Assessment of the seismic non-linear behavior of ductile wall structures due to synthetic earthquakes

In this paper, different methods for generating synthetic earthquakes are compared in terms of related non-linear seismic response of ductile structures. The objective of the investigation is to formulate recommendations for the use of synthetic earthquakes for reliable seismic analysis. The comparison is focused on the accuracy of the reproduction of the characteristics of the structural non-linear response due to recorded earthquakes. First the investigations are carried out for non-linear single-degree-of-freedom systems. Later, the results are validated for a set of realistic buildings modelled as multi-degree-of-freedom systems. Various options of the classical stationary simulation procedure of SIMQKE and a non-stationary simulation procedure proposed by Sabetta and Pugliese are examined and compared. The adopted methodology uses a set of recorded earthquakes as a reference. Hundred synthetic accelerograms are generated for each examined simulation option with the condition that the related elastic responses are similar to those of the reference set. The non-linear single-degree-of-freedom systems are defined using six recognized hysteretic models and four levels of increasing non-linearity. The non-linear responses computed for the reference set and the studied simulation options are then statistically compared in terms of displacement ductility and energy. The results show that the implementation of the classical stationary procedure always leads to a significant underestimation of the ductility demand and a significant overestimation of the energy demand. By contrast, non-stationary time histories produce much better results. The results with the multi-degree-of-freedom systems are shown to confirm these conclusions.     

A Mössbauer and FTIR study of synthetic amphiboles along the magnesioriebeckite – ferri-clinoholmquistite join

A series of amphiboles along the magnesioriebeckite—Na₂Mg₃Fe³⁺ ₂Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂– ferri-clinoholmquistite—Li₂Mg₃Fe³⁺ ₂Si₈O₂₂(OH)2 - join, defined by the ^BLi^B Na_–1 exchange vector, were hydrothermally synthesized at 700°C, 0.4 GPa, NNO + 1 redox conditions. Powder XRD and SEM-EDAX showed a very high (> 90%) amphibole yield for all samples. X-ray patterns were indexed in the C2/m space group; refined cell-parameters show a linear decrease of a and as a function of chemistry. IR spectra in the OH-stretching region show four main and rather sharp bands; these are assigned to Mg and Fe²⁺ at M(1,3), and indicate that the obtained amphiboles depart from the nominal octahedral composition (^M1,3Mg₃). The IR spectra also show that there is an increasing filling-up of the A-site for increasing Na in the system (increasing solid-solution toward, arfvedsonite). Mössbauer spectra show four well-defined quadrupole doublets which are assigned to Fe³⁺ at M2 and to Fe²⁺ at M1, M3 and M4, respectively. The Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ content derived from fitted peak areas show variable Fe³⁺ concentration along the series. Mössbauer spectra also show a distinct alteration of ⁵⁷Fe hyperfine parameters with changing Na–Li at M4. The most evident variation is observed for the quadrupole splitting of Fe³⁺ at M2, which increases by 50% from ferri-clinoholmquistite to magnesio-riebeckite; this suggest that the M2 octahedron in ferri-clinoholmquistite is much closer to the ideal geometry than the M2 octahedron in magnesio-riebeckite. Mössbauer spectra show also a well-defined increase in the Fe²⁺ quadrupole splitting of the M1 and M3 octahedra, which is attributed to the Na–Li distribution at the B-sites.     

The response of climatic jump in summer in north china to global warming

To reveal climatic variation over North China, the climatic jumps in summer in Beijing are analyzed using the data of precipitation of summer (June, July, August) during the period of 1841-1993, in which those missed before 1950 were reconstructed by the stepwise regression method with minimum forecast error. The climatic jumps at different scales are analyzed using different diagnostic methods with different decade (10-100 years) windows. Some new methods and ideas are proposed. The variance difference, the linear tendency difference, and the difference of power spectral distribution between the samples before and after the period at the moving point in the center of the series are compared with other methods (for example, Mann-Kendall test, t-test, and accumulative anomaly etc.). Considering the differences among the statistics above, a synthetic jump index is also proposed in order to get the definite jump points in the moving series. The results show that the climatic jumps in the area occurred in the 1890’s, the 1910s and the 1920s, and mostly in the 1920s, which suggests that the local climatic jumps in North China have a simultaneous response to the global warming in the hundred-year scales.     

横向各向同性(VTI)介质中非线性地震波场模拟

数值计算方法是考察非线性弹性波在介质中（如岩石）传播特征的重要手段.非线性弹性波的数值模拟存在陡峭间断面（点）、数值振荡以及误差的指数级增长等现象而破坏数值解的稳定性、收敛性，能否消减上述现象的不利影响成为制约数值方法有效与否的重要因素.文中同时引入了FCT算子和幅值限制器，采用中心差分格式对具有垂直对称轴的横向各向同性（VTI）介质中的二维非线性弹性波进行数值模拟，从而克服了上述困难；介绍了适用于非线性弹性波的吸收边界条件，给出了差分方程的稳定性条件.在验证了方法的有效性后成功地获取了二维VTI介质中非线性弹性波的三分量地震正演记录，表明非线性波在传播过程中会发生波形畸变等现象.     

