Fragility function development and seismic loss assessment of expansion joints

Expansion joints are used as a special connection equipment between adjacent buildings to accommodate the relative motions generated by wind, thermal, or earthquake loads, but they often exhibit damage during severe earthquakes. The level of damage and safety factors required to avoid loss of function are not well considered in current design practices. The objective of this paper is to provide quantitative information on the seismic damage probability of common expansion joints and the associated repair costs. The designer and engineer can refer to this information as a basis for decision making in the selection of expansion joints. Four common types of expansion joints are considered: high- and standard-performance floor and wall expansion joints, whose damage states have been evaluated recently by the authors through shaking table tests. First, the fragility functions of expansion joints for seven damage patterns are developed utilizing the test results. Next, the vulnerability of expansion joints installed between adjacent building models is assessed via incremental dynamic analysis. The recommended level of safety factor to ensure the function of expansion joints is discussed. Finally, a procedure for cost-effective selection of expansion joints is introduced, where case studies are examined using buildings with different characteristics. The presented results are deemed to be beneficial for improving the design practice of expansion joints and for reducing future seismic loss.     

Application of an earthquake early warning system and a real-time strong motion monitoring system in emergency response in a high-rise building

We apply a combination of earthquake early warning system (EEWS) and real-time strong motion monitoring system (RSMS) to emergency response for a high-rise building; The Kogakuin University has a 29-story high-rise building in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. The proposed strategy is based on the Plan, Do, Check, Action (PDCA) Cycle to brush up the systems and the users: in the “Plan” stage, we apply EEWS and RSMS to the building, where EEWS predicts not only short-period strong ground motions but also long-period ground motions [1]. The system is built into a building announcement system, an emergency elevator control system, and an email message system, which quickly send emails to the emergency response team. Meanwhile, RSMS provides information on seismic intensities at each floor of the building via the web browser in real time using the existing network in the building. In addition, the building response and structural damage can be estimated based on this information. The network system is impervious to the earthquake damage, because the network cable has extra length, there is, however, possible that a network system does not work due to power outage. Thus, we develop the network system that has uninterruptible power-supply system (UPS) and apply it to EEWS and RSMS. The high-rise building has the emergency call units to the security control center in the building on every floor. The emergency call line, however, will be busy promptly, because it is able to use only one line. Therefore, we installed IP telephone which uses the network system on main floors. UPS will work about 30 min after a major earthquake, it is supposed to be enough time for gathering the damage information about the building during initial response. In the “Do” stage, we prepare emergency response instruction manuals and educate the faculty members and students to carry out promptly emergency response. In the “Check” stage, the validity of the proposed systems are verified by carrying out an earthquake drill in an actual high-rise building. The earthquake drill confirmed that our proposed approach is valid. In the final “Action” stage, we improve these systems and emergency response manual and educate people in the building how to use effectively these systems.     

The impact of non-Gaussian errors on weak lensing surveys

The weak lensing power spectrum carries cosmological information via its dependence on the growth of structure and on geometric factors. Since much of the cosmological information comes from scales affected by non-linear clustering, measurements of the lensing power spectrum can be degraded by non-Gaussian covariances. Recently, there have been conflicting studies about the level of this degradation. We use the halo model to estimate it and include new contributions related to the finite size of lensing surveys, following Rimes and Hamilton's study of three-dimensional simulations. We find that non-Gaussian correlations between different multipoles can degrade the cumulative signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) for the power spectrum amplitude by up to a factor of 2 (or 5 for a worst-case model that exceeds current N -body simulation predictions). However, using an eight-parameter Fisher analysis, we find that the marginalized errors on individual parameters are degraded by less than 10 per cent (or 20 per cent for the worst-case model). The smaller degradation in parameter accuracy is primarily because: individual parameters in a high-dimensional parameter space are degraded much less than the volume of the full Fisher ellipsoid; lensing involves projections along the line of sight, which reduce the non-Gaussian effect; some of the cosmological information comes from geometric factors which are not degraded at all. We contrast our findings with those of Lee and Pen who suggested a much larger degradation in information content. Finally, our results give a useful guide for exploring survey design by giving the cosmological information returns for varying survey area, depth and the level of some systematic errors.     

