The importance of ambient and forced vibration measurements for the results of seismic performance assessment of buildings obtained by using a simplified non-linear procedure: case study of an old masonry building

The seismic performance assessment of existing masonry buildings involves many uncertainties, whose impact can be reduced to some extent by using non-destructive in-situ tests of such buildings, at least when destructive in-situ tests, which can provide more reliable results, cannot be performed. In this paper the extent of the potential beneficial effects achievable by calibration of a structural model of a building to its experimentally estimated vibration periods has been investigated. This was done by performing measurements of ambient and forced vibrations on an old two-storey masonry building, and by then assessing its seismic performance using a simplified nonlinear method. The results of numerical investigations revealed that the natural vibration periods of such buildings can be reproduced with sufficient accuracy, although it is possible that they will be overestimated or underestimated by analysts by up to around 40 %. This means that the accuracy of the prediction of the intermediate results of the seismic performance assessment of any particular building can be significantly increased by calibration of the structural model. Additionally, the beneficial effects of such calibration were observed even in the case of the final outcome of the nonlinear analysis, which is expressed through the near-collapse limit state capacity in terms of the peak ground acceleration.     

Practice‐oriented probabilistic seismic performance assessment of infilled frames with consideration of shear failure of columns

The objective of the study presented in this paper is to investigate the effects of masonry infills on the shear demand and failure of columns for the case when reinforced concrete frames with such infills are modeled by means of simplified nonlinear models that are not capable of the direct simulation of these effects. It is shown that an approximate simulation of the shear failure of columns can be achieved through an iterative procedure that involves pushover analysis, post‐processing of the analysis results using limit‐state checks of the components, and model adaptation if shear failure of columns is detected. The fragility parameters and the mean annual frequency of limit‐state exceedance are computed on the basis of nonlinear dynamic analysis by using an equivalent SDOF model. The proposed methodology is demonstrated by means of two examples. It was shown that the strength of the four‐story and seven‐story buildings and their deformation capacity are significantly overestimated if column shear failure due to the effects of masonry infills is neglected, whereas the mean annual frequency of limit‐state exceedance for the analyzed limit states is significantly larger than that estimated for the case if the shear failure of columns is neglected. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Yield frequency spectra and seismic design of code‐compatible RC structures: an illustrative example

The seismic design of an eight‐story reinforced concrete space frame building is undertaken using a yield frequency spectra (YFS) performance‐based approach. YFS offer a visual representation of the entire range of a system's performance in terms of the mean annual frequency (MAF) of exceeding arbitrary global ductility or displacement levels versus the base shear strength. As such, the YFS framework can establish the required base shear and corresponding first‐mode period to satisfy arbitrary performance objectives for any structure that may be approximated by a single‐degree‐of‐freedom system with given yield displacement and capacity curve shape. For the eight‐story case study building, deformation checking is the governing limit state. A conventional code‐based design was performed using seismic intensities tied to the desired MAF for safety checking. Then, the YFS‐based approach was employed to redesign the resulting structure working backwards from the desired MAF of response (rather than intensity) to estimate an appropriate value of seismic intensity for use within a typical engineering design process. For this high‐seismicity and high‐importance midrise building, a stiffer system with higher base shear strength was thus derived. Moreover, performance assessment via incremental dynamic analysis showed that while the code‐design did not meet the required performance objective, the YFS‐based redesign needed only pushover analysis results to offer a near‐optimal design outcome. The rapid convergence of the method in a single design/analysis iteration emphasized its efficiency and practicability as a design aid for practical application. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

考虑非结构构件损伤的钢筋混凝土框架建筑多维地震易损性分析

基于单一指标的传统地震易损性分析忽略了非结构构件损伤对建筑抗震性能的影响。首先基于多维性能极限状态理论建立了三维性能极限状态方程,并对几种特殊情况下的三维阈值曲面进行了讨论。进而以最大层间位移角作为整体结构与位移敏感型非结构构件的性能指标,以峰值楼面加速度作为加速度敏感型非结构构件的性能指标,对建筑的结构损伤和非结构损伤进行描述。考虑各性能指标之间的相关性和各性能指标所对应的极限状态阈值的不确定性,建立了建筑在地震作用下的三维性能极限状态的超越概率函数。最后,采用Open Sees有限元软件对一7层钢筋混凝土框架填充墙建筑进行增量动力分析,得到其各性能水平下的地震易损性曲线。分析结果表明,当忽略非结构构件损伤时,各性能极限状态的超越概率均降低,从而高估了建筑剩余功能水平,进而导致低估建筑的损失。在考虑各性能指标的极限状态阈值的不确定性时,对任一性能极限状态,不同变异系数取值下的易损性曲线会出现交点,在交点之前超越概率随着变异系数的增大而增大,交点之后则随着变异系数的增大而减小。在考虑性能指标间的相关性时,对任一性能极限状态,超越概率随着相关系数的减小而增大。另外,性能指标阈值的不确定性与性能指标间的相关性对地震易损性的影响随着性能水平的提高而逐渐降低,且对低性能水平下建筑地震易损性有明显影响。     

