Experimental investigation of spatially varying effect of ground motions on bridge pounding

Pounding between adjacent bridge structures with insufficient separation distance has been identified as one of the primary causes of damage in many major earthquakes. It takes place because the closing relative movement is larger than the structural gap provided between the structures. This relative structural response is controlled not only by the dynamic properties of the participating structures but also by the characteristics of the ground excitations. The consequence of the spatial variation of ground motions has been studied by researchers; however, most of these studies were performed numerically. The objective of the present research is to experimentally evaluate the influence of spatial variation of ground motions on the pounding behaviour of three adjacent bridge segments. The investigation is performed using three shake tables. The input spatially varying ground excitations are simulated based on the New Zealand design spectra for soft soil, shallow soil and strong rock using an empirical coherency loss function. Results confirm that the spatially nonniform ground motions increase the relative displacement of adjacent bridge girders and pounding forces. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Loading protocols for experimental seismic qualification of members in conventional and emerging steel frames

Quasi-static testing is one of the most commonly used experimental methods for examining the seismic performance of structural members. However, consistent loading protocols for experimental seismic qualification of members in emerging steel frames such as self-centering braced frames (SCBFs) as well as in some conventional ones including buckling-restrained braced frames (BRBFs) are still lacking. This paper aims to propose standardized loading protocols based on time-history dynamic analysis on a series of prototype building frames, including steel SCBFs, BRBFs, and moment-resisting frames (MRFs), where both far-field and near-fault earthquakes are considered. The methodology for the development of the loading protocols involves ground motion selection and scaling, design and analysis of prototype buildings, analysis results processing, and rainflow cycle counting, together with extra justification steps. The proposed loading protocols are consistently derived based on the MCE-level seismic hazard and 84^th percentile values of key seismic demand parameters. These parameters are number of damaging cycles N_t, maximum inter-story drift θ_max, inter-story drift range Δθ_i, sum of inter-story drift range ΣΔθ_i, and residual inter-story drift θ_r. The analysis confirms the variations in these seismic demands imposed on the different structural systems under different types of ground motions, highlighting the necessity of developing separate loading protocols for the different cases. The assumptions, decisions, and judgments made during the development of the loading protocols are elaborated, and the conditions and restrictions are outlined. The rationality of the proposed loading protocols is further justified through demonstrating the cumulative distribution function and energy dissipation demand of the systems.     

The influence of differential sedimentary loading and compaction on the development of a deltaic rollover

Three-dimensional seismic data and wireline logs from the western Niger Delta were analyzed to reveal the sedimentary and tectonic history of a major deltaic growth-fault depocenter comprising a kilometer-scale rollover anticline. The seismic units of the rollover show a non-uniform thickness distribution with their respective maximum near the main bounding growth-fault on the landward side of the system. This wedge-shaped sediment-storage architecture ultimately reflects the non-uniform creation of accommodation space in the study area that was controlled by 1) the differential compaction of the hanging-wall and footwall strata, 2) the lateral variation of fault-induced tectonic subsidence above the listric master fault, and possibly 3) local subsidence related to the subsurface movement of mobile shale reacting to loading and buoyancy. A sequential three-dimensional decompaction of the interpreted deltaic rollover units allowed to reconstruct and measure the compaction development of the rollover succession through time, documenting that sediment compaction contributed per depositional interval to between 25 and 35% of the generation of depositional space subsequently filled by deltaic sediments. The incremental decompaction of sedimentary units was further used to quantify the cumulative amount of accommodation space at and around the studied rollover that was created by fault movement, shale withdrawal, regional tectonic subsidence, isostasy and changes in sea level. If data on the regional subsidence and eustasy are available, the contribution of these basinwide controls to the generation of depositional space can be subtracted from the cumulative accommodation balance, which ultimately quantifies the amount of space for sediments to accumulate created by fault movement or shale withdrawal. This observation is important in that it implies that background knowledge on subsidence, stratigraphic age and sea-level changes allows to reconstruct and quantify fault movement in syn-tectonic deltaic growth successions, and this solely based on hanging-wall isopach trends independent of footwall information.     

中国大陆原地复发强震的基本特征及其预测

在印度板块与欧亚块相碰撞形成的喜马拉雅弧板块边界力作用下，中国大陆有自己独特的现代构造运动和地震活动基本格架。格架是两组近似于对数螺线的现代构造滑移线，即最大剪切应力和剪切应变集中释放的区，带。在这种格架控制下，强震和大震在原地或基本在原地重复发生是中国大陆地震活动的重要特征。本文还提出了ｉ－ｆ－ｊ复发轮回模式和估计当前轮回强震复发时间的概率分布以及计算未来强震复发概率分式。为中，长期预测原地复发     

湖州台的近震监测能力

本文根据湖州地震台DD-1地震仪记录的1980—1990年期间Δ<500km的近震资料和仪器放大倍率,利用理论计算Δ—Mmin曲线,b值检验3种方法,对湖州台的近震监测能力进行了估算和评价,得出了该台对目标监测区域内的有效监测震级。最后对区域地震台站的近震监测能力进行了讨论。     

对1970云南通海地震参数、伤亡、公布形式质疑的商榷

1970云南通海大地震造成15 621人丧生,是1949年建国以来仅次于唐山地震与汶川地震死亡人数最多的地震。由于在特定历史时期发生的地震,因而在社会上对这个地震的情况产生了质疑,质疑最终的结果是贬低本次地震的部分工作,这与过去所做的结论有冲突,就此,本文就质疑的地名、震级、伤亡人数及公布方式等相关问题,从文献与档案资料进行调查研究和分析,回复质疑并对历史真实情况及事件发生的原委得出结论。     

Shake table study on an ordinary low‐rise building seismically isolated with SU‐FREIs (stable unbonded‐fiber reinforced elastomeric isolators)

This paper reports on the investigation of novel fiber reinforced elastomeric isolator (FREI) bearings, which do not have thick end plates, and are used in an unbonded application. Owing to the stable lateral load‐displacement response exhibited by the unbonded FREI bearings, the proposed bearings are referred to as stable unbonded (SU)‐FREIs. A shake table test program was conducted on a two‐story test‐structure having well‐defined elastic response characteristics. Compared with the results for the corresponding fixed base (FB) structure, the peak response values, distribution of lateral response throughout the height of the structure, and response time histories of the tested base isolated (BI) structure indicate that significantly improved response can be achieved. This study clearly indicates that SU‐FREI bearings can provide an effective seismic isolation system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

海洋天然气水合物的地球物理研究(III):似海底反射

对天然气水合物研究中与似海底反射有关的一些观点进行讨论 ,以推动天然气水合物地震研究的认识 .30年的似海底反射研究表明 ,似海底反射仍然是指示天然气水合物沉积存在的最好手段之一 .有似海底反射 ,是可以认为存在天然气水合物的 .虽然存在“游离气带速度模型”与“水合物楔速度模型” ,但似海底反射主要由天然气水合物稳定带底界下方的游离气引起 .BSR上方的天然气水合物、下方的游离气与天然气再循环和含甲烷的流体流有关 .由于天然气水合物稳定带计算控制因素难以准确确定等因素 ,似海底反射与天然气水合物稳定带底界只是近似的对应关系 .需从动态的观点考虑天然气水合物 天然气体系及其与似海底反射的关系 .