Contraction and Fragmentation of Magnetized Rotating Clouds and Formation of Binary Systems

Using three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) nested-grid simulations, the fragmentation of a rotating magnetized molecular cloud core is studied. An isothermal rotating magnetized cylindrical cloud in hydrostatic balance is considered. We studied non-axisymmetric evolution of the cloud. It is found that non-axisymmetry hardly evolves in the early phase, but it begins to grow after the gas contracts and forms a thin disk. The disk formation and thus growth of non-axisymmetric perturbation are strongly promoted by rotation and magnetic field strength. We found two types of fragmentations: fragmentation from a ring and that from a bar. These two types of fragmentations occur in thin adiabatic cores with the thickness being smaller than 1/4 of the radial size. For the fragments to survive, they should be formed in a heavily elongated barred core or a flat round disk. In the models showing fragmentation, outflows from respective fragments are found as well as that driven by the rotating bar or the disk.     

Accretion of terrestrial planets from oligarchs in a turbulent disk

We have investigated the final accretion stage of terrestrial planets from Mars-mass protoplanets that formed through oligarchic growth in a disk comparable to the minimum mass solar nebula (MMSN), through N-body simulation including random torques exerted by disk turbulence due to Magneto-Rotational Instability. For the torques, we used the semi-analytical formula developed by Laughlin et al. [Laughlin, G., Steinacker, A., Adams, F.C., 2004. Astrophys. J. 608, 489-496]. The damping of orbital eccentricities (in all runs) and type-I migration (in some runs) due to the tidal interactions with disk gas is also included. Without any effect of disk gas, Earth-mass planets are formed in terrestrial planet regions in a disk comparable to MMSN but with too large orbital eccentricities to be consistent with the present eccentricities of Earth and Venus in our Solar System. With the eccentricity damping caused by the tidal interaction with a remnant gas disk, Earth-mass planets with eccentricities consistent with those of Earth and Venus are formed in a limited range of disk gas surface density (∼10⁻⁴ times MMSN). However, in this case, on average, too many (?6) planets remain in terrestrial planet regions, because the damping leads to isolation between the planets. We have carried out a series of N-body simulations including the random torques with different disk surface density and strength of turbulence. We found that the orbital eccentricities pumped up by the turbulent torques and associated random walks in semimajor axes tend to delay isolation of planets, resulting in more coagulation of planets. The eccentricities are still damped after planets become isolated. As a result, the number of final planets decreases with increase in strength of the turbulence, while Earth-mass planets with small eccentricities are still formed. In the case of relatively strong turbulence, the number of final planets are 4-5 at 0.5-2 AU, which is more consistent with Solar System, for relatively wide range of disk gas surface density (∼¹⁰⁻⁴-¹⁰⁻² times MMSN).     

Collapse and fragmentation of rotating magnetized clouds – II. Binary formation and fragmentation of first cores

Subsequent to Paper I, the evolution and fragmentation of a rotating magnetized cloud are studied with use of three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic nested grid simulations. After the isothermal runaway collapse, an adiabatic gas forms a protostellar first core at the centre of the cloud. When the isothermal gas is stable for fragmentation in a contracting disc, the adiabatic core often breaks into several fragments. Conditions for fragmentation and binary formation are studied. All the cores which show fragmentation are geometrically thin, as the diameter-to-thickness ratio is larger than 3. Two patterns of fragmentation are found. (1) When a thin disc is supported by centrifugal force, the disc fragments into a ring configuration (ring fragmentation). This is realized in a rapidly rotating adiabatic core as  Ω > 0.2τ⁻¹_ff  , where Ω and  τ_ff  represent the angular rotation speed and the free-fall time of the core, respectively. (2) On the other hand, the disc is deformed to an elongated bar in the isothermal stage for a strongly magnetized or rapidly rotating cloud. The bar breaks into 2–4 fragments (bar fragmentation). Even if a disc is thin, the disc dominated by the magnetic force or thermal pressure is stable and forms a single compact body. In either ring or bar fragmentation mode, the fragments contract and a pair of outflows is ejected from the vicinities of the compact cores. The orbital angular momentum is larger than the spin angular momentum in the ring fragmentation. On the other hand, fragments often quickly merge in the bar fragmentation, since the orbital angular momentum is smaller than the spin angular momentum in this case. Comparison with observations is also shown.     

