A new steel framing system for seismic protection of timber platform frame buildings. Implementation with hysteretic energy dissipators

This paper describes a new seismic protection system for timber platform frame buildings, either for new construction or retrofit. The system consists in connecting the timber frame to a steel structure that includes hysteretic energy dissipators designed to absorb most of the seismic input energy thus protecting the timber frame and the other steel members; alternatively, the system might use other types of dissipative devices. The steel structure consists of four steel stacks (located at each of the four façades) and steel collectors embracing each slab; the stacks and the collectors are connected, at each floor level, through the energy dissipators. The steel structure is self‐supporting, that is, the timber frame is not affected by horizontal actions and can be designed without accounting for any seismic provision; in turn, the steel members do not participate in the main load‐carrying system. The timber‐steel interface is designed to avoid any stress concentration in the transfer of horizontal forces and to guarantee that the yielding of the dissipators occurs prior to any timber failure. The energy dissipation capacity of the suggested system is discussed, and an application example on a six‐story timber building is presented; this case corresponds to highly demanding conditions because of the relatively large building height and weight, the high local seismicity, and the soft soil condition. This research belongs to a wider project aiming to promote the structural use of timber by improving the seismic capacity of wooden buildings; this research includes experiments and advanced numerical simulation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study of friction dissipators for seismic protection of building structures

This paper presents the results from unidirectional shaking table tests of two reduced scale steel models of a building frame, with one and two floors, respectively. These frames incorporate friction dissipators at every floor. The inputs are sine-dwells and artificial and registered earthquakes. This study is part of a larger research project aiming to assess the seismic efficiency of friction dissipators by means of an integrated numerical and experimental approach. Inside this framework, the main objectives of these experiments are to: (i) collect a wide range of results to calibrate a numerical model derived within the project, (ii) clarify some of the most controversial issues about friction dissipators (including behavior for inputs containing pulses, capacity to reduce resonance peaks, introduction of high frequencies in the response, and self-generated eccentricities), (iii) better understand their dynamic behavior, (iv) provide insight on the feasibility and reliability of using simple friction dissipators for seismic protection of building structures and (v) characterize the hysteretic behavior of these devices. Most of these objectives are satisfactorily reached and relevant conclusions are stated.     

基于能量被动耗能结构抗震设计方法的研究

将结构前两阶振型各自等效为单自由度,采用模态pushover分析确定各等效单自由度的屈服强度系数和延性系数,然后由反应谱计算各阶振型耗散能量需求,利用各振型能量分布曲线,求得各层耗散能量需求,叠加得到各层地震总能量需求,据此确定耗能装置的类型及设计参数.运用该方法对9层钢框架进行了设计,并通过非线性动力分析进行了验证,结果表明该方法精确度符合实际工程需求.     

Evaluating assumptions for seismic assessment of existing buildings

This paper evaluates the American FEMA 356 and the Greek GRECO (EC 8 based) procedural assumptions for the assessment of the seismic capacity of existing buildings via pushover analyses. Available experimental results from a four-storeyed building are used to compare the two different sets of assumptions. If the comparison is performed in terms of initial stiffness or plastic deformation capacities, the different partial assumptions of the procedures lead to large discrepancies, while the opposite occurs when the comparison is performed in terms of structural performance levels at target displacements. According to FEMA 356 assumptions, effective yield point rigidities are approximately four times greater than those of EC 8. Both procedures predicted that the structure would behave elastically during low-level excitation and that the structural performance level at target displacement for a high-level excitation would be between the Immediate Occupancy and Life Safety performance levels.     

Methodology for practical seismic assessment of unreinforced masonry buildings with historical value

