Mitigation measures for earthquake induced pounding effects on seismic performance of adjacent buildings

Post-earthquake damages investigation in past and recent earthquakes has illustrated that the building structures are vulnerable to severe damage and/or collapse during moderate to strong ground motion. Among the possible structural damages, seismic induced pounding has been commonly observed in several earthquakes. A parametric study on buildings pounding response as well as proper seismic hazard mitigation practice for adjacent buildings is carried out. Three categories of recorded earthquake excitation are used for input excitations. The effect of impact is studied using linear and nonlinear contact force model for different separation distances and compared with nominal model without pounding consideration. The severity of the impact depends on the dynamic characteristics of the adjacent buildings in combination with the earthquake characteristics. Pounding produces acceleration and shear forces/stresses at various story levels that are greater than those obtained from the no pounding case, while the peak drift depends on the input excitation characteristics. Also, increasing gap width is likely to be effective when the separation is sufficiently wide to eliminate contact. Furthermore, it is effective to provide a shock absorber device system for the mitigation of impact effects between adjacent buildings with relatively narrow seismic gaps, where the sudden changes of stiffness during poundings can be smoothed. This prevents, to some extent, the acceleration peaks due to impact. The pounding forces exerted on the adjacent buildings can be satisfactorily reduced.     

Analytical prediction of experimental building pounding

Valuable insights on the problem of seismic pounding have been obtained recently from analytical studies. So far, the proposed analytical models have not been validated experimentally. This paper presents the results of shake table tests of pounding between adjacent three- and eight-storey single-bay steel framed model structures. The pounding response of the frames was measured for various earthquake intensities and initial separations. The experimental results were compared to the predictions resulting from two existing pounding analysis programs. The solution strategy of the first program, SLAM-2, is based on a modal superposition technique. The second program, PC-ANSR, is a non-linear time-step analysis code in which an elastic gap element has been included. Modelling the pounding effect by elastic gap elements in the two programs produced accurate displacement and impact force results. Amplitudes of short acceleration pulses were not well predicted, however, for practical time-step increments. Relative rotations between adjacent floors induced grinding contacts which cannot be captured by uni-axial gap elements.     

Shake table tests of structures subject to pounding

Pounding between adjacent structures during earthquakes may significantly modify their response in terms of forces and displacements. In addition, it has a considerable influence on acceleration and thus on floor response spectra. Therefore, pounding may be unfavorable to the response of equipment. Despite extensive research in this field, the effects of pounding on structures are difficult to quantify accurately. This article presents results of shake table tests carried out on two representative scale adjacent structures subject to pounding. Besides investigating the effects of the gap between structures and the excitation signal, this study examines also the effect of tying the two structures together by means of rigid links to suppress pounding. The results of the experimental campaign are then compared with those of numerical simulations. Analyses and experimental results show good agreement regarding both impact forces and interstorey drifts.     

地震作用下隔震简支梁桥碰撞反应的振动台试验

由地震引发的碰撞是影响桥梁地震反应以及造成桥梁破坏的重要因素。本文对地震作用下隔震简支梁桥的碰撞反应进行了振动台试验。设计制作1个两跨简支的隔震梁桥模型,试验研究了梁间隙、邻梁质量比、隔震支座类型等参数对桥梁碰撞反应的影响。试验结果表明邻梁间隙、邻梁质量比、隔震支座类型等参数对桥梁的碰撞反应有着显著的影响。邻梁间隙越大,碰撞次数越少;邻梁质量比越大,撞击力越大。铅芯橡胶支座比板式橡胶支座耗能能力更强,可以有效降低邻梁之间的撞击力甚至避免碰撞发生。从而为桥梁防碰撞设计提供了可靠的试验依据。     

Relative displacement response spectra with pounding effect

To avoid unseating of a deck, an adequate seat width must be provided. The seat width is basically determined from maximum relative displacement between two bridge segments. Under a strong ground excitation, pounding between two decks may occur at a joint. The pounding will affect the response of two bridge segments. This research is conducted to investigate the effect of pounding on the relative displacement between two adjacent bridge segments. A simplified analytical model of two linear single‐degree‐of‐freedom systems is employed. To take into account the pounding, the laws of conservation of momentum and energy are applied. The analytical results are represented in the form of relative displacement response spectra with pounding effect. It is found that due to the pounding the relative displacement can be amplified, resulting in the requirement of a longer seat width to support a deck. The formulation of normalized relative displacement response spectra is presented together with an application example. It is found that the seat width determined from the relative displacement response spectra with pounding effect becomes close to the value specified in the Japanese design specifications for structures with large difference of natural periods. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地震作用下双薄壁高墩刚构桥桥台处的碰撞效应及减碰措施

