Seismic performance of R/C frames with overstrength discontinuities in elevation

The paper presents the results of a research study concerning the seismic response and design of r/c frames with overstrength discontinuities in elevation. The discontinuities are obtained assigning overstrengths either to the beams or to the columns of a “regular frame” (assumed as reference). Two “regular frames” are designed: one according to the Eurocode 8 (EC8) medium ductility class (DCM) rules and the other one according to the EC8 high ductility class (DCH) rules. For all frames the criteria of vertical strength irregularity of many international seismic codes are applied. Non linear static and dynamic analyses are performed; mechanical non linearity is concentrated at the element ends. These analyses are carried out according to EC8 provisions: for non linear static analysis the N2 method is applied; in the case of non linear time-history analyses, seven real earthquakes, selected in order to fit on average the elastic design spectrum, are used as input. The seismic response of frames characterised by the assigned overstrength is not very different with respect to the “regular frame” one; furthermore all the frames satisfy the Ultimate Limit State, verified by the application of non linear static and dynamic analyses. This demonstrates that the sensitivity of frames, designed according to EC8 medium and high ductility classes, to overstrength vertical variations is low. Consequently, international code provisions on vertical strength regularity should be reviewed.     

Seismic demand on light acceleration‐sensitive nonstructural components in European reinforced concrete buildings

In this paper, a parametric study is conducted in order to evaluate the seismic demand on light acceleration‐sensitive nonstructural components caused by frequent earthquakes. The study is motivated by the inconsistent approach of current building codes to the design of nonstructural components; the extensive nonstructural damage recorded after recent low‐intensity earthquakes also encouraged such a study. A set of reinforced concrete frame structures with different number of stories, that is, 1 to 10 stories, are selected and designed according to Eurocode 8. The structures are subjected to a set of frequent earthquakes, that is, 63% probability of exceedance in 50 years. Dynamic nonlinear analyses are performed on the reference structures in order to assess the accuracy of the equations to predict seismic forces acting on nonstructural components and systems in Eurocode. It is concluded that the Eurocode equations underestimate the acceleration demand on nonstructural components for a wide range of periods, especially in the vicinity of the higher mode periods of vibration of the reference structures; for periods sufficiently larger than the fundamental period of the structure, instead, the Eurocode formulation gives a good approximation of the floor spectra. Finally, a novel formulation is proposed for an easy implementation in future building codes based on the actual Eurocode provisions. The proposed formulation gives a good estimation of the floor spectral accelerations and is able to envelope the floor spectral peaks owing to the higher modes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Definition and performance of a threshold-based regional early warning model for rainfall-induced landslides

A process chain for the definition and the performance assessment of an operational regional warning model for rainfall-induced landslides, based on rainfall thresholds, is proposed and tested in a landslide-prone area in the Campania region, southern Italy. A database of 96 shallow landslides triggered by rainfall in the period 2003–2010 and rainfall data gathered from 58 rain gauges are used. First, a set of rainfall threshold equations are defined applying a well-known frequentist method to all the reconstructed rainfall conditions responsible for the documented landslides in the area of analysis. Several thresholds at different exceedance probabilities (percentiles) are evaluated, and nine different percentile combinations are selected for the activation of three warning levels. Subsequently, for each combination, the issuing of warning levels is computed by comparing, over time, the measured rainfall with the pre-defined warning level thresholds. Finally, the optimal percentile combination to be employed in the regional early warning system, i.e. the one providing the best model performance in terms of success and error indicators, is selected employing the “event, duration matrix, performance” (EDuMaP) method.     

High spatial resolution monitoring of benzene and toluene in the Urban Area of Taranto (Italy)

Atmospheric concentrations of benzene and toluene were assessed during three different seasons in the city of Taranto, using Radiello® diffusive samplers, in order to detect the most critical areas and to point out the sources contributing to pollution (vehicular traffic or industrial activities). High spatial resolution maps were built using a grid of 30 meshes drawn on the urban area of the city. For each mesh a monitoring site as representative as possible was chosen. Besides, in order to describe the highest levels of pollutants to which people is exposed, other 10 sampling sites were detected near high vehicular traffic crossroads or in particular critical zones of the city. The measurements of the concentration of these pollutants were carried out with Radiello® diffusive samplers for thermal desorption. The analysis of the results and the comparison between the map of vehicular traffic flows and the map of the concentrations of benzene suggested that in urban area the main benzene source is the traffic and the most significant pollution phenomena happens in zones characterized by narrow roads. Moreover it was possible to observe that high concentrations of benzene found in the NE zone of Taranto could be assigned to the industrial activities. This hypothesis was confirmed considering the diagnostic ratio between the toluene and benzene concentrations.     

