Incremental dynamic analysis of woodframe buildings

The collapse of wood buildings was one of the main contributors to the heavy death toll and economic losses during the 1995 Hyogo‐ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake in Japan. In California, half of the property loss from the 1994 Northridge earthquake was attributed to wood construction. Based on damage observed in recent earthquakes, the seismic vulnerability of existing wood buildings under maximum credible seismic events is uncertain. The main objective of this study is to quantify the seismic collapse fragilities and collapse mechanisms of a two‐story townhouse and three‐story woodframe apartment building through numerical analyses. Three construction quality variants (poor, typical and superior) were considered for each building in order to assess the effects of construction qualities on seismic collapse fragilities. The buildings were also re‐designed according to the 2006 edition of the International Building Code to quantify the seismic fragilities of modern woodframe construction. The results obtained suggest that the construction quality, excitation direction and wall finish materials can influence significantly the collapse fragilities of woodframe buildings. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A multi-isotope (δD, δO,Sr/Sr,and δB) approach for identifying saltwater intrusion and resolving groundwater evolution along the Western Caprock Escarpment of the Southern High Plains,New Mexico

Declining water levels in arid and semi-arid regions increase an aquifer’s vulnerability to natural and anthropogenic influences. A multi-isotope (δD, δ¹⁸O, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, and δ¹¹B) approach was used to resolve the geochemical evolution of groundwater in a declining aquifer in a semi-arid region of the southwestern USA as groundwater composition reacts to source-water mixing, cross-formational flow including saltwater intrusion, water–rock interaction, and likely agricultural recharge. Sub-aquifers or local flow systems are present in the Southern High Plains aquifer along the Western Caprock Escarpment in New Mexico, and the study site’s local flow system contains a Na–Cl, high dissolved-solids groundwater that flows from the escarpment until it mixes with a high quality regional aquifer or regional flow system. The local flow system contains water that is similar in composition to the underlying, upper Dockum Group aquifer. Saltwater found in the upper Dockum Group aquifer likely originates in the adjacent Pecos River Basin and crosses beneath or possibly through the hydrologic divide of the Western Caprock Escarpment. Strontium concentrations of 0.9–31 mg/L and a ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr range of 0.70845–0.70906 were sufficient to estimate source-water fractions, mixing patterns, and contributions from chemical weathering through mass balance inverse calculations. Boron concentrations (59–1740 mg/L) and δ¹¹B values (+6.0–+46.0‰) were used to confirm source-water mixing, further evaluate water–rock interaction, and examine the influence of possible agricultural recharge. Alteration of B concentrations and δ¹¹B values in an area of likely agricultural recharge indicated the loss of B and decrease in δ¹¹B values likely from plant uptake, adsorption, and weathering contributions in the soil/vadose zone prior to recharge. The effectiveness of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ¹¹B for resolving the geochemical influences in groundwater in the Southern High Plains along the Western Caprock Escarpment allowed for the reinterpretation of the isotopic composition of water that has been shown to be highly variable in the Southern High Plains. This study shows the utility of a multi-isotope approach for resolving the geochemical evolution of groundwater in an aquifer that has a complex relationship with underlying aquifers and the applicability of these isotopes as indicators of the alteration of source waters from natural or anthropogenic influences.     

Consistent floor response spectra for performance-based seismic design of nonstructural elements

The achievement of adequate performance objectives for buildings under increasing seismic intensities is not only related to the performance of structural members but also to the behavior of nonstructural elements. The need to properly design nonstructural elements for earthquakes has been largely demonstrated in the last few years and has become an important objective within the earthquake engineering community. A crucial aspect in the proper design of nonstructural elements is the definition of the seismic demand in terms of both absolute acceleration and relative displacement floor response spectra. In the first part of this study, relative displacement and absolute acceleration floor response spectra were computed for four reinforced concrete moment-resisting archetype frames via dynamic time-history analyses and were compared with floor response spectra predicted by means of two recent simplified methodologies available in the literature. It was observed that one of the existing methodologies is generally unable to predict consistent absolute acceleration and relative displacement floor response spectra. An improved procedure is developed for estimating consistent floor response spectra for building structures subjected to low and medium-high seismic intensities. This new procedure improves the predictions of a relative displacement floor response spectrum by constraining its ordinates at long nonstructural periods to the expected peak absolute displacement of the floor. The resulting acceleration and relative displacement response spectra are then consistently related by the well-known pseudo-spectral relationship over the entire nonstructural period range. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology was appraised against floor response spectra computed from nonlinear time-history analyses.     

Filter-Based Classification of Training Image Patterns for Spatial Simulation

Multiple-point simulation, as opposed to simulation one point at a time, operates at the pattern level using a priori structural information. To reduce the dimensionality of the space of patterns we propose a multi-point filtersim algorithm that classifies structural patterns using selected filter statistics. The pattern filter statistics are specific linear combinations of pattern pixel values that represent directional mean, gradient, and curvature properties. Simulation proceeds by sampling from pattern classes selected by conditioning data.     