针对双薄臂高墩连续刚构桥两侧桥台处主梁与背墙的碰撞现象,基于桥台-背土作用简化模型和Kelvin碰撞模型,采用非线性时程法研究碰撞对双薄臂墩地震剪力、弯矩、曲率和位移,以及支座纵向变形的影响。提出可牺牲背墙、阻尼器、加强型横系梁等三种减碰措施,并对比分析其减碰效果。研究表明:碰撞会显著增大高墩的地震内力和曲率响应,降低墩顶位移和支座的纵向变形;碰撞刚度的变化对碰撞效应的影响在20%以内;可牺牲背墙和阻尼器两种减碰措施均可大幅降低桥墩的地震内力和曲率,使其接近不考虑碰撞时的状态,阻尼器同时还可以保护支座不超过容许变形,而可牺牲背墙则会导致支座的地震破坏;加强型横系梁不能发挥减碰作用,反而会增大桥墩的地震响应。     

Dimensional analysis of earthquake-induced pounding between adjacent inelastic MDOF buildings

In this study the seismic pounding response of adjacent multi-degree-of-freedom(MDOF) buildings with bilinear inter-story resistance characteristics is investigated through dimensional analysis. The application of dimensional analysis leads to a condensed presentation of the response, and the remarkable self-similarity property for bilinear MDOF buildings with inelastic collision is uncovered. It is shown that when the response is expressed in the appropriate dimensionless form, response spectra for any intensity of the excitation collapse to a single master curve. The reduced Π set explicitly describes the interaction between the colliding structures. The effect of pounding on the MDOF building's response is illustrated using three well-divided spectral regions(amplifi ed, de-amplifi ed and unaffected regions). Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of the story stiffness of structures, the story stiffness ratio and mass ratio of adjacent buildings, the structural inelastic characteristics and the gap size values. Results show that(i) the infl uence of system stiffness ratio to the lighter and more fl exible building is more signifi cant in the fi rst spectral region, where the maximum response of the building is amplifi ed because of pounding; and(ii) the velocity and pounding force of the heavier and stiffer building is unexpectedly sensitive to the mass ratio of adjacent buildings.     

梁式桥地震碰撞响应及防碰撞与落梁措施研究进展

简述了地震中观察到的桥梁结构地震碰撞现象,以及已经发展的各种模拟地震碰撞现象的理论分析模型.在此基础上,对桥梁碰撞反应发生机理、碰撞对结构构件抗震能力的影响以及有关防止碰撞发生及防止落梁的有效措施等方面的研究进展进行了回顾和总结.展望了有待进一步研究的问题,包括开展大比例尺的实桥模型地震碰撞试验研究、空间地震动对长跨梁...     

Seismic response of multi‐span simply supported bridges to a spatially varying earthquake ground motion

This paper carries out a parametrical study of the pounding phenomenon associated with the seismic response of multi‐span simply supported bridges with base isolation devices. In particular, the analyses focus on the causal relationship between pounding and the properties of a spatially varying earthquake ground motion. In order to include the effect of the torsional component of pounding forces on the seismic response of the whole structure, a three‐dimensional (3D) finite element model has been defined and 3D non‐linear time‐history analyses have been performed. A parametrical study on the size of the gaps between adjacent bridge decks has highlighted that the pounding effects are amplified when the spatially varying ground motion time histories at each support are considered. Because of a spatially varying input, the pounding forces can assume values 3–4 times larger than those derived by a conventional seismic analysis with uniform input or with spatial input but considering ground motion wave passage effect only. The numerical results show that in order to achieve an acceptably safe structural performance during seismic events, a correct design of the isolation devices should take into account the relative displacements calculated by means of a non‐linear time‐history analysis with multi‐support excitation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Linking of adjacent three-storey buildings for mitigation of structural pounding during earthquakes

The reports after major earthquakes indicate that the earthquake-induced pounding between insufficiently separated buildings may lead to significant damage or even total collapse of structures. An intensive study has recently been carried out on mitigation of pounding hazards so as to minimize the structural damages or prevent collisions at all. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of the method when two adjacent three-storey buildings with different (substantially different) dynamic properties are connected at each storey level by link elements (springs, dashpots or viscoelastic elements). The results of the study indicate that connecting the structures by additional link elements can be very beneficial for the lighter and more flexible building. The largest decrease in the response of the structure has been obtained for links with large stiffness or damping values, which stands for the case when two buildings are fully connected and vibrate in-phase. Moreover, by comparing the effectiveness of different types of link elements, it has been confirmed that the use of viscoelastic elements reduces the peak displacement of the structure at lower stiffness and damping values comparing to the case when spring and dashpot elements are applied alone. On the other hand, the results of the study demonstrate that applying the additional link elements does not really change the response of the heavier and stiffer building. The final conclusion of the study indicates that linking two buildings allows us to reduce the in-between gap size substantially while structural pounding can be still prevented.     

