Development of fragility functions as a damage classification/prediction method for steel moment‐resisting frames using a wavelet‐based damage sensitive feature

Fragility functions are commonly used in performance‐based earthquake engineering for predicting the damage state of a structure subjected to an earthquake. This process often involves estimating the structural damage as a function of structural response, such as the story drift ratio and the peak floor absolute acceleration. In this paper, a new framework is proposed to develop fragility functions to be used as a damage classification/prediction method for steel structures based on a wavelet‐based damage sensitive feature (DSF). DSFs are often used in structural health monitoring as an indicator of the damage state of the structure, and they are easily estimated from recorded structural responses. The proposed framework for damage classification of steel structures subjected to earthquakes is demonstrated and validated with a set of numerically simulated data for a four‐story steel moment‐resisting frame designed based on current seismic provisions. It is shown that the damage state of the frame is predicted with less variance using the fragility functions derived from the wavelet‐based DSF than it is with fragility functions derived from an alternate acceleration‐based measure, the spectral acceleration at the first mode period of the structure. Therefore, the fragility functions derived from the wavelet‐based DSF can be used as a probabilistic damage classification model in the field of structural health monitoring and an alternative damage prediction model in the field of performance‐based earthquake engineering. Copyright © 2011 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.     

Examining urban sprawl in Europe using spatial metrics

Urbanisation is a global phenomenon with an important impact on the quality of human life. Europe has been widely affected by urbanisation. One of the main characteristics of urban growth is sprawl, a negative form of urban expansion, which affects large cities and most types of urban landscapes. Spatial indicators are applied to CORINE Urban Morphological Zones (UMZ) changes in order to measure urban sprawl between 1990–2000 and 2000–2006 in 24 European countries. The indicators calculate urban morphological properties such as shape, aggregation, compactness and dispersion. The results revealed that the urban areas (UMZ) increased by 146% during 1990–2006 and the urbanisation becomes more circle-shaped and less complex where mostly sprawl occurs. Moreover, urban form becomes less clumped or aggregated. Therefore, due to accelerating rates of urban sprawl, European urban planning should intensify appropriate initiatives to avoid negative impacts on human life.     

Integrated GIS and remote sensing analysis for landfill sitting in Western Crete,Greece

The assessment of the optimum landfill sitting requires multiple environmental data organized in a proper and efficient way to be effectively processed. Geographical information systems define an ideal tool for handling vast amounts of such kind of information combining multiple heterogeneous spatiotemporal data. Additionally, archive satellite remote sensing images set an ancillary approach to effective environmental monitoring of land surface within the areas of already established landfills and their surroundings (e.g. for calculation of crucial parameters such as vegetation indices). In this study, 17 environmental and anthropogenic factors were used to identify the most suitable sites for optimum landfill sitting in the western part of the island of Crete-Greece. The method used for the evaluation of all different factors is the analytical hierarchy process enhanced with fuzzy logic techniques. The results were compared with the already established landfills (legal/controlled and illegal/non-controlled) in the area of Chania prefecture and the results demonstrated that 75 % of the already (legal or illegal) established landfills of the prefecture are situated in extremely inappropriate areas from environmental point of view.     

Shear wave velocity structure in western Thessaloniki (Greece) using mainly alternative SPAC method

The aim of the paper is the definition of the material parameters of sediments in the western part of Thessaloniki useful in the prediction of strong ground motion. The region of interest is elongated in the E–W direction and is confined between the Kalochori suburb and the harbor of Thessaloniki, while in the N–S direction it is extended between the coastline and the region of sediments and outcrop rock boundary. Many geological and seismotectonic studies, as well as geophysical surveys with electrical soundings and geotechnical boreholes, contribute to our understanding of the general sedimentary structure. Nonetheless, these studies could not provide any information regarding the material stiffness in terms of shear wave velocity; the most useful parameter in site response studies.     