Decoupling algorithm for evaluating multiple beam damages in steel moment‐resisting frames

Post‐earthquake safety evaluation of steel moment‐resisting frames mainly relies on the inspection of seismic damage to beam–column connections. Recently, in order to evaluate seismic damage of steel connections in a prompt and precise manner, a local damage evaluation method based on dynamic strain responses has been proposed and receives attention. In the evaluation method where strain responses are measured by piezoelectric strain sensors, a strain‐based damage index has been developed for evaluating individual seismic beam damage in a steel frame. However, for a steel frame suffering multiple beam damages, the damage index deteriorates its performance in identifying small damages with the presence of neighboring severe damages because of the moment redistributions induced by larger damages. This paper presents a decoupling algorithm that removes the issue of damage interaction and improves the performance of the damage index. The decoupling algorithm was derived on the basis of damage‐induced moment release and redistribution mechanism. The effectiveness of the decoupling algorithm was numerically and experimentally investigated using a nine‐story steel frame model and a large scale five‐story steel frame testbed that can simulate multiple fractures at beam ends. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Plio–Pleistocene Hydrothermal Activity Related to Gold Mineralization in the Seta Area, Northeastern Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract: Plio–Pleistocene hydrothermal activity resulted in high grade low sulfidation epithermal gold mineralization in the Seta area, the southern end of the Monbetsu-Kamishihoro Graben of northeastern Hokkaido, Japan. Hydrothermal activity and accompanying hydrothermal eruptions began at approximately 2 Ma along NNW-SSE trending faults, the Tohbu-ko fault I and II. This activity resulted in two main zones of gold mineralization, the west quartz-adularia veins(QAV) and east stock-work zone(STZ), formed between 1. 8 and 1. 2 Ma. A smectite-chlorite alteration zone is observed at deeper levels, while kaolinite and kaolinite-smectite zones occur at shallower levels with an acid-leached zone present near the surface. The kaoli-nite and kaolinite-smectite zones are also distributed along faults and the STZ, to depths of several hundred meters. δ³⁴S values of pyrite and alunite from the kaolinite and silicified zones indicate alunite formed by the oxidation of sulfide, either H₂S(vapor) or mineral.
Formation of the STZ and the southern part of the QAV took place during lacustrine sedimentation, while formation of the northern part of the QAV took place after eruption of andesitic lava; the latter being associated with widespread alteration formed under neutral-pH conditions. δ¹⁸O values of quartz veins and silicified rocks indicate that the paleo-hydrothermal waters have a large meteoric component, increasing with decreasing depth in the STZ. Acid hydrothermal waters, resulting from near surface oxidation of H₂S were responsible for acid-leaching and kaolinization of surrounding rocks. Between 1. 4 and 0. 3 Ma, the acid hot waters drained back along the STZ to depths of at least 500m, as a result of a fall in the paleo-water table level.     

Laboratory measurement of P-wave velocity in crustal and upper mantle xenoliths from Ichino-megata, NE Japan: ultrabasic hydrous lower crust beneath the NE Honshu arc

Ultrasonic laboratory measurements of P-wave velocity (Vp) were carried out up to 1.0 GPa in a temperature range of 25–400 °C for crustal and mantle xenoliths of Ichino-megata, northeast Japan. The rocks used in the present study cover a nearly entire range of lithological variation of the Ichino-megata xenoliths and are considered as representative rock samples of the lower crust and upper mantle of the back arc side of the northeast (NE) Honshu arc. The Vp values measured at 25 °C and 1.0 GPa are 6.7–7.2 km/s for the hornblende gabbros (38.6–46.9 wt.% SiO₂), 7.2 km/s for the hornblende-pyroxene gabbro (43.8 wt.% SiO₂), 6.9–7.3 km/s for the amphibolites (36.1–44.3 wt.% SiO₂), 8.0–8.1 km/s for the spinel lherzolites (46.2–47.2 wt.% SiO₂) and 6.30 km/s for the biotite granite (72.1 wt.% SiO₂). Combining the present data with the Vp profile of the NE Honshu arc [Iwasaki, T., Kato, W., Moriya, T., Hasemi, A., Umino, N., Okada, T., Miyashita, K., Mizogami, T., Takeda, T., Sekine, S., Matsushima, T., Tashiro, K., Miyamachi, H. 2001. Extensional structure in northern Honshu Arc as inferred from seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection profiling. Geophys. Res. Lett. 28 (12), 2329–2332], we infer that the 15 km thick lower crust of the NE Honshu arc is composed of amphibolite and/or hornblende (±pyroxene) gabbro with ultrabasic composition. The present study suggests that the Vp range of the lower crustal layer (6.6–7.0 km/s) in the NE Honshu arc, which is significantly lower than that obtained from various seismic measurements (e.g. the northern Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc: 7.1–7.3 km/s), is due to the thick hydrous lower crustal layer where hornblende, plagioclase and magnetite are dominant.