Fragility curves for reinforced concrete structures in Skopje (Macedonia) region

A method for the development of earthquake intensity–damage relations, given as fragility curves and damage probability matrices is proposed in this paper. The proposed method is applied on reinforced-concrete frame-wall structures. Two sets of fragility curves and damage probability matrices are developed. The first one is for reinforced-concrete frame structures lower than 10 stories. For this purpose, a six-story frame structure is used. The other set is defined for reinforced-concrete frame-wall structures higher than 10 stories. A 16-story frame-wall structure was chosen as a sample. The sample structures were designed according to Macedonian design code. The conditions of the local seismic hazard were the subject of special concern for the development of earthquake intensity–damage relations. Because of the limited number of real time histories from the Skopje region, a set of 240 synthetic time histories were generated. Geological dates from the Skopje region were used. Response of the sample structures under earthquake excitation was defined performing nonlinear dynamic analysis. Modeling of the nonlinear behavior of the structural elements was completed according to state-of-the-art methods in this field. A modified Park and Ang damage model was chosen as a measure of the structure's response to earthquake excitation. Five damage states were defined to express the condition of damage. As a result of the analytical research, the values of the global damage index corresponding to each damage state were determined. Using the dates from the nonlinear dynamic analysis of the sample structures under all 240 synthetic time histories, the two sets of fragility curves and damage probability matrices were defined.     

A synthetic Earth for use in geodesy

 A synthetic Earth and its gravity field that can be represented at different resolutions for testing and comparing existing and new methods used for global gravity-field determination are created. Both the boundary and boundary values of the gravity potential can be generated. The approach chosen also allows observables to be generated at aircraft flight height or at satellite altitude. The generation of the synthetic Earth shape (SES) and gravity-field quantities is based upon spherical harmonic expansions of the isostatically compensated equivalent rock topography and the EGM96 global geopotential model. Spherical harmonic models are developed for both the synthetic Earth topography (SET) and the synthetic Earth potential (SEP) up to degree and order 2160 corresponding to a 5′×5′ resolution. Various sets of SET, SES and SEP with boundary geometry and boundary values at different resolutions can be generated using low-pass filters applied to the expansions. The representation is achieved in point sets based upon refined triangulation of a octahedral geometry projected onto the chosen reference ellipsoid. The filter cut-offs relate to the sampling pattern in order to avoid aliasing effects. Examples of the SET and its gravity field are shown for a resolution with a Nyquist sampling rate of 8.27 degrees. Received: 6 August 1999 / Accepted: 26 April 2000     

常熟市可持续农业与农村发展系统评价及其规划

杏持续农业与农村发展（ＳＡＲＤ）是发达国家与发展中国家面临的共同问题,而不同地区ＳＡＲＤ所处的阶段不同,发展模式也各具特色。科学地确定其发展偏离度并为其未来发展作出合理的规划,具有重要的理论与实践意义。文章构建了ＳＡＲＤ多目标规划模型,运用它对常熟市过去８年进行了系统评价,并对未来发展进行了动态规划,得出了３个不同的投入方案。     

湘西洛塔岩溶水的综合开发与持续利用

洛塔以屋檐洞地下河系为主,地下水资源丰富,地表水缺乏。采用修建溶洼水库、地下河出口和岩溶泉围堰、堵地下河引水的开采方法,在深埋大于200m的地下河内开凿引水隧道,引水灌溉并供人畜饮用,取得了良好的效益。通过对表层岩溶带地下水的开发,解决了分散居民长期困扰的生活用水问题。根据区内水资源分布特点,总结出高洼堵洞修建溶洼水库;斜坡谷地堵截引水;河间谷地建立梯级电站开发水能资源;发展林业,增加森林对地下水资源调蓄能力的水资源持续开发利用模式。      

合成孔径雷达( SAR)及其在地质和地震研究中的应用

在遥感技术广泛应用的今天, 合成孔径雷达( SAR)因其具有全天时、全天候成像能力及对地物有一定穿透力等独特的特点, 已成为地学研究的一个重要手段。概述了合成孔径雷达技术的发展状况, 对合成孔径雷达成像机理及特征做了简要介绍, 同时对新兴起的合成孔径雷达干涉测量( IN SAR)技术也做了简单描述, 并就SAR在地质和地震研究中的应用进行了举例说明, 充分肯定了合成孔径雷达技术在地质和地震研究中的重要作用。     

Improving the performance of precipitation outputs from Global Climate Models to predict monthly and seasonal rainfall over the Indian subcontinent

Skilful prediction of the monthly and seasonal summer monsoon rainfall over India at a smaller spatial scale is a major challenge for the scientific community. The present study is aimed at achieving this objective by hybridising two mathematical techniques, namely synthetic superensemble (SSE) and supervised principal component regression (SPCR) on six state-of-the art Global Climate Models (GCMs). The performance of the mathematical model is evaluated using correlation analysis, the root mean square error, and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency index. Results feature reasonable improvement over central India, which is a zone of maximum rainfall activity in the summer monsoon season. The study also highlights improvement in the monthly prediction of rainfall over raw GCMs (15–20% improvement) with exceptional improvement in July. The developed model is also examined for anomalous years of monsoon and it is found that the model is able to capture the signs of anomalies over different gridpoints of the Indian domain.