A simplified approach for including the incidence angle effect in seismic risk assessment

A simplified procedure is developed to consider the azimuthal orientation of buildings when estimating seismic risk. Two square-plan reinforced concrete building models are considered as a testbed, one with similar and one with dissimilar properties along the two principal horizontal axes. The fragility of both structures is analysed using a set of ground motion records rotated to multiple incidence angles to develop orientation-dependent fragility functions. It has been observed that, re-orienting all records so that these structures have the same azimuth vis-à-vis the corresponding epicentre leads to significant differences compared to assuming random orientations. Additional results stemming from single-degree-of-freedom oscillators further confirm such findings, showing a dependence to the proximity to the faults and the level of dissimilarity in the principal horizontal axes of the structure. The end results point to a non-negligible bias in assessment studies when a structure's orientation with respect to governing rupture scenarios is not taken into account. It is shown that the median of fragility curves calculated for un-rotated incidence angles can be bias-corrected through shifted by an amount that depends on the azimuthal orientation and level of axes-dissimilarity of structures.     

Residual Terrain Modelling: The Harmonic Correction for Geoid Heights

Surveys in Geophysics - The harmonic correction (HC) is one of the key quantities when using residual terrain modelling (RTM) for high-frequency gravity field modelling. In the RTM technique,...     

The record of magma chamber processes in plagioclase phenocrysts at Thera Volcano,Aegean Volcanic Arc,Greece

Lavas and pyroclastic rocks throughout the volcanic stratigraphy of the Tertiary-Quaternary volcanic complex of Thera in the Aegean island arc display inhomogenous plagioclase populations and phenocryst resorption textures, interpreted as indicative of magma mixing. Plagioclase zoning characteristics studied by Nomarski and laser interferometry techniques establish three main categories of plagioclase: (i) inherited plagioclase (nucleated in endmember prior to initial mixing event) (ii) in situ plagioclase (nucleated in mixed or hybrid magma) and (iii) xenocrystic plagioclase. Nomarski contrast images and linearized compositional zoning profiles reveal striking differences between calcic and sodic plagioclases, depending on the composition of the lava in which they are hosted. These differences reflect the contrasting effects of changes in physical-chemical parameters in basic vis-a-vis more acidic melts during magma mixing and/or influx of new magma into the subvolcanic magma chamber, as well as the influence of magma chamber dynamics on plagioclase equilibration. Variations in bulk major and trace element abundances of Thera volcanic products reflect the dominant overprint of crystal fractionation, but decoupling between major and trace element fractionation models and variations in incompatible trace element distributions are all indicative of magma mixing processes, consistent with compositional and textural zoning in plagioclases.     

A new method of quantitative interpretation of SP anomalies produced by a polarized inclined sheet1

A new method is proposed for the quantitative interpretation of SP field data produced by a polarized ore body and simulated by an inclined sheet. The theoretical concept is based on the study of the amplitude Spectrum. It is shown that the SP amplitude Spectrum is not continuous at zero frequency; this leads to the dip angle determination of the inclined sheet. It is also shown that the SP amplitude spectrum is practically nullified at a characteristic amortization frequency that depends on the depth of the polarized body. The maximum amplitude Spectrum value of the SP gradient is used to estimate the depth to the bottom of the polarized body. Thus, the geometrical parameters h and H, the depths to the top and bottom, respectively, as well as the dip angle of the inclined sheet, can be satisfactorily determined. Some problems may arise in the determination of these parameters, affecting their accuracy, whenever unwanted frequency noise is present.     

Dynamic response and impact energy loss in controlled rocking members

Unbonded posttensioning anchors a rocking structural member to its foundation and produces its controlled rocking response when the member undergoes seismic action. Unlike rocking of free-standing bodies, little attention has been given to the dynamic behavior of these controlled rocking members. This paper utilizes experiments of concrete structural members with unbonded posttensioning, varying member geometries, and levels of initial posttensioning force to (a) characterize the associated impact energy loss and (b) improve modeling of controlled rocking motions. Experimental results show that impact energy loss in controlled rocking members can be captured accurately using the coefficient of restitution (r) approach of the modified simple rocking model (MSRM). Based on the MSRM, a controlled rocking model (CRM) is developed that additionally accounts for the variations in contact length at the member-to-foundation (rocking) interface. The CRM reproduces the experimental responses of controlled rocking members with good accuracy and is used to investigate controlled rocking motions under horizontal base excitations.