Short-term geomorphological evolution of the Poggio Baldi landslide upper scarp via 3D change detection

On 19 March 2010, a 4 million m³ landslide occurred at Poggio Baldi, a small village in the Santa Sofia municipality, central Apennines (Forlì-Cesena, Italy). The landslide caused severe damages to some homes and obstructed both the SS310 national road and the Bidente river. The Poggio Baldi landslide arose in the “Marnoso-Arenacea Romagnola” formation composed of a pelitic-arenaceous turbiditic sequence. The landslide was classified as a rotational landslide, evolving into a partially confined flow-like landslide and causing the reactivation of the deposit of a previous landslide that took place in 1914. This paper reports a study of the phenomena currently occurring on the 100-m high main scarp of this landslide complex. The aim of the study was to assess ground changes that occurred on the upper scarp from 2015 to 2018 and to infer a preliminary evolutionary model capable of supporting short-term landslide scenarios. For this purpose, multi-station terrestrial laser scanner surveys were performed in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Additionally, an unmanned aerial vehicle three-dimensional photogrammetric survey was carried out in 2016. Analyses of the three-dimensional digital models of the main scarp made it possible to carry out several exhaustive multi-temporal investigations and to derive a detailed three-dimensional change detection scheme for it. The results showed an active geomorphological evolution of the rock scarp area due to frequent rockfalls and topples (of the order of a few m³), with significant local volume changes (a few thousand m³/year) and with potential implications for the long-term evolution of the entire slope.

     

Shake table tests on standard and innovative temporary partition walls

Shake table tests are performed on temporary internal partitions for office buildings. Four different specimens are tested. A steel frame is designed to exhibit relative displacements which typically occur at a given story of ordinary buildings. Four different partition walls are tested simultaneously for each specimen typology. This allows investigating the influence of an innovative device on the seismic performance of the tested components. The innovative device avoids the unhooking of the panels from the supporting studs. Several shake table tests are performed subjecting the specimens to interstory drift ratios up to 1.57%. Both the hysteretic curves and the natural frequency trend highlight that the partitions do not contribute to the lateral stiffness of the test setup. The damping ratio increases after the partition walls are installed within the test frame, causing a beneficial effect in the dynamic response. Minor damage state occurs for interstory drift ratio (IDR) in the range 0.41–0.65% in standard specimens, whereas moderate and major damage states are attained for IDR in the range 0.51–0.95%. Significant increase of collapse IDR is recorded with the introduction of the innovative device, up to IDR larger than 1.45%. It can be therefore concluded that a simple innovative device is defined, which significantly improves the seismic performance of the tested specimen. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trends of Minimum and Maximum Daily Temperatures in Italy from 1865 to 1996

Summary Annual and seasonal changes in maximum and minimum temperatures (Tmax and Tmin) and in daily temperature range (DTR) in Italy are investigated. Monthly average series for northern and southern Italy are analysed for evidence of trend. Tmax and Tmin show a positive trend over the period 1865–1996 which is greater in southern Italy than in northern Italy. DTR shows a positive trend, but greater in the North than in the South. There is a positive correlation between DTR and mean monthly temperature especially in spring and in summer, while there is a high significant negative correlation between DTR and monthly precipitation. Analysis of temperature, precipitation and DTR during the period 1865–1996 suggests that a general relationship between the very warm last 15–20 years and an increase in the frequency of sub-tropical anticyclones over the Central-Western Mediterranean. This relationship is based on the hypothesis that in Italy more frequent sub-tropical anticyclones could have been the most characteristic feature of the warm periods during the last 130 years. Received June 4, 1999 Revised November 2, 1999     

Radio haloes from simulations and hadronic models – I. The Coma cluster

We use the results from a constrained, cosmological magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the Local Universe to predict the radio halo and the γ-ray flux from the Coma cluster and compare it to current observations. The simulated magnetic field within the Coma cluster is the result of turbulent amplification of the magnetic field during the build-up of the cluster. The magnetic seed field originates from starburst driven, galactic outflows. The synchrotron emission is calculated assuming a hadronic model. We follow four approaches with different distributions for the cosmic ray proton population within galaxy clusters. The radial profile of the radio halo can only be reproduced with a radially increasing energy fraction within the cosmic ray proton population, reaching >100 per cent of the thermal-energy content at ≈1 Mpc, for example the edge of the radio-emitting region. Additionally, the spectral steepening of the observed radio halo in Coma cannot be reproduced, even when accounting for the negative flux from the thermal Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect at high frequencies. Therefore, the hadronic models are disfavoured from the present analysis. The emission of γ-rays expected from our simulated Coma is still below the current observational limits (by a factor of ∼6) but would be detectable by FERMI observations in the near future.