Apparent damping induced by spurious pitching in shaking‐table testing

A seismic shaking‐table test performed on a one‐storey steel frame with an 8 ton RC floor slab was reproduced on a similar specimen by means of the pseudo‐dynamic (PsD) method. A satisfactory agreement of the results could only be achieved after recalibration of the theoretical mass in the PsD equation and proper inclusion in the PsD test input of the horizontal and pitching accelerations measured on the table. In the shaking‐table test, the spurious pitching motion produced a significant increase in the apparent damping that could be estimated as a function of the pitching dynamic flexibility of the system. Dynamic and PsD snap‐back tests were also performed to provide an additional check of the reliability of the PsD method. The spurious pitching motion of the shaking table should always be measured during the tests and reported as a mean to increase the reliability and usefulness of the results. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic strengthening of an under‐designed RC structure with FRP

The opportunities provided by the use of fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) for the seismic retrofit of existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures were assessed on a full‐scale three‐story framed structure. The structure, designed only for gravity loads, was subjected to a bi‐directional pseudo‐dynamic (PsD) test at peak ground acceleration (PGA) equal to 0.20g at the ELSA Laboratory of the Joint Research Centre. The seismic deficiencies exhibited by the structure after the test were confirmed by post‐test assessment of structural seismic capacity performed by nonlinear static pushover analysis implemented on the lumped plasticity model of the structure. In order to allow the structure to withstand 0.30g PGA seismic actions, a retrofit using glass fiber‐reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminates was designed. The retrofit design was targeted to achieve a more ductile and energy dissipating global performance of the structure by increasing the ductility of columns and preventing brittle failure modes. Design assumptions and criteria along with nonlinear static pushover analysis to assess the overall capacity of the FRP‐retrofitted structure are presented and discussed. After the retrofit execution, a new series of PsD tests at both 0.20g and 0.30g PGA level were carried out. Theoretical predictions are compared with the main experimental outcomes to assess the effectiveness of the proposed retrofit technique and validate the adopted design procedures. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

多层砖房底部两层框架抗震变形性能分析

为实现多层砖房底部两层框架结构的加固,需要研究其抗震变形性能。以某底部两层框架、上部四层砖房建筑为对象,通过STRAND7有限元软件构建有限元计算模型,考虑水平荷载与垂直荷载,深入分析多层砖房底部两层框架抗震变形性能。仿真结果表明,建筑结构振型受结构横向楼板刚度的影响较显著,不同振型的频率变化中,X向1阶频率与Y向2阶频率变化最快,楼板平面内弯曲频率变化最慢;整体结构在X向与Y向分别呈现线性剪切变形和弯剪变形,Y向上由于填充墙发挥抗震墙功能,底部两层框架变形较小;在7度多遇地震影响下,底部两层结构中第二层楼板变形较第一层严重,多层砖房底部两层框架建筑结构处于弹性工作状态。     

Novel coupling Rosenbrock‐based algorithms for real‐time dynamic substructure testing

Real‐time testing with dynamic substructuring is a novel experimental technique capable of assessing the behaviour of structures subjected to dynamic loadings including earthquakes. The technique involves recreating the dynamics of the entire structure by combining an experimental test piece consisting of part of the structure with a numerical model simulating the remainder of the structure. These substructures interact in real time to emulate the behaviour of the entire structure. Time integration is the most versatile method for analysing the general case of linear and non‐linear semi‐discretized equations of motion. In this paper we propose for substructure testing, L‐stable real‐time (LSRT) compatible integrators with two and three stages derived from the Rosenbrock methods. These algorithms are unconditionally stable for uncoupled problems and entail a moderate computational cost for real‐time performance. They can also effectively deal with stiff problems, i.e. complex emulated structures for which solutions can change on a time scale that is very short compared with the interval of time integration, but where the solution of interest changes on a much longer time scale. Stability conditions of the coupled substructures are analysed by means of the zero‐stability approach, and the accuracy of the novel algorithms in the coupled case is assessed in both the unforced and forced conditions. LSRT algorithms are shown to be more competitive than popular Runge–Kutta methods in terms of stability, accuracy and ease of implementation. Numerical simulations and real‐time substructure tests are used to demonstrate the favourable properties of the proposed algorithms. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Residual structural capacity evaluation of steel moment‐resisting frames with dynamic‐strain‐based model updating method