Historical constructions are part of the world heritage, and their survival is an important priority. Comprising mostly unreinforced, load‐bearing masonry, heritage buildings may date anywhere from antiquity to the 19th and early 20th century. Being exposed to the elements over the years, they are in various states of disrepair and material degradation. Based on postearthquake reconnaissance reports, these structures occasionally behave rather poorly, even in moderate seismic events, undergoing catastrophic damage and collapse, whereas retrofitting is governed by international conventions regarding noninvasiveness and reversibility of the intervention. The complexity of their structural systems (continuous structural components, lack of diaphragm action, material brittleness, and variability) challenges the established methods of condition assessment of preretrofitted and postretrofitted heritage constructions. The most advanced state of the art in materials and analysis tools is required, far more complex than with conventional buildings. Thus, an assessment procedure specifically geared to this class of structures is urgently needed, in order to assist engineers in this endeavor. The objective of this paper is the development of a performance‐based assessment framework that is palatable to practitioners and quite accurate in seismic assessment of unreinforced masonry buildings with no diaphragm action. The underlying theoretical background of the method is illustrated with reference to first principles: global demand is obtained from the design earthquake scenario for the region, using empirical estimates for the prevailing translational period of the system; deformation demands are localized using an approximation to the translational 3‐D shape of lateral response, estimated using a uniform gravitational field in the direction of action of the earthquake; acceptance criteria are specified in terms of relative drift ratios, referring to the in‐plane and the out‐of‐plane action of the masonry piers. The quantitative accuracy of the introduced procedure is evaluated through comparison with detailed time‐history dynamic analysis results, using a real life example case study. Qualitative relevance of the results is evaluated through comparison of the location and extent of anticipated damage estimated from the proposed assessment procedure, with reported records of the building damages that occurred during a significant past earthquake event.     

A method for tuning tuned mass dampers for seismic applications

This paper studies tuned mass dampers (TMDs) resulting in high modal damping for mechanical systems incorporating such devices for the purpose of seismic response reduction. Focusing on the determination of damping and tuning, the proposed methodology identifies a point of multiplicity of complex eigenvalues and eigenvectors, resulting in different parameters for TMDs according to their location with respect to such multiplicity condition. It is shown that significant equal modal damping and average modal damping can be induced by properly tuning highly damped TMDs, obtaining parameters intrinsic to the mechanical systems, and excitation independent. Further, it is shown that the methodology yields, as particular cases, two proposals by others using TMDs for the same purpose of seismic response abatement. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulations of a highway bridge structure employing passive negative stiffness device for seismic protection

A new passive seismic response control device has been developed, fabricated, and tested by the authors and shown to be capable of producing negative stiffness via a purely mechanical mechanism, thus representing a new generation of seismic protection devices. Although the concept of negative stiffness may appear to be a reversal on the desired relationship between the force and displacement in structures (the desired relationship being that the product of restoring force and displacement is nonnegative), when implemented in parallel with a structure having positive stiffness, the combined system appears to have substantially reduced stiffness while remaining stable. Thus, there is an ‘apparent weakening and softening’ of the structure that results in reduced forces and increased displacements (where the weakening and softening is of a non‐damaging nature in that it occurs in a seismic protection device rather than within the structural framing system). Any excessive displacement response can then be limited by incorporating a damping device in parallel with the negative stiffness device. The combination of negative stiffness and passive damping provides a large degree of control over the expected performance of the structure. In this paper, a numerical study is presented on the performance of a seismically isolated highway bridge model that is subjected to various strong earthquake ground motions. The Negative Stiffness Devices (NSDs) are described along with their hysteretic behavior as obtained from a series of cyclic tests wherein the tests were conducted using a modified design of the NSDs (modified for testing within the bridge model). Using the results from the cyclic tests, numerical simulations of the seismic response of the isolated bridge model were conducted for various configurations (with/without negative stiffness devices and/or viscous dampers). The results demonstrate that the addition of negative stiffness devices reduces the base shear substantially, while the deck displacement is limited to acceptable values. This assessment was conducted as part of a NEES (Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation) project which included shaking table tests of a quarter‐scale highway bridge model. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On tuned mass dampers for reducing the seismic response of structures

This paper presents an energy‐based theoretical model for a two degree‐of‐freedom mechanical system. After a general formulation in Appendix A, the model is specialized to study tuned mass dampers as a means to substantially increase modal damping in order to induce a consequential decrease of the seismic response of the structures thus provided. Although approximate since it neglects coupling due to damping, it is shown that the model yields a first‐order approximation to the exact frequencies, providing values of optimum damping that closely match exact results proposed by others. In view of this, it is proposed that the model be applied through an iterative numerical procedure that identifies the pertinent optimum parameters. It is also shown that for certain particular benchmark cases the model provides closed‐form equations for the parameters defining the dynamic states related to these special conditions. Despite its approximate nature the model presented in this paper is rational, and due to its explicit consideration of energy balance and overall simplicity, it provides a convenient platform for the study of tuned mass dampers, as well as for other methods of structural passive control. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cursory seismic drift assessment for buildings in moderate seismicity regions

This paper outlines a methodology to assess the seismic drift of reinforced concrete buildings with limited structural and geotechnical information. Based on the latest and the most advanced research on predicting potential near-field and far field earthquakes affecting Hong Kong, the engineering response spectra for both rock and soil sites are derived. A new step-by-step procedure for displacement-based seismic hazard assessment of building structures is proposed to determine the maximum inter-storey drift demand for reinforced concrete buildings. The primary information required for this assessment is only the depth of the soft soil above bedrock and the height of the building. This procedure is further extended to assess the maximum chord rotation angle demand for the coupling beam of coupled shear wall or frame wall structures, which may be very critical when subjected to earthquake forces. An example is provided to illustrate calibration of the assessment procedure by using actual engineering structural models.     

