Effects of torsion factors on simple non-linear systems using fully-bidirectional analyses

An ensemble of earthquake records is used to carry out non-linear analyses of simple torsionally unbalanced systems considering both resisting elements and earthquake components along two perpendicular directions. These fully bidirectional analyses are focused to study the effect of the following factors: (i) seismic-force reduction factor; (ii) factors α and δ used to compute the design eccentricity; (iii) initial lateral period; and (iv) initial stiffness eccentricity. Results indicate that the amplification factor α can be specified as a function of the force reduction factor, the lateral uncoupled period, and the stiffness eccentricity. It is concluded that the coefficient δ depends on the lateral period, the stiffness eccentricity, and the geometrical eccentricity. It was observed that negative shears caused by torsion should be neglected in the design of the stiff element, particularly in the case of systems with large stiffness eccentricity. Results suggest that additional studies should be performed to verify the assumed (partial) equivalence between unidirectional (resisting elements and earthquake components along one direction only) and fully bidirectional analyses to study building torsion problems. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Response of pendulums to complex input ground motion

Dynamic response of most seismological instruments and many engineering structures to ground shaking can be represented via response of a pendulum (single-degree-of-freedom oscillator). In most studies, pendulum response is simplified by considering the input from uni-axial translational motion alone. Complete ground motion however, includes not only translational components but also rotations (tilt and torsion). In this paper, complete equations of motion for three following types of pendulum are described: (i) conventional (mass-on-rod), (ii) mass-on-spring type, and (iii) inverted (astatic), then their response sensitivities to each component of complex ground motion are examined. The results of this study show that a horizontal pendulum similar to an accelerometer used in strong motion measurements is practically sensitive to translational motion and tilt only, while inverted pendulum commonly utilized to idealize multi-degree-of-freedom systems is sensitive not only to translational components, but also to angular accelerations and tilt. For better understanding of the inverted pendulum's dynamic behavior under complex ground excitation, relative contribution of each component of motion on response variants is carefully isolated. The systematically applied loading protocols indicate that vertical component of motion may create time-dependent variations on pendulum's oscillation period; yet most dramatic impact on response is produced by the tilting (rocking) component.     

Accidental torsion in buildings due to base rotational excitation

This investigation is concerned with accidental torsion in buildings resulting from rotational excitation (about a vertical axis) of the building foundations as a result of spatially non-uniform ground motions. Because of this accidental torsion, the displacements and deformations in the structural elements of the building are likely to increase. This increase in response is evaluated using actual base rotational excitations derived from ground motions recorded at the base of 30 buildings during recent California earthquakes. Accidental torsion has the effect of increasing the building displacements, in the mean, by less than 5 per cent for systems that are torsionally stiff or have lateral vibration periods longer than half a second. On the other hand, short period (less than half a second) and torsionally flexible systems may experience significant increases in response due to accidental torsion. Since the dependence between this increase in response and the system parameters is complex, two simplified methods are developed for conveniently estimating this effect of accidental torsion. They are the ‘accidental eccentricity’ and the ‘response spectrum’ method. The computed accidental eccentricities are much smaller than the typical code values, 0.05bb or 0.1b, except for buildings with very long plan dimensions (b ≥ 50 m). Alternatively, by using the response spectrum method the increase in response can be estimated by computing the peak response to each base motion independently and combining the peak values using the SRSS rule.     

Natural and accidental torsion in one‐storey structures on elastic foundation under non‐vertically incident SH‐waves

Factors α and β used in equivalent static analysis to account for natural and accidental torsion are evaluated with consideration of soil–structure interaction. The combined torsional effects of structural asymmetry and foundation rotation are examined with reference to a single monosymmetric structure placed on a rigid foundation that is embedded into an elastic half‐space, under to the action of non‐vertically incident SH waves. Dynamic and accidental eccentricities are developed such that when used together with the code‐specified base shear, the resulting static displacement at the flexible edge of the building is identical to that computed from dynamic analysis. It is shown that these eccentricities do not have a unique definition because they depend on both the selection of the design base shear and the criterion used for separation of the torsional effects of foundation rotation from those of structural asymmetry. Selected numerical results are presented in terms of dimensionless parameters for their general application, using a set of appropriate earthquake motions for ensuring generality of conclusions. The practical significance of this information for code‐designed buildings is elucidated. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction of site factors by a non‐parametric approach