Reduction of pounding effects in elevated bridges during earthquakes

Pounding of adjacent superstructure segments in elevated bridges during severe earthquakes can result in significant structural damage. The aim of this paper is to analyse several methods of reduction of the negative effects of collisions induced by the seismic wave propagation effect. The analysis is conducted on a detailed three‐dimensional structural component model of an isolated highway bridge. The results show that the influence of pounding on the structural response is significant in the longitudinal direction of the bridge and significantly depends on the gap size between superstructure segments. The smallest response can be obtained for very small gap sizes and for gap sizes large enough to prevent pounding. Further analysis indicates that the bridge behaviour can be effectively improved by placing hard rubber bumpers between segments and by stiff linking the segments one with another. The experimental results show that, for the practical application of such connectors, shock transmission units can be used. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Damage‐based seismic planar pounding analysis of adjacent symmetric buildings considering inelastic structure–soil–structure interaction

In cities and urban areas, building structures located at close proximities inevitably interact under dynamic loading by direct pounding and indirectly through the underlying soil. Majority of the previous adjacent building pounding studies that have taken the structure–soil–structure interaction (SSSI) problem into account have used simple lumped mass–spring–dashpot models under plane strain conditions. In this research, the problem of SSSI‐included pounding problem of two adjacent symmetric in plan buildings resting on a soft soil profile excited by uniaxial earthquake loadings is investigated. To this end, a series of SSSI models considering one‐directional nonlinear impact elements between adjacent co‐planar stories and using a method for direct finite element modeling of 3D inelastic underlying soil volume has been developed to accurately study the problem. An advanced inelastic structural behavior parameter, the seismic damage index, has been considered in this study as the key nonlinear structural response of adjacent buildings. Based on the results of SSSI and fixed base case analyses presented herein, two main problems are investigated, namely, the minimum building separation distance for pounding prevention and seismic pounding effects on structural damage in adjacent buildings. The final results show that at least three times, the International Building Code 2009 minimum distance for building separation recommended value is required as a clear distance for adjacent symmetric buildings to prevent the occurrence of seismic pounding. At the International Building Code‐recommended distance, adjacent buildings experienced severe seismic pounding and therefore significant variations in storey shear forces and damage indices. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高架简支梁桥非线性碰撞地震反应分析

本文首先简要分析了碰撞引起的建筑物破坏的现象，并对碰撞研究取得的成果、进展作了阐述、本文还对非线性碰撞单元（gap元）的力学特性进行了分析，最后利用NASTRAN大型通用结构分析程序就伸缩缝度、单（双）边碰撞对碰撞地震反应的影响作了定性分析，得出了许多有益的结论。     

正弦行波激励下单层偏心框架结构扭转响应的解析解

文中针对单层偏心框架结构,利用正弦行波激励研究了质量偏心率和激励频率对偏心框架结构行波扭转响应的影响规律.建立了行波激励下单层偏心框架结构的振动方程,采用相对运动法求解给出了正弦行波激励下单层偏心框架结构楼板的质心平动位移和转角位移以及楼板扭矩和柱剪力的解析解.计算了一个钢筋混凝凝土单层偏心框架结构的峰值楼板扭矩和峰值...     

Additional seismic inelastic deformation caused by structural asymmetry

Using a single mass monosymmetric model, this paper examines the additional seismic inelastic deformations and displacement caused by structural asymmetry of the model. Stiffness eccentricity and resistance eccentricity are used as measures of asymmetry in the elastic and inelastic range respectively. Seven ways of specifying strength distribution among resisting elements are considered, including code provisions from Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States. These specifications are related t o the model resistance eccentricity. It is shown that when torsional shears are included in the strength design of the elements, the structure in general will have small resistance eccentricity, even if it has large stiffness eccentricity in the elastic range. For structures which are designed with allowance for torsional shears, the ductility demands on the elements are similar to those when the structure is symmetrical. However, the edge displacements can be up to three times that if the system is symmetrical. This finding has significant implications in evaluating adequate separation between buildings to avoid the pounding problem during earthquakes.     

