Ground-motion models for average spectral acceleration in a period range: direct and indirect methods

Average spectral acceleration, AvgSA, is defined as the geometric mean of spectral acceleration values over a range of periods and it is a ground motion intensity measure used for structural response prediction. One of its advantages stands on the assumption that its distribution is computable from the available GMPEs for spectral acceleration, GMPE-SA, (called here indirect method) without the need for deriving new specific GMPEs for AvgSA, GMPE-AvgSA, (called here direct method). To what extent this assumption is valid, however, has never been verified. As such, we derived an empirical GMPE-AvgSA based on RESORCE ground motion dataset and we compared its predicted values with those from a GMPE-SA via the indirect approach. As expected, the results show that the indirect approach yields median AvgSA estimates that are identical to those of the direct approach. However, the estimates of AvgSA variance of the two methods are identical only if both the GMPE-SA and their empirical correlation coefficients among different SA ordinates are derived from the same record dataset.     

Pulse-like versus non-pulse-like ground motion records: Spectral shape comparisons and record selection strategies

Pulse-like records are well recognized for their potential to impose higher demands on structures when compared with ordinary records. The increased severity of the structural response usually caused by pulse-like records is commonly attributed to the spectral increment around the pulse period. By comparing the building response to sets of spectrally equivalent pulse-like and ordinary records, we show that there are characteristics of pulse-like records beyond the shape of the acceleration response spectrum that affect the results of nonlinear dynamic analysis. Nevertheless, spectral shape together with the ratio of pulse period to the first-mode structural period, T_p/T₁, are confirmed as “sufficient” predictors for deformation and acceleration response metrics in a building, conditioned on the seismic intensity. Furthermore, the average spectral acceleration over a period range, AvgSA, is shown to incorporate to a good proxy for spectral shape, and together with T_p/T₁, form an efficient and sufficient intensity measure for response prediction to pulse-like ground motions. Following this latter route, we propose a record selection scheme that maintains the consistency of T_p with the hazard of the site but uses AvgSA to account for the response sensitivity to spectral shape.     

The effect of magnetic field morphology on the structure of massive IRDC clumps

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) have dense elongated clumps and filaments with the favorable viewing condition of being on the near-side of a bright mid-infrared background. The clumps usually have multiple cores around the center. In this work, we study the effect of magnetic field morphology on the structure of massive IRDC clumps. To achieve this goal, we consider an axisymmetric isothermal oblate IRDC clump, embedded into a constant external magnetic field. We assume a polynomial function for the magnetic field morphology inside the clump. We use the numerical iterative methods to solve the equations: the successive over-relaxation method to find the magnetic and gravitational fluxes, and then the biconjugate gradient method to find the optimized values of mass and current densities. The results show that the IRDC clump will be very elongated along the perpendicular direction of the external magnetic field lines. Also, the assumption of choosing of a polynomial function for the magnetic field morphology leads to the formation of dense regions around the center. The greater the density of the central region, the larger the density of these dense regions and the closer to the center. The presence of these dense regions can lead to the formation of cores at these points.     

Earthquake risk–sensitive model for urban land use planning

Natural Hazards - Analysis of the run-out of landslides is essential and vital for disaster mitigation. However, accurate run-out analysis is difficult because of the uncertainty of earthquake...     

Gravitational collapse of polytropic, magnetized, filamentary clouds

For the case in which the gas of a magnetized filamentary cloud obeys a polytropic equation of state, gravitational collapse of the cloud is studied using a simplified model. We concentrate on the radial distribution and restrict ourselves to a purely toroidal magnetic field. If the axial motions and poloidal magnetic fields are sufficiently weak, we could reasonably expect our solutions to be a good approximation. We show that while the filament experiences gravitational condensation and the density at the centre increases, the toroidal flux-to-mass ratio remains constant. A series of spatial profiles of density, velocity and magnetic field for several values of the toroidal flux-to-mass ratio and the polytropic index, is obtained numerically and discussed.     

Geometry and kinematics of the Mosha Fault, south central Alborz Range, Iran: An example of basement involved thrusting

Field investigation of the western part of the Mosha Fault in several structural sections in the south central Alborz Range showed that the fault has a high angle of dip to the north, and emplaces Precambrian to Cenozoic rocks over the Eocene Karaj Formation. Study of the kinematics of the Mosha Fault in this area, based on S–C fabric and microstructures, demonstrates that it is a deep-seated semi-ductile thrust. Strain analysis on rock samples from different sections across the Mosha Fault shows a flattening pattern of deformation in which the long axis of the strain ellipsoid is aligned in the fault shear sense. The Mosha Fault is associated with a large hanging-wall anticline, cored by Precambrian rocks, and series of footwall synclines, formed of late Tertiary rocks. This geometry, together with several low angle short-cut thrusts in the fault footwall, implies that the Mosha Fault is an inverted normal fault which has been reactivated since the late Tertiary. In the study area, the reverse fault mechanism was associated with the rapid uplift and igneous activity in the central Alborz Range during the late Tertiary, unlike in the eastern portion of the fault, where the fault kinematics was replaced by a strike-slip mechanism in the Late Miocene.     

Restoring groundwater levels after tunneling: a numerical simulation approach to tunnel sealing decision-making

Tunneling is often unpopular with local residents and environmentalists, and can cause aquifer damage. Tunnel sealing is sometimes used to avoid groundwater leakage into the tunnel, thereby mitigating the damage. Due to the high cost of sealing operations, a detailed hydrogeological investigation should be conducted as part of the tunneling project to determine the impact of sealing, and groundwater modeling is an accurate method that can aid decision-making. Groundwater-level drawdown induced by the construction of the Headrace water-conveyance tunnel in Sri Lanka dried up 456 wells. Due to resulting socio-environmental problems, tunnel sealing was decided as a remedy solution. However, due to the expectation of significant delays and high costs of sealing, and because the water pressure in the tunnel may prevent groundwater seepage into the tunnel during operation, there was another (counter) decision that the tunnel could remain unsealed. This paper describes groundwater modeling carried out using MODFLOW to determine which option—sealed or unsealed tunnel—is more effective in groundwater level recovery. The Horizontal Flow Barrier and River packages of MODFLOW were used to simulate sealed and unsealed tunnels, respectively. The simulation results showed that only through tunnel sealing can the groundwater level be raised to preexisting levels after 18 years throughout the study area. If the tunnel remains unsealed, about 1 million m³/year of water conveyed by the tunnel will seep into the aquifer, reducing the operational capacity of the tunnel as a transport scheme. In conclusion, partial tunnel sealing in high-impact sections is recommended.