黏滞阻尼器耗能减振工程应用设计方法研究

本中文阐述了黏滞阻尼器的构造、力学模型以及其耗能减振的基本原理,并基于国际结构振动控制公共平台Benchmark模型,采用ANSYS和SAP2000有限元软件对其进行无控和有控地震反应分析,研究了黏滞阻尼器自身参数、设置形式、速度指、阻尼系数、位置和数量等因素对其控制效果的影响规律.结合国内外规范,给出LVD安装形式、...     

唐山地震人员伤亡数值模拟与评估

应用作者提出的地震人员伤亡指数和状态函数的概念,进一步给出初始人员伤亡矩阵,并借助于几个概率分布函数确定了砖砌体结构的初始人员伤亡矩阵,建立了地震人员伤亡动态量化评估方法,以此方法对唐山地震进行了人员伤亡数量的模拟与评估。     

Improved performance‐based seismic assessment of buildings by utilizing Bayesian statistics

This paper addresses two important issues of concern to practicing engineers and researchers alike in application of performance‐based seismic assessment (PBSA) methodology on buildings: (i) the number of ground motion records required to exercise PBSA—current practice (FEMA P‐58‐1) requires eleven or more pairs of motions for this purpose, and (ii) the time and effort associated with performing the number of nonlinear response history analyses required to exercise PBSA. We present a method for exercising of PBSA that employs classical linear modal analysis to develop a first estimate (i.e., a priori) of probability distribution of loss, followed by utilizing Bayesian statistics to update this estimate using estimates of loss obtained by utilizing a small number of nonlinear response history analyses of a detailed model of the building (i.e., posterior). The proposed technique is used to assess the distribution of monetary loss of two case studies, a 4‐story reinforced concrete moment‐resisting frame building and a 20‐story steel moment‐resisting frame building, both located in Los Angeles, for a ground motion hazard with 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years. The efficiency of the proposed PBSA method is demonstrated by showing the similarity between the distribution of monetary loss at each story of case study buildings obtained from the traditional/sophisticated PBSA methodology and the proposed PBSA method in this study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

HDR devices for the seismic protection of frame structures: Experimental results and numerical simulations

As part of a national research programme an experimental campaign was carried out on a real scale mock‐up consisting of a steel–concrete composite frame equipped with dissipative bracings, based on high damping rubber (HDR) devices. Free vibration tests, followed by force‐controlled and displacement‐controlled cyclic tests were performed. The experimental tests were aimed at studying the dynamic response of the coupled system in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of HDR devices in increasing the stiffness and dissipation capacity of the frame and investigating the ability of the constitutive HDR model proposed by the authors to predict the dynamic response of the coupled system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地震现场建筑物安全性鉴定的数值方法研究及应用软件开发

本文首先简要介绍了地震现场建筑物安全性鉴定辅助决策系统的定义、用途及发展现状,并阐释了将其应用于地震现场中的作用、方法及意义。此外,还介绍了此辅助系统的功能和设计分析及该系统的层次结构,重点介绍了该系统的计算模型及其理论根据以及模型算法分析。深入研究了辅助系统的功能、业务流程和总体设计,讨论了系统的需求、数据的采集与管理、模型计算、结果输出、查询、统计和分析等功能,并简要介绍了辅助系统的界面设计方法及界面框图,同时对系统的进一步扩展提出了看法。     

地震现场建筑物安全性鉴定智能辅助系统应用软件开发

介绍了辅助决策系统的定义、用途与发展现状,从总体上阐述了构造地震现场建筑物安全性鉴定智能辅助系统(简称IASSAB)的意义与方法;介绍了IASSAB系统的开发策略与总体设计,讨论了系统的需求;给出了系统的功能层次结构,震损分析模块的机理,word报告自动生成实现方法,同时给出了具体的功能描述。     