Implications of seismic pounding on the longitudinal response of multi-span bridges-an analytical perspective

Seismic pounding between adjacent frames in multiple-frame bridges and girder ends in multi-span simply supported bridges has been commonly observed in several recent earthquakes. The consequences of pounding include damage to piers, abutments, shear keys, bearings and restrainers, and possible collapse of deck spans. This paper investigates pounding in bridges from an analytical perspective. A simplified nonlinear model of a multiple-frame bridge is developed including the effects of inelastic frame action and nonlinear hinge behavior, to study the seismic response to longitudinal ground motion. Pounding is implemented using the contact force-based Kelvin model, as well as the momentum-based stereomechanical approach, Parameter studies are conducted to determine the effects of frame period ratio, column hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation during impact and near source ground motions on the pounding response of the bridge. The results indicate that pounding is most critical for highly out-of-phase frames and is not significant for frame period ratios greater than 0.7. Impact models without energy dissipation overestimate the displacement and acceleration amplifications due to impact, especially for elastic behavior of the frames. Representation of stiffness degradation in bridge columns is essential in capturing the accurate response of pounding frames subjected to far field ground motion. Finally, it is shown that strength degradation and pounding can result in significant damage to the stiffer frames of the bridge when subjected to large acceleration pulses from near field ground motion records.     

Seismic torsional provisions for dynamic eccentricity

A study is made of the dynamic torsional response of a single mass partially symmetric system to ground excitation. Using the response spectrum technique, the torsional response and dynamic eccentricity are determined as functions of the eccentricity of the system and its uncoupled frequency ratio. It is shown that the dynamic eccentricity can best be expressed as a bilinear function of eccentricity. For the critical condition which occurs when the uncoupled frequency ratio is unity, a comparison is made with the torsional provisions of five seismic codes (Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, ATC3 and Germany). It is shown that the first four codes underestimate the torsional moment, and also the edge displacement of the system, significantly when the eccentricity is small and the uncouped torsional and lateral frequencies are close.     

Required separation distance between decks and at abutments of a bridge crossing a canyon site to avoid seismic pounding

Major earthquakes in the past indicated that pounding between bridge decks may result in significant structural damage or even girder unseating. With conventional expansion joints, it is impossible to completely avoid seismic pounding between bridge decks, because the gap size at expansion joints is usually not big enough in order to ensure smooth traffic flow. With a new development of modular expansion joint (MEJ), which allows a large joint movement and at the same time without impeding the smoothness of traffic flow, completely precluding pounding between adjacent bridge decks becomes possible. This paper investigates the minimum total gap that a MEJ must have to avoid pounding at the abutments and between bridge decks. The considered spatial ground excitations are modelled by a filtered Tajimi‐Kanai power spectral density function and an empirical coherency loss function. Site amplification effect is included by a transfer function derived from the one‐dimensional wave propagation theory. Stochastic response equations of the adjacent bridge decks are formulated. The effects of ground motion spatial variations, dynamic characteristics of the bridge and the depth and stiffness of local soil on the required separation distance are analysed. Soil–structure interaction effect is not included in this study. The bridge response behaviour is assumed to be linear elastic. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implications of seismic pounding on the longitudinal response of multi-span bridges - an analytical perspective

Seismic pounding between adjacent frames in multiple-frame bridges and girder ends in multi-span simply supported bridges has been commonly observed in several recent earthquakes. The consequences of pounding include damage to piers, abutments, shear keys, bearings and restrainers, and possible collapse of deck spans. This paper investigates pounding in bridges from an analytical perspective. A simplified nonlinear model of a multiple-frame bridge is developed including the effects of inelastic frame action and nonlinear hinge behavior, to study the seismic response to longitudinal ground motion. Pounding is implemented using the contact force-based Kelvin model, as well as the momentum-based stereomechanical approach. Parameter studies are conducted to determine the effects of frame period ratio, column hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation during impact and near source ground motions on the pounding response of the bridge. The results indicate that pounding is most critical for highly out-of-phase frames and is not significant for frame period ratios greater than 0.7. Impact models without energy dissipation overestimate the displacement and acceleration amplifications due to impact, especially for elastic behavior of the frames. Representation of stiffness degradation in bridge columns is cssential in capturing the accurate response of pounding frames subjected to far field ground motion. Finally, it is shown that strength degradation and pounding can result in significant damage to the stiffer frames of the bridge when subjected to large acceleration pulses from near field ground motion records.