Late Quaternary polycystine radiolarian datum events in the Sea of Okhotsk

Five radiolarian datum events have been recorded in the Late Quaternary sediment section from the Sea of Okhotsk, using age assignments based on oxygen-isotope stratigraphy: the last occurrence datum (LOD) of Stylacontarium acquilonium (at about 329 ka), the LOD of Spongodiscus sp. (at about 287 ka), the LOD of Amphimelissa setosa (at about 72 ka), the LOD of Lychnocanoma nipponica sakaii (at about 28 ka), and the L. nipponica sakaii acme event (at about 72 ka). The LODs of S. acquilonium, Spongodiscus sp. and A. setosa appear to be synchronous in comparison with those in the Subarctic North Pacific, but the LOD and the acme event of L. nipponica sakaii show an apparent diachroneity with the corresponding North Pacific events.     

A novel experimental procedure to investigate the biodegradation of NAPL under unsaturated conditions

Soils need to be thoroughly investigated regarding their potential for the natural attenuation of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL). Laboratory investigations truly representative of degradation processes in field conditions are difficult to implement for porous media partially saturated with water, NAPL and air. We propose an innovative protocol to investigate degradation processes under steady-state vadose zone conditions. Experiments are carried out in glass columns filled with a sand and, as bacteria source, a soil from a diesel-fuel-polluted site. Water and NAPL (n-hexadecane diluted in heptamethylnonane (HMN)) are added to the porous medium in a two-step procedure using ceramic membranes placed at the bottom of the column. This procedure results, for appropriate experimental conditions, in a uniform distribution of the two fluids (water and NAPL) throughout the column. In a biodegradation experiment non-biodegradable HMN is used to provide NAPL mass, while keeping biodegradable n-hexadecane small enough to monitor its rapid degradation. Biodegradation is followed as a function of time by measuring oxygen consumption, using a respirometer. Degradative activity is controlled by diffusive transfers in the porous network, of oxygen from the gas phase to the water phase and of n-hexadecane from the NAPL phase to the water phase.     

Cassini observations of Saturn's inner plasmasphere: Saturn orbit insertion results

We present new and definitive results of Cassini plasma spectrometer (CAPS) data acquired during passage through Saturn's inner plasmasphere by the Cassini spacecraft during the approach phase of the Saturn orbit insertion period. This analysis extends the original analysis of Sittler et al. [2005. Preliminary results on Saturn's inner plasmasphere as observed by Cassini: comparison with Voyager. Geophys. Res. Lett. 32, L14S07, doi:10.1029/2005GL022653] to L∼10 along with also providing a more comprehensive study of the interrelationship of the various fluid parameters. Coincidence data are sub-divided into protons and water group ions. Our revised analysis uses an improved convergence algorithm which provides a more definitive and independent estimate of the spacecraft potential Φ_SC for which we enforce the protons and water group ions to co-move with each other. This has allowed us to include spacecraft charging corrections to our fluid parameter estimations and allow accurate estimations of fluctuations in the fluid parameters for future correlative studies. In the appendix we describe the ion moments algorithm, and minor corrections introduced by not weighting the moments with sinθ term in Sittler et al. [2005] (Correction offset by revisions to instruments geometric factor). Estimates of the spacecraft potential and revised proton densities are presented. Our total ion densities are in close agreement with the electron densities reported by Moncuquet et al. [2005. Quasi-thermal noise spectroscopy in the inner magnetosphere of Saturn with Cassini/RPWS: electron temperatures and density. Geophys. Res. Lett. 32, L20S02, doi:10.1029/2005GL022508] who used upper hybrid resonance (UHR) emission lines observed by the radio and plasma wave science (RPWS) instrument. We show a positive correlation between proton temperature and water group ion temperature. The proton and thermal electron temperatures track each with both having a positive radial gradient. These results are consistent with pickup ion energization via Saturn's rotational electric field. We see evidence for an anti-correlation between radial flow velocity V_R and azimuthal velocity V_φ, which is consistent with the magnetosphere tending to conserve angular momentum. Evidence for MHD waves is also present. We show clear evidence for outward transport of the plasma via flux tube interchange motions with the radial velocity of the flow showing positive radial gradient with functional dependence for 4<L<10 (i.e., if we assume to be diffusive transport then D_LL∼D₀L¹¹ for fixed stochastic time step δt). Previous models with centrifugal transport have used D_LL∼D₀L³ dependence. The radial transport seems to begin at Enceladus’ L shell, L∼4, where we also see a minimum in the W⁺ ion temperature . For the first time, we are measuring the actual flux tube interchange motions in the magnetosphere and how it varies with radial distance. These observations can be used as a constraint with regard to future transport models for Saturn's magnetosphere. Finally, we evaluate the thermodynamic properties of the plasma, which are all consistent with the pickup process being the dominant energy source for the plasma.     

A strategy for frequency spectra of quaternary climate records

The paleoclimatic variability at frequencies ranging from 10^–4 cycle per year (cpy) to 10^–5 cpy is investigated using a set of four deep-sea cores from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Dominant features are the presence of orbital frequencies corresponding to mean periods of 117.7, 43.6, 24.9 and 19.3 kyr. These are statistically significant according to such advanced spectral tools as Blackman-Tukey, maximum entropy and the highly efficient Thomson technique. However, the main purpose of this paper is methodological, describing the statistical analyses of time series with modern methods in order to stress their relative power, advantages and disadvantages. The more advanced statistical methods confirm the coincidence of the dominant periods in the deep sea cores and those in the astronomical elements, including combination tones. Three frequency bands of high paleoclimatic variability centred at 15.4, 13 and 10.8 kyr are indeed also detected. These two last periods are very close to those predicted by the climatic non-linear model of Ghil and Le Treut and found by Pestiaux et al. and Yiou et al.