An experimental study on seismic responses of multifunctional vibration‐absorption reinforced concrete megaframe structures

Two models are tested on a shake‐table. One of the models is a normal reinforced concrete megaframe structure and the other is a multifunctional vibration‐absorption reinforced concrete megaframe structure in which the laminated rubber bearings are placed between the major frame and the minor frames. Two earthquake motions (the El Centro wave and the Taft wave) are used during the test. This paper presents the dynamic characteristic, the seismic responses and the failure mechanism of these two models under varying peak acceleration levels for each of the earthquake motions. The test results demonstrate that the aseismic behavior of a multifunctional vibration‐absorption reinforced concrete megaframe structure is much better than that of a normal reinforced concrete megaframe structure. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic performance of twin curved cable‐stayed bridges

The dynamic behaviour of two curved cable‐stayed bridges, recently constructed in northern Italy, has been investigated by full‐scale testing and theoretical models. Two different excitation techniques were employed in the dynamic tests: traffic‐induced ambient vibrations and free vibrations. Since the modal behaviour identified from the two types of test are very well correlated and a greater number of normal modes was detected during ambient vibration tests, the validity of the ambient vibration survey is assessed in view of future monitoring. For both bridges, 11 vibration modes were identified in the frequency range of 0ndash;10Hz, being a one‐to‐one correspondence between the observed modes of the two bridges. Successively, the information obtained from the field tests was used to validate and improve 3D finite elements so that the dynamic performance of the two systems were assessed and compared based on both the experimental results and the updated theoretical models. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Period formulas of shear wall buildings with flexible bases

The evaluation of the fundamental period of shear wall buildings considering the flexibility of the base is investigated in this paper. This research is motivated by the discrepancy reported between the formulas used in different building codes and the measurement of real buildings. Both experimental and analytical approaches are used to assess the effect of the base flexibility on the fundamental period of shear wall structures. In total, twenty buildings built on different types of soil are tested under ambient vibration. The fundamental period is identified using a non‐parametric linear model in the frequency domain. The results show that fundamental period formulas used by UBC‐97 and NBCC‐95 are inadequate since they do not include the effect of the foundation stiffness. To improve the estimation of the fundamental period of shear wall buildings, an analytical approach is presented. The structure and the foundation are represented by a continuous‐discrete system. The stiffnesses of the base are represented by translational and rotational discrete springs. The rigidities of these springs are evaluated from the elastic uniform compression of the soil mass and the size of the foundation. The analytical predictions improve the estimation of the fundamental period and keep the computation simple. The error between the measured period and the analytical results is, on average, less than 10%. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seepage driving effect on deformations of San Fernando dams

In the process of flow deformation of an earth dam, the seepage force inside the dam plays a role as a driving force. The seepage force acts just like the gravitational force in terms of pushing soils away from their original locations after liquefaction is triggered. This paper draws attention to this seepage driving effect by presenting a set of fully coupled finite element analyses on the well-known San Fernando dams, with the objective of evaluating the impact of this seepage effect. The results indicate that while this effect is always there, its practical significance depends on a number of factors. In the case of the upper San Fernando dam, which experienced a significant, but restricted, downstream movement during the 1971 earthquake, the seepage driving effect was indeed significant. On the contrary, for the lower dam, which failed and slid into the upstream reservoir during the same earthquake, this seepage effect was relatively less pronounced. The detailed results of the analyses reveal the likely mechanisms of failure and deformation of the two dams and the likely cause behind the difference between their responses during the earthquake.     

GOALS模式对热带太平洋ENSO年际变化特征的模拟评估

文中重点分析了中国科学院大气物理研究所LASG最新发展的全球大气环流谱模式(R42L9)与一全球海洋环流模式(T63L30)耦合形成的全球海洋-大气-陆面气候系统模式(GOALS/LASG)新版本已积分30 a的模拟结果,通过与多种观测资料的对比分析,讨论了赤道太平洋海表温度(SST)的年际变化及其纬向传播、赤道东太平洋SST异常与其他洋面SST变化之间的遥相关关系、赤道太平洋浅表层海温的年际变化特征等研究内容.结果表明,COALS模式模拟出了赤道太平洋SST异常出现不规则的年际变化特点;赤道东太平洋SST异常的向西传播过程;赤道太平洋混合层海温变化由西向东、由深层向浅层的传播过程;同时也模拟出了赤道东太平洋SST变化与赤道西太平洋以及与西南太平洋海温之间的反相关关系,与南印度洋和副热带大西洋SST之间的正遥相关关系等实际观测现象.但COALS模式也存在明显的不足,如对赤道东、中太平洋SST异常的年际变化幅度明显偏小,没能模拟出赤道东太平洋的SST变化比赤道中太平洋强的特点;赤道太平洋SST从东向西的传播速度明显比实际观测慢得多,但混合层海温极值变化由西向东的传播速度明显比实际情况快得多;没能模拟出赤道东太平洋SST变化同西北太平洋SST的负相关和北印度洋海温变化的正相关现象,因此也影响了对南亚、东南亚降水年际变化的模拟能力.     

