of the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco for two example excitations conforming to USNRC-specified design spectra. The significance of various governing parameters on the dynamic soil–structure interaction effects on the seismic response of suspension bridges has also been studied. It has been found that the contribution of the vertical component of ground motion to the bridge response increases with increasing soil compliance. Also, the extent to which the spatial variation of ground motion affects the bridge response depends on how significant the SSI effects are. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Torsional response of symmetric buildings to incoherent and phase‐delayed earthquake ground motion

This paper studies the effect of coherency loss and wave passage on the seismic torsional response of three‐dimensional, multi‐storey, multi‐span, symmetric, linear elastic buildings. A model calibrated against statistical analyses of ground motion records in Mexico City is used for the coherency function. The structural response is assessed in terms of shear forces in structural elements. Incoherence and wave passage effects are found to be significant only for columns in the ground level of stiff systems. The increase of column shears in the ground level is much higher for soft than for firm soil conditions. For the torsionally stiff systems considered, it is found that incoherent and phase‐delayed ground motions do not induce a significant rotational response of the structure. The use of a code eccentricity to account for torsion due to ground motion spatial variation is assessed. On firm soil, the use of a base shear along with an accidental eccentricity results in highly overestimated shear forces; however, for soft soil conditions, code formulations may result in underestimated shear forces. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地震动的空间变异性对多支承结构的影响

导致地震动空间变异性的原因主要在于：几何不相关性效应、行波效应、局部场地条件效应。利用时程分析的方法分析了单跨框架结构和美国Las Vegas市区内某24跨立交桥的简化模型，对地震动空间变异性三个主要因素的单独影响、综合影响分别进行了系统分析。结果表明地震动的空间变异性改变了一致激励下结构的动力反应，并且引入了一致激励情况所不存在的拟静力反应，对结构的总反应具有很大的影响。与较激励的情况相比，结构的反应可能增大，也可能减小，这依赖于结构上截面位置、场地条件和所采用的地震动时程样本。     

Numerical study of characteristics of underground blast induced surface ground motion and their effect on above-ground structures. Part I. Ground motion characteristics

Current codes of practice in assessing the blast ground motion effect on structures are mainly based on the ground peak particle velocity (PPV) or PPV and the principal frequency (PF) of the ground motion. PPV and PF of ground motion from underground explosions are usually estimated by empirical formulae derived from field blast tests. Not many empirical formulae for PF, but many empirical formulae for PPV are available in the literature. They were obtained from recorded data either on ground surface or in the free field (inside the geological medium). Owing to the effect of surface reflection, blast motions on ground surface and in the free field are very different. But not many publications in the open literature discuss the differences of blast motions on ground surface and in the free field. Moreover, very few publications discuss the blast ground motion spatial variation characteristics. As ground motion directly affects structural responses, it is very important to study its characteristics in order to more reliably assess its effects on structures. In this paper, a validated numerical model is used to simulate stress wave at a granite site owing to explosion in an underground chamber. Using the simulated stress wave, the relations such as PPV and PF attenuation as well as spatial variation of motions on ground surface and in the free field are derived. Discussions on the differences of the characteristics of surface and free field motions are made. Results presented in this paper can be used in a more detailed assessment of ground motion effect on structures.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF TORSIONAL GROUND MOTIONS

Due to the inherent difficulty in directly recording the rotational ground motions, torsional ground motions have to be estimated from the recorded spatially varying translational motions. In this paper, an empirical coherency function, which is based on the recorded motions at the SMART-1 array, is suggested to model the spatial variation of translational motions. Then, the torsional ground motion power spectral density function is derived. It depends on the translational motion power spectral density function and the coherency function. Both the empirical coherency function and the torsional motion power spectral density function are verified by the recorded motions at the SMART-1 array. The response spectra of the torsional motions are also estimated. Discussion on the relations between the torsional motion response spectrum and the corresponding translational motion response spectrum is made. Numerical results presented can be used to estimate the torsional ground motion power spectral density function and response spectrum.     

Modeling of soil heterogeneity and its effects on seismic response of multi-support structures

This paper addresses the analytical evaluation of soil lateral heterogeneity effects,especially the random fluctuations of the soil layer's predominant frequency,on the spatial coherency of ground motion and the seismic response of multi-support structures.A coherency probabilistic model is proposed.In this model,the spatial variation of motion is attributed to wave passage effects,effects of loss of coherence in the bedrock motion and particularly site response effects(based on the assumption of vertically propagating shear-waves through a horizontal layer with random characteristics).The results indicate that soil lateral heterogeneity effects tend to cause diminution of the values of the total coherency function.This diminution is not limited to the vicinity of the mean resonant frequency of the layer,but reaches considerably high frequencies even for relatively low values of coefficient of variation(CV of 5 to 15%).Therefore,the trend of the total coherency function(exponential decay) can be influenced significantly by site effects.Finally,the proposed coherency model is applied for two different support seismic excitations.Study results indicate that the greater the soil heterogeneity,the larger are the dynamic displacements and shear forces in the columns of the oscillator(i.e.,support structure).Furthermore,these two components of the response are influenced differently by soil heterogeneity effects.     