The problem addressed in this paper is the estimation of the (de)amplification of ground motion at soil sites (compared to rock sites) as a function of the intensity of the ground motion. A non‐parametric empirical approach, called the Conditional Average Estimator (CAE) method, has been used, which is different from all existing approaches. Site factors (SFs) for sites characterized with V_s30 between 180 and 360 m/s were predicted for the peak ground acceleration (PGA) and the spectral accelerations by using a combined database of recorded ground motions. Based on the results of the study, site factors for PGA and selected spectral accelerations are proposed, separately for weaker and stronger ground motions. Comparisons are made with the SFs used in two standards (Eurocode 8 and ASCE 7‐10) and with SFs proposed in the literature, including four Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) ground‐motion prediction equations. The study reveals that (i) SFs depend strongly on the ground‐motion intensity. In the case of stronger ground motions, they decrease with increasing acceleration. (ii) The SFs predicted in this study agree reasonably well with the existing SFs in the case of weak ground motion. For higher intensities of ground motion, they are generally smaller than the existing ones. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Constraining Holocene sea levels using U‐Th ages of phreatic overgrowths on speleothems from coastal caves in Mallorca (Western Mediterranean)

Phreatic overgrowths on speleothems (POS) are carbonate formations deposited at the water table of caves in unique karstic coastal settings having morphologies that can be directly related to sea level at the time of formation. The U‐Th ages of calcite and aragonite overgrowths collected from the modern water table in coastal caves on Mallorca (Cova de Cala Varques A and Cova des Pas de Vallgornera) were determined using high‐precision MC‐ICPMS techniques. U‐Th ages indicate that phreatic carbonate deposition occurred between ca 2·8 and at least 0·6 ka BP and are in accord with an archeologically estimated age of 3·7–3·0 ka BP for a drowned prehistoric construction at a depth of 1 m below current sea level in a cave from the same area. Speleothem δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O and chemical composition of cave pools provide supportive evidence that POS reflect mixing between seawater and brackish water table. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of spectral ratio techniques for estimation of site effects using microtremor data and earthquake motions recorded at the surface and in boreholes

The authors apply soil response estimation techniques employing accelerograms for fifteen earthquakes recorded at the Yokohama Strong Motion Network and its vertical array of nine sites, plus microtremor data recorded at all 150 sites. Assessment of the reliability of surface to reference site spectral ratios, and horizontal to vertical spectral ratios of S‐waves, coda, and microtremors, relied on cross‐validation with both surface to borehole spectral ratios, and theoretical soil response functions for vertically incident SH plane waves calculated from the vertical array recordings and logging data, respectively. The results indicate the following: (1) the reference site method provides more accurate soil response estimations; (2) the H/V of microtremors provides relatively better soil response estimations than its S‐wave and coda counterparts; and (3) the H/V of microtremors provides coincident soil response estimations at two‐thirds of the sites when considering no more than ±30% mismatch in the determination of the predominant periods. The matching of parameters obtained from the analysis of microtremors, combined with their relatively low economic cost and the possibility of recording without strict spatial or time restrictions turns microtremors into a particularly appealing approach. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modern stable isotopic (δ18O, δ2H, δ13C) variation in terrestrial,fluvial, estuarine and marine waters from north‐central Sarawak,Malaysian Borneo