This paper presents a method for evaluating the residual structural capacity of earthquake‐affected steel structures. The method first quantifies the damage severity of a beam by computing the dynamic‐strain‐based damage index. Next, the model used to analyze the structure is updated based on the damage index, to reflect the observed damage conditions. The residual structural capacity is then estimated in terms of changes in stiffness and strength, which can be applied by structural engineers, via a nonlinear static analysis of the updated model. The main contributions of this paper are in performance evaluation of the dynamic‐strain‐based damage index for seismically induced damage using a newly developed substructure testing environment, consideration of various damage patterns in composite beams, and extension of a local damage evaluation technique to a residual capacity estimation procedure by incorporating the model‐updating technique. In laboratory testing, the specimens were damaged quasi‐statically, and vibration tests were conducted as the damage proceeded. First, a bare steel beam–column connection was tested, and then a similar one with a floor slab was used for a more realistic case. The estimated residual structural capacities for these specimens were compared with the static test results. The results verified that the proposed method can provide fine estimates of the stiffness and strength deteriorations within 10% for the specimen without the floor slab and within 30% for that with the floor slab. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical study of a full‐scale six‐story reinforced concrete wall‐frame structure tested at E‐Defense

A full‐scale shake table test on a six‐story reinforced concrete wall frame structure was carried out at E‐Defense, the world's largest three‐dimensional earthquake simulation facility, in January 2006. Story collapse induced from shear failure of shear critical members (e.g., short columns and shear walls) was successfully produced in the test. Insights gained into the seismic behavior of a full‐scale specimen subjected to severe earthquake loads are presented in this paper. To reproduce the collapse process of the specimen and evaluate the ability of analytical tools to predict post‐peak behavior, numerical simulation was also conducted, modeling the seismic behavior of each member with different kinds of models, which differ primarily in their ability to simulate strength decay. Simulated results showed good agreement with the strength‐degrading features observed in post‐peak regions where shear failure of members and concentrated deformation occurred in the first story. The simulated results tended to underestimate observed values such as maximum base shear and maximum displacement. The effects of member model characteristics, torsional response, and earthquake load dimensions (i.e., three‐dimensional effects) on the collapse process of the specimen were also investigated through comprehensive dynamic analyses, which highlighted the following seismic characteristics of the full‐scale specimen: (i) a model that is incapable of simulating a specimen's strength deterioration is inadequate to simulate the post‐peak behavior of the specimen; (ii) the torsional response generated from uniaxial eccentricity in the longitudinal direction was more significant in the elastic range than in the inelastic range; and (iii) three‐dimensional earthquake loads (X–Y–Z axes) generated larger maximum displacement than any other loading cases such as two‐dimensional (X–Y or Y–Z axes) or one‐dimensional (Y axis only) excitation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Computational simulation of slab vibration and horizontal‐vertical coupling in a full‐scale test bed subjected to 3D shaking at E‐Defense

This paper focuses on slab vibration and a horizontal‐vertical coupling effect observed in a full‐scale 5‐story moment frame test bed building in 2 configurations: isolated with a hybrid combination of lead‐rubber bearings and cross‐linear (rolling) bearings, and fixed at the base. Median peak slab vibrations were amplified—relative to the peak vertical shake table accelerations—by factors ranging from 2 at the second floor to 7 at the roof, and horizontal floor accelerations were significantly amplified during 3D (combined horizontal and vertical) motions compared with 2D (horizontal only) motions of comparable input intensity. The experimentally observed slab accelerations and the horizontal‐vertical coupling effect were simulated through a 3D model of the specimen using standard software and modeling assumptions. The floor system was modeled with frame elements for beams/girders and shell elements for floor slabs; the insertion point method with end joint offsets was used to represent the floor system composite behavior, and floor mass was finely distributed through element discretization. The coupling behavior was partially attributed to the asymmetry of the building that was intensified by asymmetrically configured supplemental mass at the roof. Horizontal‐vertical coupled modes were identified through modal analysis and verified with evaluation of floor spectral peaks.     

Composite robust active control of seismically excited structures with actuator dynamics

In this paper, composite robust active control schemes are proposed for a class of non-linear base isolated structures in the presence of unknown seismic excitation, parametrical uncertainties and actuator dynamics. Only the information on state variables of the structural base and the first floor of the main structure has been used in the control design. A numerical simulation example is given for a ten-storeyed base isolated structure under the El Centro earthquake to show the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of hybrid‐simulation to fragility assessment of the telescoping self‐centering energy dissipative bracing system