Seismic analysis of diagrid structural frames with shear-link fuse devices

This paper presents a new concept for enhancing the seismic ductility and damping capacity of diagrid structural frames by using shear-link fuse devices and its seismic performance is assessed through nonlinear static and dynamic analysis.The architectural elegancy of the diagrid structure attributed to its triangular leaning member configuration and high structural redundancy make this system a desirable choice for tall building design.However,forming a stable energy dissipation mechanism in diagrid framing remains to be investigated to expand its use in regions with high seismicity.To address this issue,a diagrid framing design is proposed here which provides a competitive design option in highly seismic regions through its increased ductility and improved energy dissipation capacity provided by replaceable shear links interconnecting the diagonal members at their ends.The structural characteristics and seismic behavior(capacity,stiffness,energy dissipation,ductility) of the diagrid structural frame are demonstrated with a 21-story building diagrid frame subjected to nonlinear static and dynamic analysis.The findings from the nonlinear time history analysis verify that satisfactory seismic performance can be achieved by the proposed diagrid frame subjected to design basis earthquakes in California.In particular,one appealing feature of the proposed diagrid building is its reduced residual displacement after strong earthquakes.     

Seismic resilience of concrete structures under corrosion

A probabilistic approach to lifetime assessment of seismic resilience of deteriorating concrete structures is presented. The effects of environmental damage on the seismic performance are evaluated by means of a methodology for lifetime assessment of concrete structures in aggressive environment under uncertainty. The time‐variant seismic capacity associated with different limit states, from damage limitation up to collapse, is assumed as functionality indicator. The role of the deterioration process on seismic resilience is then investigated over the structural lifetime by evaluating the post‐event residual functionality and recovery of the deteriorating system as a function of the time of occurrence of the seismic event. The proposed approach is applied to a three‐story concrete frame building and a four‐span continuous concrete bridge under corrosion. The results show the combined effects of structural deterioration and seismic damage on the time‐variant system functionality and resilience and indicate the importance of a multi‐hazard life‐cycle‐oriented approach to seismic design of resilient structure and infrastructure systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic evaluation of an existing complex RC building

The seismic evaluation of existing buildings is a more difficult task than the seismic design of new buildings. Non-linear methods are needed if realistic results are to be obtained. However, the application to real complex structures of various evaluation procedures, which have usually been tested on highly idealized structural models, is by no means straightforward. In the paper, a practice-oriented procedure for the seismic evaluation of building structures, based on the N2 method, is presented, together with the application of this method to an existing multi-storey reinforced concrete building. This building, which is asymmetric in plan and irregular in elevation, consists of structural walls and frames. It was designed in 1962 for gravity loads and a minimum horizontal loading (2% of the total weight). The main results presented in terms of the global and local seismic demands are compared with the results of non-linear dynamic response-history analyses. As expected, the structure would fail if subjected to the design seismic action according to Eurocode 8. The shear capacity of the structural walls is the most critical. If the shear capacity of these elements was adequate, the structure would be able to survive the design ground motion according to Eurocode 8, in spite of the very low level of design horizontal forces. The applied approach proved to be a feasible tool for the seismic evaluation of complex structures. However, due to the large randomness and uncertainty which are involved in the determination of both the seismic demand and the seismic capacity, only rough estimates of the seismic behaviour of such structures can be obtained.     