Stable isotope data on humid tropical hydrology are scarce and, at present, no such data exist for Borneo. Delta¹⁸O, δ²H and δ¹³C were analysed on 22 water samples from different parts of the Sungai (river) Niah basin (rain, cave drip, rainforest pool, tributary stream, river, estuary, sea) in north‐central Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. This was done to improve understanding of the modern stable isotope systematics of the Sungai Niah basin, essential for the palaeoenvironmental interpretation of the Late Quaternary stable isotope proxies preserved in the Great Cave of Niah. The Niah hydrology data are put into a regional context using the meteoric water line for Southeast Asia, as derived from International Atomic Energy Agency/World Meteorological Organization isotopes in precipitation network data. Although the Niah hydrological data‐set is relatively small, spatial isotopic variability was found for the different subenvironments of the Sungai Niah basin. A progressive enrichment occurs towards the South China Sea (δ¹⁸O ?4·6‰; δ²H ?29·3‰; δ¹³C ?4·8‰) from the tributary stream (δ¹⁸O ?8·4‰; δ²H ?54·7‰; δ¹³C ?14·5‰) to up‐river (δ¹⁸O c. ?8‰; δ²H c. ?51‰; δ¹³C c. ?12‰) and down‐river values (δ¹⁸O c. ?7·5‰; δ²H c. ?45‰; δ¹³C c. ?11‰). This is thought to reflect differential evaporation and mixing of different components of the water cycle and a combination of depleted biogenic δ¹³C (plant respiration and decay) with enriched δ¹³C values (due to photosynthesis, atmospheric exchange, mixing with limestone and marine waters) downstream. Cave drip waters are relatively enriched in δ¹³C as compared to the surface waters. This may indicate rapid degassing of the cave drips as they enter the cave atmosphere. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving the seismic torsional behavior of plan-asymmetric,single-storey,concrete moment resisting buildings with fluid viscous dampers

The optimal distribution of fluid viscous dampers(FVD)in controlling the seismic response of eccentric,single-storey,moment resisting concrete structures is investigated using the previously defined center of damping constant(CDC).For this purpose,a number of structural models with different one-way stiffness and strength eccentricities are considered.Extensive nonlinear time history analyses are carried out for various arrangements of FVDs.It is shown that the arrangement of FVDs for controlling the torsional behavior due to asymmetry in the concrete structures is very dependent on the intensity of the peak ground acceleration(PGA)and the extent of the structural stiffness and strength eccentricities.The results indicate that,in the linear range of structural behavior the stiffness eccentricity es which is the main parameter in determining the location of optimal CDC,is found to be less or smaller than the optimal damping constant eccentricity e*d,i.e.,|e*d| |es|.But,in the nonlinear range of structural behavior where the strength eccentricity er is the dominant factor in determining the location of optimal CDC,|e*d| |er|.It is also concluded that for the majority of the plan-asymmetric,concrete structures considered in this study with er ≠ 0,the optimal CDC approaches the center of mass as er decreases.     

A long‐term study of stable isotopes as tracers of processes governing water flow and quality in a lowland river basin: the upper Thames,UK

A long‐term study of O, H and C stable isotopes has been undertaken on river waters across the 7000‐km² upper Thames lowland river basin in the southern UK. During the period, flow conditions ranged from drought to flood. A 10‐year monthly record (2003–2012) of the main River Thames showed a maximum variation of 3‰ (δ¹⁸O) and 20‰ (δ²H), although interannual average values varied little around a mean of –6.5‰ (δ¹⁸O) and –44‰ (δ²H). A δ²H/δ¹⁸O slope of 5.3 suggested a degree of evaporative enrichment, consistent with derivation from local rainfall with a weighted mean of –7.2‰ (δ¹⁸O) and –48‰ (δ²H) for the period. A tendency towards isotopic depletion of the river with increasing flow rate was noted, but at very high flows (>100 m³/s), a reversion to the mean was interpreted as the displacement of bank storage by rising groundwater levels (corroborated by measurements of specific electrical conductivity). A shorter quarterly study (October 2011–April 2013) of isotope variations in 15 tributaries with varying geology revealed different responses to evaporation, with a well‐correlated inverse relationship between Δ¹⁸O and baseflow index for most of the rivers. A comparison with aquifer waters in the basin showed that even at low flow, rivers rarely consist solely of isotopically unmodified groundwater. Long‐term monitoring (2003–2007) of carbon stable isotopes in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the Thames revealed a complex interplay between respiration, photosynthesis and evasion, but with a mean interannual δ¹³C‐DIC value of –14.8 ± 0.5‰, exchange with atmospheric carbon could be ruled out. Quarterly monitoring of the tributaries (October 2011–April 2013) indicated that in addition to the aforementioned factors, river flow variations and catchment characteristics were likely to affect δ¹³C‐DIC. Comparison with basin groundwaters of different alkalinity and δ¹³C‐DIC values showed that the origin of river baseflow is usually obscured. The findings show that long‐term monitoring of environmental tracers can help to improve the understanding of how lowland river catchments function. Copyright © NERC 2015. Hydrological Processes © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic soil–structure interaction of a single-span bridge

