Hysteretic energy dissipation capacity and the cyclic to monotonic drift ratio for rectangular RC columns in flexure

Predictions of energy dissipation capacity and of the deterioration of deformation capacity due to cumulative damage have been made by means of a non‐parametric empirical approach, called the conditional average estimator method, using empirical data on rectangular reinforced concrete columns that failed in flexure. Five input parameters were used: axial load index, index related to confinement, shear span index, concrete compressive strength, and longitudinal reinforcement index. The energy capacity was expressed in three different normalized forms and the deterioration of deformation capacity was defined as the ratio of the cyclic to the monotonic ultimate drift. The longitudinal reinforcement index, the index related to confinement, and the axial load index are the most influential input parameters in the case of energy capacity, whereas the latter two indices exhibit the most significant influence in the case of the drift ratio. Energy capacity decreases with an increasing axial load index, whereas it increases with increasing longitudinal reinforcement and with better confinement. In the case of the shear span index, the trend is more complex. Normal concrete has a higher energy dissipation capacity than high‐strength concrete. Similar trends are observed for the drift ratio, with the exception of the influence of the axial load index, where the trend is opposite. The dispersion of the results is high. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of tidal currents on the asymmetry of tide-dominated ebb–tidal deltas

An idealized numerical model is developed to study the spatial asymmetry of ebb–tidal deltas under influence of large-scale alongshore tidal currents. It is shown that the asymmetry of the delta depends on the magnitude of the cross-shore and large scale alongshore tidal currents, their phase difference, and on the width of the inlet. Model results are compared with observations of ebb–tidal deltas of the tidal inlet systems of the Dutch Wadden Sea and with the ebb–tidal delta of the Eastern Scheldt, located in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. The modeled current and residual sediment transport patterns agree well with observed ones. The modeled asymmetry of the ebb–tidal delta also agree with observed ones. Furthermore, bottom patterns are consistent with those found with a previous version of the idealized model which focused on the modeling of symmetric ebb–tidal deltas. However, the model is not able to reproduce the observed ebb-dominated channel. The underlying physical processes are explained in terms of vorticity dynamics. The convergence of the mean vorticity flux generates mean vorticity and thereby residual circulation. An analysis shows there is competition between two contributions to the convergence of the mean vorticity flux. This competition explains the sensitivity of the results to the model parameters.     

Temporal variations in free core nutation period

Based on the nearly diurnal resonance in the tidal gravity observations,the temporal variations in period of the Earth's free core nutation (FCN) are investigated by using the tidal gravity observations of 18-year duration recorded continu-ously with a superconducting gravimeter (SG) at Brussels. The effects of the global oceanic tide loading and local barometric pressure on the SG observations have been removed by using eleven high-precision global digital models of oceanic tides and barometric pressure me...     

Flow energy and channel adjustments in rills developed in loamy sand and sandy loam soils

The storms usually associated with rill development in nature are seldom prolonged, so development is often interrupted by interstorm disturbances, e.g. weathering or tillage. In laboratory simulated rainfall experiments, active rill development can be prolonged, and under these conditions typically passes through a period of intense incision, channel extension and bifurcation before reaching quasi‐stable conditions in which little form change occurs. This paper presents laboratory experiments with coarse textured soils under simulated rainfall which show how channel adjustment processes contribute to the evolution of quasi‐stability. Newly incised rills were stabilized for detailed study of links between rill configuration and flow energy. On a loamy sand, adjustment towards equilibrium occurred due to channel widening and meandering, whereas on a sandy loam, mobile knickpoints and chutes, pulsations in flow width and flow depth and changes in stream power and sediment discharge occurred as the channel adjusted towards equilibrium. The tendency of rill systems towards quasi‐stability is shown by changes in stream power values which show short‐lived minima. Differences in energy dissipation in stabilized rills indicate that minimization of energy dissipation was reached locally between knickpoints and at the downstream ends of rills. In the absence of energy gradients in knickpoints and chutes, stabilized rill sections tended toward equilibrium by establishing uniform energy expenditure. The study confirmed that energy dissipation increased with flow aspect ratio. In stabilized rills, flow acceleration reduced energy dissipation on the loamy sand but not on the sandy loam. On both soils flow deceleration tended to increase energy dissipation. Understanding how rill systems evolve towards stability is essential in order to predict how interruptions between storms may affect long‐term rill dynamics. This is essential if event‐based physical models are to become effective in predicting sediment transport on rilled hillslopes under changing weather and climatic conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.     