Conceptual seismic design in performance-based earthquake engineering

A principal aspect of seismic design is the verification of performance limit states, which help ensure satisfactory behaviour within a performance-based earthquake engineering framework. However, it is increasingly acknowledged that while ensuring life safety is a suitable basic design requirement, more meaningful metrics of seismic performance exist. Expected annual loss (EAL) has gained attention in recent years but tends to be limited to seismic assessment. This article proposes a novel conceptual design framework that employs EAL as a design tool and requires very little building information at the design outset. This means that designers may commence from a definition of required EAL and arrive at a number of feasible structural solutions without the need for any detailed design calculations or numerical analysis. This works by transforming the building performance definition to a design solution space using a number of simplifying assumptions. A suitable structural response backbone is subsequently determined and used to identify feasible building typologies and associated structural geometries. The assumptions made to implement such a conceptual design framework are discussed and justified herein followed by a case study application. This proposed design framework is intended to form the first step in seismic design to identify suitable typologies and layouts before subsequent member detailing and design verification. This way, engineers, architects, and clients can make more informed decisions that target certain performance goals at the beginning of design before further refinement.     

抗震设计中结构的性能等级与设计性能安全指数

通常根据结构的破坏程度可以将结构的破坏划分为：基本完好、轻微破坏、中等破坏、严重破坏、倒塌等5个阶段。根据这5个阶段,本文将结构在地震过程中的性能极限状态划分为：功能连续极限状态、破坏控制极限状态、控制损失极限状态和防止倒塌极限状态,并以此作为划分结构性能等级的标准。定义结构失效概率的自然对数的负值为设计性能安全指数,通过计算结构失效概率对各构件可靠指标的一阶偏导数的方法,求出结构的设计性能安全等级。这种方法可以考虑建筑结构构件、建筑非结构构件以及其它非结构构件的性能,而且同时可以考虑结构系统总体效应的影响,因而能够比较全面地反映结构的抗震性能等级。     

Seismic reliability of V‐braced frames: Influence of design methodologies

According to the most modern trend, performance‐based seismic design is aimed at the evaluation of the seismic structural reliability defined as the mean annual frequency (MAF) of exceeding a threshold level of damage, i.e. a limit state. The methodology for the evaluation of the MAF of exceeding a limit state is herein applied with reference to concentrically ‘V’‐braced steel frames designed according to different criteria. In particular, two design approaches are examined. The first approach corresponds to the provisions suggested by Eurocode 8 (prEN 1998—Eurocode 8: design of structures for earthquake resistance. Part 1: general rules, seismic actions and rules for buildings), while the second approach is based on a rigorous application of capacity design criteria aiming at the control of the failure mode (J. Earthquake Eng. 2008; 12 :1246–1266; J. Earthquake Eng. 2008; 12 :728–759). The aim of the presented work is to focus on the seismic reliability obtained through these design methodologies. The probabilistic performance evaluation is based on an appropriate combination of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, probabilistic seismic demand analysis (PSDA) and probabilistic seismic capacity analysis. Regarding PSDA, nonlinear dynamic analyses have been carried out in order to obtain the parameters describing the probability distribution laws of demand, conditioned to given values of the earthquake intensity measure. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

考虑阻尼器极限状态的耗能减震体系 斜拉桥抗震性能分析

在大震或特大震下,黏滞阻尼器可能因某个极限状态的出现而发生破坏。现有在斜拉桥上设置黏滞阻尼器的研究多集中在阻尼器的参数优化上,很少考虑到阻尼器失效对斜拉桥抗震性能的影响。针对这一问题,以某三塔斜拉桥为背景,利用OpenSees平台建立斜拉桥有限元模型和可以考虑承载力及行程极限的黏滞阻尼器模型;分析黏滞阻尼器的阻尼系数和阻尼指数对斜拉桥地震响应的影响,确定阻尼器参数的取值;对不安装阻尼器、安装不考虑极限状态及考虑极限状态阻尼器等多种工况的斜拉桥进行非线性时程分析,对比各工况斜拉桥的地震响应。分析结果表明,在大震下,考虑极限状态阻尼器的耗能能力及减震效果将显著降低;不考虑阻尼器达到极限状态后失效的情况将高估耗能减震设计斜拉桥的抗震能力。     

Improved risk‐targeted performance‐based seismic design of reinforced concrete frame structures

This paper presents a procedure for seismic design of reinforced concrete structures, in which performance objectives are formulated in terms of maximum accepted mean annual frequency (MAF) of exceedance, for multiple limit states. The procedure is explicitly probabilistic and uses Cornell's like closed‐form equations for the MAFs. A gradient‐based constrained optimization technique is used for obtaining values of structural design variables (members' section size and reinforcement) satisfying multiple objectives in terms of risk levels. The method is practically feasible even for real‐sized structures thanks to the adoption of adaptive equivalent linear models where element‐by‐element stiffness reduction is performed (2 linear analyses per intensity level). General geometric and capacity design constraints are duly accounted for. The procedure is applied to a 15‐storey plane frame building, and validation is conducted against results in terms of drift profiles and MAF of exceedance, obtained by multiple‐stripe analysis with records selected to match conditional spectra. Results show that the method is suitable for performance‐based seismic design of RC structures with explicit targets in terms of desired risk levels.     