Substructure hybrid simulation has been the subject of numerous investigations in recent years. The simulation method allows for the assessment of the seismic performance of structures by representing critical components with physical specimens and the rest of the structure with numerical models. In this study the system level performance of a six‐storey structure with telescoping self‐centering energy dissipative (T‐SCED) braces is validated through pseudo‐dynamic (PsD) hybrid simulation. Fragility curves are derived for the T‐SCED system. This paper presents the configuration of the hybrid simulation, the newly developed control software for PsD hybrid simulation, which can integrate generic hydraulic actuators into PsD hybrid simulation, and the seismic performance of a structure equipped with T‐SCED braces. The experimental results show that the six‐storey structure with T‐SCED braces satisfies performance limits specified in ASCE 41. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pseudo‐dynamic testing of a concrete gravity dam

Inspired from the simplified single degree of freedom modeling approach used in the preliminary design of concrete gravity dams, a pseudo‐dynamic testing method was devised for the seismic testing of a concrete gravity dam section. The test specimen was a 1/75 scaled section of the 120‐m‐high monolith of the Melen Dam, one of the highest concrete gravity dams to be built in Turkey. The single degree of freedom idealization of the dam section was validated in the first stage of the study using numerical simulations including the dam–reservoir interaction. Afterwards, pseudo‐dynamic testing was conducted on the specimen using three ground motions corresponding to different hazard levels. Lateral displacement and base shear demands were measured. The crack propagation at the base of the dam was monitored with the measurement of the crack widths and the base sliding displacements. After the pseudo‐dynamic loading, a static pushover test was conducted to determine the reserve capacity of the test specimen. Despite major cracking at the base of the monolith, neither significant sliding nor a stability problem that might jeopardize the stability of the dam was observed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energy capacity and seismic performance of RC waffle-flat plate structures under two components of far-field ground motions: Shake table tests

The bidirectional response of a portion of a reinforced concrete (RC) waffle-flat plate (WFP) structure subjected to far-field ground motions is studied through shake table tests. The test specimen is a scaled portion of a prototype structure designed under current building codes and located in a region of moderate seismicity of the Mediterranean area. The specimen was subjected to a sequence of tests of increasing acceleration amplitude that respectively represented very frequent, frequent, design, and very rare earthquakes at the site. The test structure performed well (basically in the elastic domain) under very frequent and frequent earthquakes, approached the boundary between the performance levels of life safety and near collapse under the design earthquake, and collapsed under the very rare earthquake. Damage concentrated at column bases and at the transverse beams of the exterior plate-to-column connection. Columns dissipated about 10% of the total energy that contributes to damage, and the rest was dissipated by the exterior plate-column connection. The total energy input on the structure until collapse under the bidirectional seismic action was very close to the value obtained in previous studies on a similar specimen tested under unidirectional ground motions. The capacity curve estimated from the experimental base shear vs top displacement relationship suggests it is best to use a behavior factor of at most q = 2 when designing WFP structures with the reduced-spectrum force-based approach.     

Generation of floor response spectra including oscillator-structure interaction

A method is presented for generating floor response spectra for aseismic design of equipment attached to primary structures. The method accurately accounts for tuning, interaction and non-classical damping, which are inherent characteristics of composite oscillator-structure systems. Modal synthesis and perturbation techniques are used to derive the modal properties of the composite system in terms of the known properties of the structure and the oscillator. Floor spectra are generated directly in terms of these derived properties and the input ground response spectrum using modal combination rules that account for modal correlations and non-classical damping. The computed spectra, in general, are considerably lower than conventional floor response spectra due to the effect of interaction. They provide more realistic and economical criteria for design of equipment. The method is accurate to the order of perturbation and is computationally efficient, as it avoids time-history analysis and does not require numerical eigenvalue evaluation of the composite oscillator-structure system. The results of a parametric study demonstrate the accuracy of the method and illustrate several key features of floor response spectra.     

Impacts of forest structure on precipitation interception and run‐off generation in a semiarid region in northern China

Water resource scarcity and uneven distribution are 2 major environmental issues in China today. Forest structure is a dominant factor that influences hydrological processes, but the specific interactions remain uncertain due to the predominant use of individual or 1‐dimensional forest structure metrics in previous studies. In this study, forest structures in 8 run‐off plots on Mount Miaofeng in north China were parameterized by metrics of different dimensionalities. The relation between canopy interception and forest structure, shrub/litter interception, and forest structure as well as run‐off and forest structure were analysed by regression method and validated by leave‐one‐out cross test. The results showed that canopy interception rates ranged from less than 0.10 all the way to 0.80, affected by forest structure and precipitation, with interception rate decreasing logarithmically as precipitation increased. Forests with a larger canopy area (CA), leaf area index (LAI), and higher average height (H) had a narrow range of canopy interception rates, and forest with larger value of diameters at breath height (DBH), H, LAI, vertical heterogeneity coefficient (T), and structure complexity index (SCI) had higher interception rates. Forests with higher value of DBH, H, and horizontal heterogeneity coefficient (R) had higher shrub/litter interception rates on the forest floor. The run‐off coefficient was only significantly associated with LAI, T, and SCI. The validation test indicated that regression analysis of canopy interception rates and shrub interception are reliable and SCI is a key factor to influence the run‐off coefficient. However, the regression results of litter interception have a relatively large error. According to the results, to reduce the risks of the landslides and floods, forest managers should complicate the canopy and preserve trees with thicker stems and larger canopies. By contrast, to obtain more water resource from run‐off in arid regions, forest managers should harvest trees with large canopies and construct complex vertical structures by intermediate cutting.     