Response spectrum analysis for non-classically damped linear system with multiple-support excitations

A new response spectrum method, which is named complex multiple-support response spectrum (CMSRS) method in this article, is developed for seismic analysis of non-classically damped linear system subjected to spatially varying multiple-supported ground motion. The CMSRS method is based on fundamental principles of random vibration theory and properly accounts for the effect of correlation between the support motions as well as between the modal displacement and velocity responses of structure, and provides an reasonable and acceptable estimate of the peak response in term of peak seismic ground motions and response spectra at the support points and the coherency function. Meanwhile, three new cross-correlation coefficients or cross covariance especially for the non-classically damped linear structures with multiple-supports excitations are derived under the same assumptions of the MSRS method of classically damped system. The CMSRS method is examined and compared to the results of time history analyses in two numerical examples of non-classically damped structures in consideration of the coherences of spatially variable ground motion. The results show that for non-classically damped structure, the cross terms representing the cross covariance between the pseudo-static and dynamic component are also quite small just as same as classically damped system. In addition, it is found that the usual way of neglecting all the off-diagonal elements in transformed damping matrix in modal coordinates in order to make the concerned non-classically damped structure to become remaining proportional damping property will bring some errors in the case of subjected to spatially excited inhomogeneous ground motion.     

Response spectrum method for multi-support seismic excitations

A new response spectrum method is developed for seismic analysis of linear multi-degree-of-freedom, multiply supported structures subjected to spatially varying ground motions. Variations of the ground motion due to wave passage, loss of coherency with distance and variation of local soil conditions are included. The method is based on fundamental principles of random vibration theory and properly accounts for the effects of correlation between the support motions as well as between the modes of vibration of the structure.     

A modal combination rule for spatially varying seismic motions

The spatial variability of seismic ground motion is an important aspect for the earthquake resistant design of extended facilities. A modified response spectrum model, which addresses the problem of multiply supported structures subjected to imperfectly correlated seismic excitations, has already been developed (see References 1 and 2). The present paper proposes a modal combination rule for the case of non-uniform seismic input, which would be used together with the modified response spectrum model in order to compute physical responses. This rule, which accounts for modal cross-correlations, is an extension to an existing rule for the case of uniform seismic motions. It modifies the existing modal cross-correlation coefficients through a correction factor which depends on structural properties and on the characteristics of the wave propagation phenomenon. Finally, some practical considerations on the theoretical development are addressed. They aim at suggesting reasonable simplifications which render the modal combination rule more appealing for engineering purposes. The proposed practical combination rule is validated through a numerical experiment which also characterizes the effect of non-uniform seismic input on modal cross-correlation.     

行波效应对大跨度空间结构随机地震响应的影响

深入研究了行波效应对大跨度空间结构随机地震响应的影响,进一步完善了大跨度空间结构随机地震响应分析理论。推导了双支座、单自由度体系地震响应功率谱密度函数的解析表达式,研究了不同频率体系的响应峰值随地面视波速的变化规律,分析了多支撑点、多自由度体系的地震响应功率谱矩阵的特点,发现多自由度体系地震响应随地面视波速的变化规律与单自由度体系相似。数值模拟了某体育馆网壳结构在不同地面视波速情况下的随机地震响应,结果表明,考虑地震动行波效应后,结构地震响应随地面视波速的变化而显著变化,当视波速较低时其变化规律很复杂;且支撑点附近、受拟静力位移影响较大的部分杆件的地震响应明显增大,远离支撑点处、受拟静力位移影响较小的部分杆件的地震响应稍有减小。由此得出结论,对于大跨度空间结构的随机地震响应分析,必须考虑地震动的行波效应,尤其当受拟静力位移影响较大的部分杆件对结构抗震设计起控制作用时;且应对可能出现的地面视波速进行全面分析,作为结构抗震设计依据。     

ANALYSIS OF AMPLIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUND MOTIONS IN THE HEAVILY DAMAGED BELT ZONE DURING THE 1995 HYOGO-KEN NANBU EARTHQUAKE

To estimate the amplification characteristics of ground motions in the heavily damaged belt zone in Kobe City during the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake, 3D wave propagation analyses of a 2D deep irregular underground structure model with a vertical discontinuity were performed at an early stage as a preliminary and qualitative study. The hyperelement method was applied to the analyses for incident plane waves expected from the wavefields due to the source mechanism. The observation records at Kobe University of the rock site were used as control motions. The ground motions on the engineering bedrock (assumed to be on the free surface of the Osaka group layers having a shear velocity of 500 m/s) and at ground surface were calculated. The effects of the deep irregular underground structure and shallow surface layers on the ground motion amplification are discussed. Although there are qualifications due to the uncertain characteristics of the input rock motion and shear wave velocities of the underground structure, the analytical results show that the ground motion in the heavily damaged belt zone were amplified due to the focusing effect of the deep irregular underground structure as well as the shallow surface layers, and that the calculated peak ground acceleration (PGA) distribution coincided closely with the distributions of structural damage. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Local site effects on a high-pier railway bridge under tridirectional spatial excitations: Nonstationary stochastic analysis

This paper presents a theoretical nonstationary stochastic analysis scheme using pseudo-excitation method (PEM) for seismic analysis of long-span structures under tridirectional spatially varying ground motions, based on which the local site effects on structural seismic response are studied for a high-pier railway bridge. An absolute-response-oriented scheme of PEM in nonstationary stochastic analysis of structure under tridirectional spatial seismic motions, in conjunction with the derived mathematical scheme in modeling tridirectional nonstationary spatially correlated ground motions, is proposed to resolve the drawbacks of conventional indirect approach. To apply the proposed theoretical approach readily in stochastic seismic analysis of complex and significant structures, this scheme is implemented and verified in a general finite element platform, and is then applied to a high-pier railway bridge under spatially varying ground motions considering the local site effect and the effect of ground motion nonstationarity. Conclusions are drawn and can be applied in the actual seismic design and analysis of high-pier railway bridges under tridirectional nonstationary multiple excitations.