Experimental and analytical studies were conducted to determine dynamic soil–structure interaction characteristics of a single-span, prestressed-concrete bridge with monolithic abutments supported by spread footings. The experimental programme, consisting of harmonic forced vibration excitation of the bridge in the transverse and longitudinal directions, revealed the presence of four modes in the frequency band, 0 to 11 Hz, and the onset of a fifth mode at 14 Hz, the highest frequency attained during the tests. The fundamental mode at 4.7 Hz was the primary longitudinal bending mode of the deck and had a relatively low damping ratio (ζ₁), that was approximately 0.025 of critical. The second and third modes at 6.4 Hz and 8.2 Hz were the primary twisting modes of the deck which involved substantial transverse rocking, transverse translation and torsion of the footings. As expected, the damping ratios associated with these two modes, ζ₂ = 0.035 and ζ₃ = 0.15, were directly related to the relative amounts of deck and footing motion. The fourth mode at 10.6 Hz was the second twisting mode of the deck and involved relatively little motion of the footings and abutment walls, which was consistent with the low damping, ζ₄ = 0.02, observed in this mode. The response data at 14 Hz suggested that the fifth mode beyond this frequency was the second longitudinal bending mode of the deck involving longitudinal translation and bending of the abutment walls. A three-dimensional finite element model of the bridge, with Winkler springs attached to the footings and abutment walls to represent the soil–structure interaction, was able to reproduce the experimental data (natural frequencies, mode shapes and bridge response) reasonably well. Although the stiffnesses assigned to the Winkler springs were based largely on the application of a form of Rayleigh's principle to the experimental data, these stiffnesses were similar to theoretical foundation stiffnesses of the same size footings on a linearly elastic half space and theoretical lateral stiffnesses of a rigid retaining wall against a linearly elastic backfill.     

Responses of soil water dynamic processes and groundwater recharge to irrigation intensity and antecedent moisture in the vadose zone

In this study, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the soil water dynamics and water percolation through the deep vadose zone. A calibrated HYDRUS‐1D model was used to simulate the process of soil water movement and the water budget. Based on the measured volumetric soil water contents, the model was well calibrated and validated. Then, we conducted scenario analyses to determine the combined effects of irrigation amount (IA), antecedent soil moisture (AM), crop evapotranspiration, and deep percolation (DP) in an irrigation event. Four IAs (5, 10, 15, and 20 cm) and three AM conditions (AM‐1, AM‐2, and AM‐3) were controlled in the scenario analyses. The results indicate that according to the S_e's (effective saturation) values status and the observed or simulated depth, there could be different conclusions on the influence of DP. Under different IAs in dry (AM‐1) and medium (AM‐2) AM status, DP changed slightly; it was 0.39 and 2.47 cm in AM‐1 and 0.40 and 2.48 cm in AM‐2 for the summer maize and winter wheat crop, respectively; the AM had a crucial contribution to DP. While under the condition of wet AM (AM‐3) or small observation depth, the water inputs could have a significant effect on DP. According to increasing irrigation intensity, the higher values of S_e (>0.6) in the whole profile were only displayed between 70 and 300 cm at AM‐1, 70–500 cm at AM‐2, and 70‐below 600 cm at AM‐3, which were gradually extended and moved down with increasing AM. Hence, the IA significantly affected the water percolation at a depth of 200 cm, whereas there was a weak influence at 600 cm except in AM‐3. Furthermore, in the higher values of the S_e (>0.65) domain, the correlation between IA and DP was an exponential function and significantly under P < 0.05. In addition, DP began to occur when the soil water content was equal to or greater than 0.75 times that of the field water capacity or the S_e > 0.65. When the coarse silt layer became embedded in the silt clay soil profile, it lagged the process of water transport but did not affect permeability in the end.     