Numerical simulations for coupled rock deformation and gas leak flow in parallel coal seams

Based on the new viewpoint of interaction mechanics for solid and gas, gas leakage in parallel deformable coal seams can be understood. That is, under the action of varied geophysical fields, the methane gas flow in a double deformable coal seam can be essentially considered to be compressible with time-dependent and mixed permeation and diffusion through a pore-cleat deformable, heterogeneous and anisotropic medium. From this new viewpoint, coupled mathematical models for coal seam deformation and gas leak flow in parallel coal seams were formulated and the numerical simulations for slow gas emission from the parallel coal seams are presented. It is found that coupled models might be close to reality. Meanwhile, a coupled model for solid deformation and gas leak flow can be applied to the problems of gas leak flow including mining engineering, gas drainage engineering and mining safety engineering in particular the prediction of the safe range using protective layer mining where coal and gas outbursts can efficiently be prevented. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hydro-thermal performance of multilayer capillary barriers in arid lands

In this study, a capillary barrier system was designed and tested for an arid land environment. To simulate arid land conditions of high temperature and sub-irrigation systems, the barrier was subjected to thermal and hydraulic gradients in opposite directions; to test the barrier system under these severe conditions, an experimental apparatus was designed and fabricated. The multilayer capillary barrier consisted of three layers made of silica sand, a mixture of sand and bentonite in equal portions, and a mixture of clay (25%) and aggregate (75%). Several one dimensional coupled heat and moisture tests were performed. Temperature variations along the thickness of the barrier were recorded as a function of time, and at the end of each test, the barrier was sliced into small sections, for the determination of volumetric water content as a function of distance from the heat source. The experimental results were discussed in view of the barrier's intended purpose of its ability to store moisture for long time durations. Coupled heat and moisture flow equations were developed and solved numerically via a finite difference method. Diffusivity parameters were calculated by using experimental results, a numerical model, and Powell's conjugate directions method of nonlinear optimization. The model was calibrated and the results were discussed. Good agreement between calculated and experimental results was obtained. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Simulations of a coupled hydro-chemo-mechanical system in rocks

A coupled hydro-chemo-mechanical numerical model is developed for these coupled phenomena in many engineering fields. The model has been applied to predicting the response of a stressed rockmass column to an injected reactive fluid (reagent) flow. The response includes evolutions of porosity, permeability, reagent and mineral concentrations during dissolution. In the model, the progress of dissolution is defined by the change in porosity ratio and the porosity increases with dissolution assuming there is no precipitation. The numerical evolutions of porosity, permeability, reagent and mineral concentrations during dissolution are validated against steady state solutions. The model results show that these evolutions are regulated to a certain extent by the applied external loadings: an applied extensional stress enhances the progress of the dissolution process while an applied compression stress slows the progress of the dissolution process. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Analysis of Blast Vibration Characteristics Across a Trench and a Pre-Split Plane

This paper presents the influence of various discontinuities, natural or artificial, on magnitude and frequencies of blast induced ground vibrations. These discontinuities were geological faults, a pond, a shaft incline, a trench and a pre-split plane interposed in the path of vibration propagation. In the post-trench region, ground vibrations in terms of peak particle velocity were significantly reduced and dominant frequencies in higher bands were consequently observed. Depth of trench with respect to blastholes were varied and consequent vibration characteristics were analyzed. The techniques of creating a trench and pre-split plane were successfully implemented in controlling vibration and in increasing the explosives charge to meet the scheduled production target of an opencast mine. Comparisons of ground vibration characteristics affected by a trench and a pre-split plane of the same depth are described in the text. The findings lead to the conclusion that such experimental data are necessary for production blasting in open cast mines under constrained conditions.     

Simulation of seismic response in a city-like environment

We study the seismic response of idealized 2D cities, constituted by non-equally spaced, non-equally sized homogenized blocks anchored in a soft layer overlying a hard half space. The blocks and soft layer are occupied by dissipative media. To simulate such response, we use an approximation of the viscoelastic modulus by a low-order rational function of frequency and incorporate this approximation into a first-order-in-time scheme. Our results display spatially variable, strong, long-duration responses inside the blocks and on the ground, which qualitatively match the responses observed in some earthquake-prone cities of Mexico, France, the USA, etc.