A field investigation of fracture compliance

A field measurement of fracture compliance is described. The aim was to determine how compliance scales with fracture size and, specifically, how laboratory measurements of fracture compliance compared with field estimates from sonic and seismic data. A test site was constructed, consisting of three 40 m vertical boreholes drilled in the floor of a Carboniferous Limestone quarry. Detailed knowledge of the rocks in the test area was obtained from core analysis, wireline logging and local area fracture mapping. Seismic cross‐hole surveys were performed using a sparker source with a dominant frequency of 2000 Hz and hydrophone receivers. The rocks had a compressional‐wave velocity anisotropy of 10%, which was attributed to the presence of predominantly horizontal, partially open fractures. Estimates of normal fracture compliance within a range from 2.5 × 10^?13 m/Pa to 3.5 × 10^?12 m/Pa were obtained from both the cross‐hole data and the sonic‐log data. This is an order of magnitude greater than values obtained from laboratory experiments which are reported elsewhere.     

The Rochechouart crater: Shock zoning study

Rochechouart crater (France) occurs in crystalline rocks of the northwestern French Massif Central. The crater is deeply eroded and the present ground level is exactly (±50m) tangent to the crater floor. No morphologic evidence of the crater has been preserved. A complete range of shock effects is known on the scale of rocks and minerals, which permitted a study of shock zoning. Shock level was determined in thin section from petrographic analysis of each specimen. A systematic sampling was done on all the structure. Shock zones were determined at the same time in the fall-back unit and in the target. Correlations between rock types or shock level in allochthonous and autochthonous materials were observed. They imply restrictions for the late excavation stage: part of the material lying above the crater floor limit was never ejected, but only mixed with small relative displacement. Shock level is relatively higher in allochthonous breccias than in the target. The distribution of shock effects is very complicated at all scales, even at the scale of the whole structure. However, shock level is relatively high around the center of the structure defined from the breccia geometry. The most probable impact point is located about 4 km west of Rochechouart. The breccia unit is extremely thin (less than 60 m). The crater floor is extremely flat; its elevation does not vary more than±50m over the whole structure (about 300 km²). The lack of circular symmetry in particular in the distribution of impact melts could suggest a pronounced anisotropic structure of the target and/or an inclinated trajectory of the projectile. The original crater size is most probably between 20 and 25 km in diameter, determined from the actual extent of differents rock types or shock effects. A rapid post-crater readjustment is proposed to explain the flat floor. There was no important vertical displacement since the flat shape of the crater floor was attained.     

Improved external device for a mass‐carrying sliding system for shaking table testing

Shaking tables are suitable facilities to assess and validate the behavior of structures and nonstructural components under actual seismic actions. Because of the size and weight limitations of the tables, some approaches, like testing reduced‐scale models or testing only the main structural components, are deemed necessary. In these cases, to comply with modeling requirements, large amount of extra‐mass should be added to the specimen. Therefore, to avoid the risk of lateral instability of models, to maintain the weight of test specimens within table payload, while maintaining the amount of mass needed, an external device for transmitting the inertia forces to the models using an improved sliding system is proposed. Although friction devices for similar purposes have been developed using sliding bearings (Teflon pads or rollers), the measured coefficient of dynamic friction and the energy dissipated by friction have been very high. In order to drastically diminish the damping added to the specimen response when a friction device is used, the improved device employs a linear motion guide system (LMGS) with very low friction. Shaking table tests to collapse of reinforced concrete walls were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed device. Measured dynamic friction coefficients, spectral accelerations and hysteresis loops show that friction developed in the LMGS did not add any significant amount of damping into the specimen response. Thus, the proposed device is a reliable and suitable mass‐carrying sliding system (MCSS) for dynamic testing using medium‐size shaking tables. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic behavior of bridges with pier and foundation strengthening: PsD tests and analytical study