双向单排配筋混凝土低矮剪力墙抗震性能试验研究

双向单排配筋混凝土低矮剪力墙适用于多层住宅结构。对4个原型的剪跨比为1.0配筋混凝土低矮剪力墙进行了低周反复荷载试验研究,包括1个双向双排配筋混凝土低矮剪力墙和3个双向单排配筋混凝土低矮剪力墙。其中1个双向单排配筋混凝土低矮剪力墙加设暗支撑,用以研究暗支撑对这种新型墙体的作用。在试验研究的基础上,对比分析了各剪力墙的刚度及其衰减过程、承载力、延性、滞回特征、耗能能力及破坏特征。试验表明,经过合理设计,这种双向单排配筋混凝土低矮剪力墙可以满足多层住宅结构抗震要求。     

Seismic resilience assessment of corroded reinforced concrete structures designed to the Chinese codes

The natural landscape in China exposes many existing RC buildings to aggressive environments.Such exposure can lead to deterioration in structural performance with regard to resisting events such as earthquakes.Corrosion of embedded reinforcement is one of the most common mechanisms by which such structural degradation occurs.There has been increasing attention in recent years toward seismic resilience in communities and their constituent construction;however,to date,studies have neglected the effect of natural aging.This study aims to examine the effect of reinforcement corrosion on the seismic resilience of RC frames that are designed according to Chinese seismic design codes.A total of twenty RC frames are used to represent design and construction that is typical of coastal China,with consideration given to various seismic fortification levels and elevation arrangements.Seismic fragility relationships are developed for case frames under varying levels of reinforcement corrosion,i.e.,corrosion rates are increased from 5%to 15%.Subsequently,the seismic resilience levels of uncorroded and corroded RC frames are compared using a normalized loss factor.It was found that the loss of resilience of the corroded frames is greater than that of their uncorroded counterparts.At the Rare Earthquake hazard level,the corrosioninduced increase in loss of resilience can be more than 200%,showing the significant effect of reinforcement corrosion on structural resilience under the influence of earthquakes.     

Direct design method based on seismic capacity redundancy for structures with metal yielding dampers

In this study, a direct static design method for structures with metal yielding dampers is proposed based on a new design target called the seismic capacity redundancy indicator (SCRI). The proposed method is applicable to the design of elastic‐plastic damped structures by considering the influence of damper on different structural performance indicators separately without the need for iteration or nonlinear dynamic analysis. The SCRI—a quantitative measure of the seismic capacity redundancy—is defined as the ratio of the seismic demand required by the target performance limit to the design seismic demand. Changes in the structural SCRI are correlated with the parameters of the supplemental dampers so that the dampers can be directly designed according to a given target SCRI. The proposed method is illustrated through application to a 12‐story reinforced‐concrete frame, and increment dynamic analysis is performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The seismic intensity corresponding to the target structural performance limit is regarded as a measure of the structural seismic capacity. The required seismic intensity increases after the structure is equipped with the designed metal yielding dampers according to the expected SCRI. It is concluded that the proposed method is easy to implement and feasible for performance‐based design of metal yielding dampers.     

Long‐term seismic performance of reinforced concrete bridges under steel reinforcement corrosion due to chloride attack