Corrective eccentricities for assessment by the nonlinear static method of 3D structures subjected to bidirectional ground motions

Nonlinear static methods are reliable in the evaluation of the seismic response of planar structural schemes, but they are not very effective in the assessment of three-dimensional building structures. The authors of this paper have recently proposed a nonlinear static approach for asymmetric structures, which is an improvement on that stipulated by seismic codes. This method is based on the observation that the distribution of the maximum dynamic displacements of the deck can be enveloped by two pushover analyses performed by applying the lateral force with two eccentricities with respect to the center of mass of the deck. These eccentricities, named “corrective eccentricities”, are defined so that the two corresponding pushover analyses provide displacements that are equal to those evaluated by nonlinear dynamic analysis at the two sides of the deck. In this paper, the corrective eccentricities are determined for a wide set of single-story systems. The equations for their analytical evaluation are determined and their reliability is demonstrated. Finally, the analysis of a multi-story structure is conducted to show how the method can be applied to real buildings. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Full‐scale shaking table test of a base‐isolated medical facility subjected to vertical motions

Base isolation is a well known technology that has been proven to reduce structural response to horizontal ground accelerations. However, vertical response still remains a topic of concern for base‐isolated buildings, perhaps more so than in fixed‐base buildings as isolation is often used when high performance is required. To investigate the effects of vertical response on building contents and nonstructural components, a series of full‐scale shaking table tests were conducted at the E‐Defense facility in Japan. A four‐story base‐isolated reinforced concrete building was outfitted as a medical facility with a wide variety of contents, and the behavior of the contents was observed. The rubber base isolation system was found to significantly amplify vertical accelerations in some cases. However, the damage caused by the vertical ground motions was not detrimental when peak vertical floor accelerations remained below 2 g with three exceptions: (1) small items placed on shelves slid or toppled; (2) objects jumped when placed on nonrigid furniture, which tended to increase the response; and (3) equipment with vertical eccentricities rocked and jumped. In these tests, all equipment and nonstructural components remained functional after shaking. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cost-effective analysis technique for the design of bridges against strike-slip faulting

The paper studies the performance of a typical overpass bridge, with continuous deck and monolithic pier-deck connections, subjected to strike-slip faulting. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of the entire bridge–foundation–abutment–soil system is developed, accounting for soil, structure and geometric nonlinearities. Soil behaviour is simulated with a thoroughly validated strain softening constitutive model. The concrete damaged plasticity (CDP) model is implemented for piers, accounting for the interaction between axial force N , bending moment M , shear force Q and torsion T (NMQT ); the model is validated against experimental results from the literature. The location of the fault rupture is parametrically investigated, confirming the vulnerability of indeterminate structural systems to large tectonic deformation. The deck is shown to sustain both in-plane and out-of-plane bending moments, as well as torsion; the piers are subjected to biaxial bending, shear and torsion. The response is highly dependent on the location of the fault rupture, emphasizing the need to develop cost-effective modelling techniques. Four such techniques are developed (with and without decoupling) and comparatively assessed using the detailed 3D FE model as benchmark. The best prediction is achieved by a coupled model, which includes the bridge superstructure, detailed 3D modelling of the soil-foundation system only for the pier directly affected by the fault, and nonlinear springs representing the foundations of all other piers. The proposed technique offers a computationally efficient means to parametrically analyse long multispan bridges subjected to faulting, for which full 3D FE modelling is impractical.     

