Seismic behavior of a partially grouted reinforced masonry structure: Shake-table testing and numerical analyses

In regions of low to moderate seismicity in North America, reinforced masonry structures are mostly partially grouted. The behavior of such structures under lateral seismic loads is complicated because of the interaction of the grouted and ungrouted masonry. As revealed in past experimental studies, the performance of partially grouted masonry (PGM) walls under in-plane cyclic lateral loading is inferior to that of fully grouted walls. However, the dynamic behavior of a PGM wall system under severe seismic loads is not well understood. In this study, a full-scale, one-story, PGM building designed for a moderate seismic zone according to current code provisions was tested on a shake table. It was shown that the structure was able to develop an adequate base shear capacity and withstand two earthquake motions that had an effective intensity of two times the maximum considered earthquake with only moderate cracking in mortar joints. However, the structure eventually failed in a brittle manner in a subsequent motion that had a slightly lower effective intensity. A detailed finite element model of the test structure has been developed and validated. The model has been used to understand the distribution of the lateral force resistance among the wall components and to evaluate the shear-strength equation given in the design code. The code equation has been found to be adequate for this structure. Furthermore, a parametric study conducted with the finite element model has shown that the introduction of a continuous bond beam right below a window opening is highly beneficial.     

Tuned inerter dampers with linear hysteretic damping

This paper explores the influence of linear hysteretic damping on the performance of passive tuned-inerter devices. An inerter is a device that produces a force proportional to the relative acceleration across its two terminals; devices incorporating inerters have received widespread attention in the earthquake engineering community, because they offer the ability to improve the seismic response of structures. However, the majority of this research has assumed that the damping components within the tuned-inerter device exhibit viscous, rather than hysteretic, damping. This restriction imposes an essential question on how the hysteretic damping model will change the performance of the device compared with the viscous damping model. It is shown that the response of viscous and hysteretic inerter systems have significant differences in displacement amplitude due to the frequency dependency of the damping. Therefore, a new formulation for obtaining the optimum loss factor of the hysteretic damping in the inerter system is proposed. Next, the challenges associated with accurately predicting the time-response of a hysteretically damped system are discussed. A numerical time-integration method is extended to address these challenges, using a new formulation that has the benefit of being broadly applicable to multidegree-of-freedom hysteretic linear systems and nonstationary random signals. The results show that the earthquake responses from the hysteretic damping model can differ significantly from the ones obtained via the viscous model.     

Fiber-based hysteretic model for simulating strength and stiffness deterioration of steel hollow structural section columns under cyclic loading

An efficient component model has been developed that captures strength and stiffness deterioration of steel hollow structural section (HSS) columns. The proposed model consists of two fiber-based segments at a member's ends along with an elastic segment in between. The fibers exhibit nonlinear uniaxial stress–strain behavior, which is explicitly defined by uniaxial monotonic tensile and cyclic round coupon tests. The postbuckling behavior of an HSS column is traced through a proposed uniaxial effective stress–strain constitutive formulation, which includes a softening branch in compression and an energy-based deterioration rule to trace the influence of cyclic deterioration in the inelastic cyclic straining. These may be inferred by uniaxial stub-column tests. The component model captures the coupling between the column axial force and flexural demands. Consistent model parameters for a number of steel materials used in the steel construction in North America and Japan are proposed along with the associated model calibration process. The efficiency of the proposed model in predicting the hysteretic behavior of HSS columns is demonstrated by comparisons with physical steel column tests subjected to various loading histories, including representative ones of ratcheting prior to earthquake-induced collapse. The proposed model is implemented in an open-source finite element software for nonlinear response history analysis of frame structures. The effectiveness of the proposed model in simulating dynamic instability of steel frame buildings is demonstrated through nonlinear response simulations of a four-story steel frame building, which was tested at full-scale through collapse. Limitations as well as suggestions for future work are discussed.     

多层钢管混凝土柱-铰接钢梁-混凝土核心筒结构振动台试验研究

验证研究新型多层钢管混凝土柱-铰接钢梁-混凝土核心筒结构的震损和反应特点。制作9层1/40的缩尺模型进行振动台测试,调查结构的震损特点、动力特性和地震反应。结果表明:震损出现在楼板与钢管混凝土柱、核心筒以及钢梁连接处的楼板上,震损破坏为变形引起的连接构造破坏和结构性破坏;自振周期随震损增加而增大,动力放大效应减小,侧向变形和层间位移显著增大;结构平均最大层间位移角超过规范框架-核心筒结构不倒塌限值的4.08倍而未出现倒塌;外排架抗扭刚度小,结构扭转反应由核心筒主导;相对于超高层结构,多层结构的剪重比显著增大,未出现因倾覆力矩过大而导致核心筒破坏的情况,较大层间位移角与损伤破坏的相关性提高。     

基于有限元模拟的RC框架结构抗震性能影响因素分析

总结现行的RC框架结构抗震设计、抗震鉴定标准和震害资料,选取了场地条件、规则程度、混凝土强度以及结构层数4个影响框架结构抗震性能的主要因素进行分析;以7度设防的西南地区典型双跨外廊式教学楼为原型,设置8个分析工况,采用基于位移控制的非线性静力（Pushover）分析方法得到各工况在不同烈度罕遇地震下的最大层间位移角（ISDA）,以此为指标对4个框架结构抗震性能影响因素的重要性进行评价分析;最后采用模糊层次分析法,给出了以上影响因素在RC框架结构抗震性能评估中的重要性排序以及初始权重值。     