汶川地震砌体结构的震害与改进砌体结构抗震性能的途径和方法

介绍了汶川8级地震中砌体结构房屋的震害情况,归纳分析了砌体结构房屋在地震中的震害特征及其原因,总结出了砌体结构抗震“选材合理、整体设计、注重细节、确保质量”的总体原则,提出了采用“高宽比”来设计窗间墙的宽度、房屋底层中部加设圈梁的建议,讨论了采用隔震技术、墙体开缝耗能、“隐形构造柱”和“捆绑”抗震、设置减震缝及耗能砂浆抗震技术来改进砌体结构抗震性能的新途径和新方法,最后对砌体结构的发展提出了建议。     

某耗能减震框肢剪力墙转换结构分析

采用复合型铅粘弹性阻尼器对带转换层框肢剪力墙结构的某酒店进行了耗能减震设计,对耗能减震结构和钢支撑结构进行了对比分析,包括反应谱和局部非线性多遇地震作用和罕遇地震作用下的时程分析。结果表明,底部框架结构布置复合型铅粘弹性阻尼器后,在多遇和罕遇地震情况下层间位移能满足《建筑抗震设计规范》要求,并且采用耗能减震结构能优化整体结构,不会对转换层上部结构产生不利的影响,能更好地改善结构的抗震性能。     

南极中山与昭和站重力海潮负荷效应及背景噪声研究

利用南极中山站LCR-ET21重力仪器与昭和站GWR058仪器获得的重力潮汐观测资料,采用最新的三个全球海潮模型(Dtu10,Eot11A和HAM11A)研究了南极地区的海潮负荷效应和背景噪声.结果表明,由三个海潮模型计算的重力负荷均值改正后,中山站O_1和M_2振幅观测残差分别由13.83%和20.55%下降到5.32%和5.95%,昭和站O_1和M_2振幅观测残差分别由10.84%和21.52%下降到1.91%和3.40%,说明海潮负荷改正的有效性.利用加汉宁窗的FFT变换,获得了地震频段的地震噪声等级(SNM),其值分别为1.574(中山站)和1.289(昭和站).而在潮汐频段,中山站的背景噪声比昭和站高一个数量级,主要由不同观测仪器和台站局部环境所致.本文结果可为进一步利用南极重力资料研究局部环境和全球动力学问题提供有效参考.     

Amplification system for concentrated and distributed energy dissipation devices

Recent analytic, experimental, and practical studies are developing energy dissipation devices combined with amplifying mechanisms (AM) to enhance structural behavior. This research presents the theoretical and experimental development of the eccentric lever‐arm system (ELAS), a new system generically called amplified added damping (AAD), which is a combination of an AM with one or more dampers capable of supporting large deformations. The proposed AM device is a variant of the well‐known lever‐arm system. This work is divided in four parts: (1) kinematics of the ELAS and definition of an equivalent AAD; (2) parametric analysis of a linear single‐story structure with ELAS; (3) numerical analysis of a multi‐degree‐of‐freedom structure with frictional damping with and without AM; and (4) pseudo‐dynamic tests of a full scale asymmetric one story steel structure with and without frictional AAD. Parametric analyses demonstrate that using high‐amplification ratios and low supplemental damping could be a good practice. On the other hand, similar to systems without AMs, dissipation efficiency increases conformably with the stiffness of the secondary structure. As expected, it was observed that deformation was highly concentrated in the flexible edge of the asymmetric test model without damper. Conversely, the structure with frictional AAD clearly showed uniform plane deformation. The implemented AM, which has a large amplifying ratio of α≈11, performed with close accordance with numerical simulations and a high mechanical efficiency (≈95%) using a frictional damper with a very low force capacity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Systematic development of a new hysteretic damper based on torsional yielding: part I—design and development

Analytical and experimental studies into the behavior of a new hysteretic damper, designed for seismic protection of structures is presented in two papers. Although the subject matter of the papers is a specific system, they are also intended as an illustration of practical application of diverse engineering tools in systematic development of an anti‐seismic product. The Multi‐directional Torsional Hysteretic Damper (MTHD) is a recently patented invention in which a symmetrical arrangement of identical cylindrical steel energy dissipaters is configured to yield in torsion while the structure experiences planar movements due to earthquake shakings. The device has gone through many stages of design refinement, prototype verification tests and development of design guidelines and computer codes to facilitate its implementation in practice. The first of this two‐part paper summarizes the development stages of the new system, conceptual and analytical. The experimental phase of the research is the focus of the accompanying paper. The new device has certain desirable properties. Notably, it is characterized by a variable and controllable‐via‐design or adaptive post‐elastic stiffness. This feature gives the isolated structure the capability to evade the dominant period of the ground motion leading to reduced displacements while having force levels comparable to regular bilinear isolation systems. The device has already been applied to four major bridges. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.