This work presents a new seismic evaluation methodology for corroded reinforced concrete bridges on the basis of nonlinear static pushover analysis. Corrosion of steel reinforcement by chloride attack is considered. At the material level, the effects of corrosion are considered by modeling the degradation of the mechanical properties of steel reinforcement, softening of cover concrete under compression, degradation of core concrete due to confinement steel corrosion, and reduction of bond strength between concrete and steel reinforcement. At the structural level, the effects of corrosion on both flexural behavior and shear behavior, and their interaction are considered. Eleven bridges of various structural types in Taiwan that are located within 6.5 km of their nearest coastline are analyzed to identify their long‐term seismic performance. Relationships between the yield and collapse peak ground accelerations (PGAs), and service time and corrosion level are established for each bridge. Analysis results show that chloride corrosion starts in 2–32 years. The transverse steel reinforcement typically starts corroding before the longitudinal steel reinforcement, as the former has a thicker cover. Research results show that collapse PGA reduces by 0.94% or 1.23% per 10 years when the mean value plus 1 or 2 standard deviation of the collapse PGA values are considered, respectively. Therefore, we suggest increasing the design PGA from 4.70% to 6.15% for a bridge adjacent to a coastline to ensure adequate long‐term seismic performance for 50 years, the typical design life span of a regular bridge. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高层钢结构基于均匀损伤设计的整体抗震能力提高方法

本文主要研究如何通过合理设计来提高高层钢结构的整体抗震能力。首先,给出了高层钢结构的非线性计算模型;其次,建立了高层钢结构在强地震动作用下的倒塌失效模式的极限状态判别准则;然后,通过模态pushover分析,研究了高层钢结构在水平地震作用下的损伤规律;最后,重点研究了高层钢结构的整体抗震能力的提高方法,提出了均匀损伤的设计方法,该方法通过消除结构的薄弱层,来达到提高高层钢结构的整体抗震能力的目的。通过对两栋20层的高层钢框架结构进行极限时程分析和极限pushover分析,验证了文中提出的均匀损伤的设计方法的可行性。本文的工作可为高层钢结构的抗地震倒塌设计提供参考依据。     

Probabilistic seismic assessment of multistory precast concrete frames exposed to corrosion

Seismic design of concrete structures is currently based on time-invariant capacity design criteria which do not account for environmental hazards. The significant progressive decay of strength and ductility of concrete structures exposed to damage, in particular due to reinforcing steel corrosion, shows that this approach should be revised to consider the deterioration over time of the seismic performance. This is important also for precast systems, for which most of structural members are often directly exposed to the atmosphere and environmental aggressiveness. This paper presents a probabilistic approach for the lifetime assessment of seismic performance of concrete structures considering the interaction of seismic and environmental hazards. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is shown by its application to multistory precast buildings exposed to corrosion. The results show that structures designed for the same seismic action could have different lifetime seismic performance depending on the environmental exposure. These results emphasize the importance of a life-cycle approach to both seismic assessment of existing buildings and seismic design of new structures, and indicate that capacity design criteria need to be properly revised to consider the severity of the environmental exposure.     

Effective periods and seismic performance of steel moment resisting frames designed for risk categories I and IV according to IBC2009

In current seismic design, structures that are essential for post‐disaster recovery, and hazardous facilities are classified as risk category IV and are designed with higher importance factors and stringent drift limits. These structures are expected to perform better in an earthquake event because a larger base shear and more stringent drift limit are used. Although this provision has been in the seismic design code over the last three decades, few studies have investigated the performance of essential structures. The aim of this study is to quantify the impact of higher importance factors and stringent drift limits on the seismic performance of steel moment resisting frames. A total of 16 steel structures are designed for Los Angeles and Seattle. Different risk categories are used for the design. The effects of the risk categories on the structural periods, and thus on the seismic force demand, are investigated. A suite of inelastic time history analyses are carried out to understand the probability of exceeding a specified limit state when the structures are subjected to different levels of earthquake events. The results show that the periods of the structures in risk category IV decrease by a factor of 0.5 to 0.8, and the strengths increase by a factor of 1.5 to 3.2. Seismic fragility analysis shows that the structures in risk category IV generally satisfy the probabilistic performance objectives. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conceptual study of X-braced frames with different steel grades using cyclic half-scale tests

In this paper,an experimental and analytical study of two half-scale steel X-braced frames with equal nominal shear strength under cyclic loading is described.In these tests,all members except the braces are similar.The braces are made of various steel grades to monitor the effects of seismic excitation.Internal stiffeners are employed to limit the local buckling and increase the fracture life of the steel bracing.A heavy central core is introduced at the intersection of the braces to decrease their effective length.Recent seismic specifications are considered in the design of the X-braced frame members to verify their efficiency.The failure modes of the X-braced frames are also illustrated.It is observed that the energy dissipation capacity,ultimate load capacity and ductility of the system increase considerably by using lower grade steel and proposed detailing.Analytical modeling of the specimens using nonlinear finite element software supports the experimental findings.