Diurnal,seasonal and inter-annual variability of fish density and distribution in the Three Gorges Reservoir (China) assessed with hydroacoustics

Environment conservation of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) requires reliable assessment of fish resources and variation of their distribution. The goal of this study was to determine the best season and the diurnal period to estimate fish density in the TGR using acoustic surveys as a monitoring tool. To find out diurnal migration pattern of fishes in the TGR, we conducted reduplicated 24-h hydroacoustical surveys in the forequarter of the TGR, which covered different habitats (mainstream, tributary bay), seasons (summer, winter) and years (2012–2015). Measurements were performed using SIMRAD EY60 split beam echosounder with frequency 120 kHz. Additionally, zooplankton and environmental parameters were measured. The results showed more than ten times differences between the day and night fish density estimates, probably resulting either from the horizontal migrations between the littoral and open water or vertical migrations. Differences were higher during winter than during summer, and higher in the tributary bay than in the mainstream. Clear vertical migrations were observed both in the tributary bay (amplitude 15 m) and in the mainstream (amplitude 35 m), but only during winter time. Inter-annual estimates of fish density showed generally decreasing trend with years. especially well pronounced in the tributary bay. We also observed high seasonal and diurnal variability in fish distributions, which can significantly affect the accuracy and precision of biomass estimate, indicating importance of choosing appropriate timing for fish monitoring. According to our results, in order to receive the most reliable estimates of fish density in the TGR, hydroacoustic surveys should be performed during summer at night time.     

Simulating earthquake evacuation using human behavior models

In classical earthquake risk assessment, the human behavior is actually not taken into account in risk assessment. Agent‐based modeling is a simulation technique that has been applied recently in several fields, such as emergency evacuation. The paper is proposing a methodology that includes in agent‐based models the human behavior, considering the anxiety effects generated by the crowd and their influence on the evacuation delays. The proposed model is able to take into account the interdependency between the earthquake evacuation process, and the corresponding damage of structural and non‐structural components that is expressed in term of fragility curves. The software REPAST HPC has been used to implement the model, and as a case study, the earthquake evacuation by a mall located in Oakland has been used. The human behavior model has been calibrated through a survey using a miscellaneous sample from different countries. The model can be used to test future scenarios and help local authorities in situations where the human behavior plays a key role. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The vertical distribution of maraena whitefish (Coregonus maraena) early juveniles in different times of day in a newly created oligotrophic lake

Diel vertical distribution of strictly pelagic juvenile (23–47 mm total length) maraena whitefish Coregonus maraena (Bloch, 1779) was repeatedly investigated in spring primarily using hydroacoustics in the artificial post-mining Most Lake in the Czech Republic. At the same time, an ichthyoplankton trawl was used to identify acoustical targets. During the day, fish performed extensive shoaling behaviour in depths between 2 and approximately 40 m and were not accessible for trawling. By evening, with decreasing light intensity, shoals started to disintegrate and at night fish were relatively homogeneously distributed in the water column from the surface down to a depth of 40 m. Juvenile maraena whitefish could be caught by trawl as the only fish species at night. Shoaling behaviour started again approximately 1.5 h before sunrise. The data showed steep decreases in fish density between the two surveys in spring which indicates significant mortality of early juvenile coregonids as a result of poor availability of zooplankton in a highly oligotrophic post-mining lake.     

支座沉降对大跨度钢结构连廊地震受力性能影响分析

在大跨度钢结构连廊的地震冲击影响分析中支座沉降都被忽略,而分析其受力情况对抗震性影响至关重要。研究支座沉降对大跨度钢结构连廊在地震中的受力性能变化,建立连廊结构在地震中的受力模型。做法为模型设定一个沉降量,计算支座沉降时,在地震冲击下连廊(包括钢框架和钢桁架)附加内力,再利用结构力学方法得到连廊附加弯矩图,得出沉降量对连廊钢框架地震冲击表达式,利用SAP2000软件分析不同沉降量下连廊钢桁架结构内力变化情况,得到连廊上、下弦杆在地震作用下的最大弯矩和最大轴拉力。实验结果表明,计算得到支座沉降后,连廊上弦杆和腹杆内动力系数最大值分别为0.17、0.15,比传统的时程分析法更接近相关规定值0.16,结果准确。     

Seismic response of bridge piers on pile groups for different soil damping models and lumped parameter representations of the foundation

This paper presents a wide parametric study aimed at elucidating the influence, on the computed seismic response of bridge piers, of two related aspects of the model: (1) the adoption of the classical hysteretic or the causal Biot's damping models for the soil and (2) the use of two different lumped parameter models of different complexity and accuracy to approximate the impedances of the pile foundation. A total of 2072 cases, including different superstructures, pile foundations, soil deposits, and seismic input signals, are studied. The results are presented so that the influence of the different parameters involved in the analysis can be assessed. From an engineering point of view, both lumped parameter models provide, in general, sufficiently low errors. The choice of the most adequate model for each case will depend not only on the configuration of the structure and the soil-foundation system but also on the assumed soil damping model, whose influence on the computed seismic responses is relevant in many cases. The nonphysical behaviour provided by the classical hysteretic damping model for the soil at zero frequency generates issues in the process of fitting the impedance functions. It is also found that larger deck displacements are predicted by Biot's model due to the higher damping at low frequencies provided by the classical hysteretic damping model.