By means of a simplified three degrees of freedom model, seismic behavior of reinforced concrete bridge piers and foundations were evaluated based on pseudo‐dynamic (PsD) tests for cases where pier strengthening and foundation strengthening are implemented. In addition, analysis based on PsD test results was conducted to investigate the influence of pier strengthening on seismic damage to the foundation. The PsD tests and the analysis show that the foundation suffers increased hysteretic response when pier strengthening is applied. The results also show that the foundation strengthening can prevent foundation damage. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of peatland water storage capacity using the water table fluctuation method

Peat specific yield (S_Y) is an important parameter involved in many peatland hydrological functions such as flood attenuation, baseflow contribution to rivers, and maintaining groundwater levels in surficial aquifers. However, general knowledge on peatland water storage capacity is still very limited, due in part to the technical difficulties related to in situ measurements. The objectives of this study were to quantify vertical S_Y variations of water tables in peatlands using the water table fluctuation (WTF) method and to better understand the factors controlling peatland water storage capacity. The method was tested in five ombrotrophic peatlands located in the St. Lawrence Lowlands (southern Québec, Canada). In each peatland, water table wells were installed at three locations (up‐gradient, mid‐gradient, and down‐gradient). Near each well, a 1‐m long peat core (8 cm × 8 cm) was sampled, and subsamples were used to determine S_Y with standard gravitational drainage method. A larger peat sample (25 cm × 60 cm × 40 cm) was also collected in one peatland to estimate S_Y using a laboratory drainage method. In all sites, the mean water table depth ranged from 9 to 49 cm below the peat surface, with annual fluctuations varying between 15 and 29 cm for all locations. The WTF method produced similar results to the gravitational drainage experiments, with values ranging between 0.13 and 0.99 for the WTF method and between 0.01 and 0.95 for the gravitational drainage experiments. S_Y was found to rapidly decrease with depth within 20 cm, independently of the within‐site location and the mean annual water table depth. Dominant factors explaining S_Y variations were identified using analysis of variance. The most important factor was peatland site, followed by peat depth and seasonality. Variations in storage capacity considering site and seasonality followed regional effective growing degree days and evapotranspiration patterns. This work provides new data on spatial variations of peatland water storage capacity using an easily implemented method that requires only water table measurements and precipitation data.     

RESPONSE SPECTRA FOR DIFFERENTIAL MOTION OF COLUMNS

The validity of the response spectrum concept for determining loads in structures excited by differential earthquake ground motion is examined. It is shown that the common definition of response spectrum for synchronous ground motion can be reconciled to remain valid in cases when the columns of extended structures experience different motions. Then, a relative displacement response spectrum for design of first-storey columns, SDC(T, δ, ζ, τ), is defined. In addition to natural period, T, and fraction of critical damping, ζ, this spectrum depends also on the ‘travel time’, τ (of the waves in the soil over distances about one half width, or length of the structure), and on a factor, δ, specifying the relative displacement of the first floor. It is shown how this spectrum can be determined using existing empirical scaling equations for relative displacement spectra SD(T, ζ) and for peak velocity and peak acceleration of strong ground motion. These new spectra are illustrated for a horizontal component of a record in the near field of the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The results show that differential motions are more important for short period (stiff) than for longer period (flexible) structures, and for structures founded on softer ground (small shear wave velocity). © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地铁列车曲线运行引起学校建筑物振动响应分析

地铁以其快捷、准时、运量大等优点,已成为重要的轨道交通形式,但由此引起的环境振动问题日益突出。针对杭州市地铁3号线曲线地段的某中学建设工程,利用有限元软件ABAQUS,对车辆-普通整体道床轨道系统的竖向耦合模型进行振动响应分析,得到考虑轨道高低不平顺影响的轨道振动源强。应用有限元软件MIDAS GTS/NX,建立双孔平行曲线盾构隧道-土-桩-建筑物系统的三维有限元模型。以轨道支点力作为激励对地铁列车运行时的隧道-土-桩-建筑物系统的振动响应进行计算,研究地铁振动波在地层中的传播规律和建筑物的动力响应特性。根据相关环境振动控制标准对建筑物的振动舒适性进行评价。结果表明：轨道加速度和扣件动支点力的最大值分别约为40 m/s²和30 kN;地层和建筑物的振动以竖向为主,水平Y向振动略大于水平X向振动;地面加速度随着距隧道中心线距离的增加而逐渐衰减;各建筑物楼层的振动主频位于16~40 Hz;部分建筑物楼层的振动响应水平已超出了规范的限值要求,建议对地铁轨道或建筑物采取适当的减振措施。