Code‐based record selection methods for seismic performance assessment of buildings

The recent concerns regarding the seismic safety of the existing building stock have highlighted the need for an improvement of current seismic assessment procedures. Alongside with the development of more advanced commercial software tools and computational capacities, nonlinear dynamic analysis is progressively becoming a common and preferable procedure in the seismic assessment of buildings. Besides the complexity associated with the formulation of the mathematical model, major issues arise related with the definition of the seismic action, which can lead to different levels of uncertainty in terms of local and global building response. Aiming to address this issue, a comparative study of different code‐based record selection methods proposed by Eurocode 8, ASCE41‐13 and NZS1170.5:2004 is presented herein. The various methods are employed in the seismic assessment of four steel buildings, designed according to different criteria, and the obtained results are compared and discussed. Special attention is devoted to the influence of the number of real ground motion records selected on the estimation of the mean seismic response and, importantly, to the efficiency that is achieved when an additional selection criteria, based on the control of the spectral mismatch of each individual record with respect to the reference response spectrum, is adopted. The sufficiency of the methods with respect to the pairs of M–R of the selected group of records and the robustness of the scaling procedure are also examined. The paper closes with a study which demonstrates the suitability of a simplified probability‐based approach recently proposed for estimating mean seismic demands. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of the seismic response of masonry buildings based on energy functions

This work is based on energies evaluated from the responses of 12 stone and brick masonry systems subjected to 58 shaking table tests. The evolution of input energy during a damaging base excitation is correlated to the change of the damage patterns of the considered buildings. The comparison among energies dissipated and absorbed by the buildings during the various shocks gives some hints on strengthening strategies. It is found that damage to spandrel beams produces a more significant energy absorption than other types of damage. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pushover-based seismic risk assessment and loss estimation of masonry buildings

A pushover-based seismic risk assessment and loss estimation methodology for masonry buildings is introduced. It enables estimation of loss by various performance measures such as the probability of exceeding a designated economic loss, the expected annual loss, and the expected loss given a seismic intensity. The methodology enables the estimation of the economic loss directly from the results of structural analysis, which combines pushover analysis and incremental dynamic analysis of an equivalent SDOF model. The use of the methodology is demonstrated by means of two variants of a three-storey masonry building both of which have the same geometry, but they are built, respectively, from hollow clay masonry (model H) and solid brick masonry (model S). The probability of collapse given the selected design earthquake corresponding to a return period of 475 years was found to be negligible for model H, which indicates the proper behaviour of such a structure when designed according to the current building codes. However, the corresponding probability of collapse of model S was very high (46%). The expected total loss given the design earthquake was estimated to amount to 28 000 € and 290 000 €, respectively, for models H and S. The expected annual loss per 100 m² of gross floor area was estimated to amount to 75 € and 191 €, respectively, for models H and S. For the presented examples, it was also observed that nonstructural elements contributed more than 50% of the total loss.     

设置斜撑粘弹性阻尼器框架结构空间协同工作分析方法的控制研究

粘弹性阻尼器（ved）是抗震被动控制中一种十分有效的耗能减震装置。本文根据粘弹性阻尼材料的应力－应变关系，推导了粘弹性阻尼器和人字型支撑的组合层间单元刚度矩阵及单元控制力向量；并基于框架结构的空间特性，建立了设置斜撑Ved框架结构在考虑空间协同分析的基础上地震反应时程分析的控制方法；最后，应用本文的方法，对设置Ved斜支撑后钢筋混凝土框架结构进行了结构地震反应时程分析，并根据计算结果对其减震效果进行了分析讨论。     

A framework for the seismic assessment of existing masonry buildings accounting for different sources of uncertainty

The current formulation of Eurocode 8 Part 3 and the Italian building code for the seismic assessment of existing buildings accounts for epistemic (knowledge‐based) uncertainties by means of the identification of knowledge levels with associated values of the so‐called confidence factors, applied only as a reduction of material strengths. This formulation does not always produce consistent results and it does not explicitly account for other sources of uncertainty. The paper proposes a probabilistic methodology for the quantification of appropriately defined factors, allowing consideration of the different sources of uncertainty involved in the seismic assessment of masonry buildings by means of nonlinear static analyses. This simple approach, also including an alternative formulation of the confidence factors related with material properties, allows to obtain results which are consistent with the acquired level of knowledge and correctly account for the different sources of uncertainty without requiring to carry out any stochastic nonlinear analysis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.