Comparison of methods for applying the Priestley–Taylor equation at a regional scale

The scenario assumed for this study was that of a region with a complete or first‐order weather station surrounded by a network of second‐order stations, where only monthly air temperature data were available. The objective was to evaluate procedures to estimate the monthly α parameter of the Priestley–Taylor equation in the second‐order stations by adjusting and extrapolating α values determined at the first‐order station. These procedures were applied in two climatic zones of north‐east Spain with semi‐arid continental and semi‐arid Mediterranean climates, respectively. Procedure A assumed α to be constant over each zone for each month (direct extrapolation). Procedure B accounted for differences in vapour pressure deficit and available energy for evapotranspiration between the first‐ and second‐order stations. Procedure C was based on equating the Penman–Monteith (P–M) and Priestley–Taylor (P–T) equations on a monthly basis to solve for α. Methods to estimate monthly mean vapour pressure deficit, net radiation and wind speed were developed and evaluated. A total of 11 automated first‐order weather stations with a minimum period of record of 6 years (ranging from 6 to 10 years) were used for this study. Six of these stations were located in the continental zone and five in the Mediterranean zone. One station in each zone was assumed to be first‐order whereas the remainder were taken as second‐order stations. Monthly α parameters were calibrated using P–M reference crop evapotranspiration (ET₀) values, calculated hourly and integrated for monthly periods, which were taken as ‘true’ values of ET₀. For the extrapolation of monthly α parameters, procedure A was found to perform slightly better than procedure B in the Mediterranean zone. The opposite was true in the continental zone. Procedure C had the worst performance owing to the non‐linearity of the P–M equation and errors in the estimation of monthly available energy, vapour pressure deficit and wind speed. Procedures A and B are simpler and performed better. Overall, monthly P–T ET₀ estimates using extrapolated α parameters and R_n?G values were in a reasonable agreement with P–M ET₀ calculated on an hourly basis and integrated for monthly periods. The methods presented for the spatial extrapolation of monthly available energy, vapour pressure deficit and wind speed from first‐ to second‐order stations could be useful for other applications. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stable isotopes of water show deep seasonal recharge in northern bogs and fens

Ground water recharge is assumed to occur primarily at raised bog crests in northern peatlands, which are globally significant terrestrial carbon reservoirs. We synoptically surveyed vertical profiles of peat pore water δ¹⁸O and δ²H from a range of bog and fen landforms across the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands, northern Minnesota. Contrary to our expectations, we find that local‐scale recharge penetrates to not only the basal peat at topographically high bog crests but also transitional Sphagnum lawns and low‐lying fen water tracks. Surface landscape characteristics appear to control the isotopic composition of the deeper pore waters (depths ≥0.5 m), which are partitioned into discrete ranges of δ¹⁸O on the basis of landform type (mean ± standard deviation for bog crests = ?11.9 ± 0.4‰, lawns = ?10.6 ± 0.1‰, fen water tracks = ?8.8 ± 1.0‰). Fen water tracks have a shallow free‐water surface that is seasonally enriched by isotope fractionating evaporation, fingerprinting recharge to underlying pore waters at depths ≥3 m. Isotope mass balance calculations indicate on average 12% of the waters we sampled from the basal peat of the fen water tracks was lost to surface evaporation, which occurred prior to advection and dispersion into the underlying formation. These new data provide direct support for the hypothesis that methane production in deeper peat strata is fuelled by the downward transport of labile carbon substrates from the surface of northern peat basins. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Site assessment and evaluation of spatial earthquake ground motion of Kyeongju

The earthquake hazard has been evaluated for 10 km×10 km area around Kyeongju. The ground motion potentials were determined based on equivalent linear analysis by using the data obtained from in situ and laboratory tests. In situ tests include 16 boring investigations, 4 crosshole, 12 downhole, 26 spectral analysis of surface waves tests, and in the laboratory, resonant column tests were performed. The peak ground accelerations range between 0.141g and 0.299g on collapse level earthquake and between 0.050g and 0.120g on operation level earthquake, respectively, showing the high potential of amplification in the deep alluvial layer in Kyeongju area. Distribution maps of site amplification for the peak acceleration, amplification factors (F_a and F_v) and dominant site period of Kyeongju are constructed using geographic information system tools. The amplification factor based on the Korean seismic design guide underestimated the motion in short range and overestimated the motion in mid-period range in Kyeongju. The importance of site-specific analysis and the need for the improved site characterization method are introduced.