Damaging properties of ground motions and prediction of maximum response of structures based on momentary energy response

Dynamic damaging potential of ground motions must be evaluated by the response behaviour of structures, and it is necessary to indicate what properties of ground motions are most appropriate for evaluation. For that purpose, the behaviour of energy input process and hysteretic energy dissipation are investigated in this study. It is found that the momentary input energy that is an index for the intensity of input energy is related to the characteristics of earthquakes such as cyclic or impulsive, and to the response displacement of structures immediately. On the basis of these results, a procedure is proposed to predict inelastic response displacement of structures by corresponding earthquake input energy to structural dissipated damping and hysteretic energy. In this procedure the earthquake response of structures is recognized as an input and dissipation process of energy, and therefore structural properties and damaging properties of ground motions can be taken into account more generally. Lastly, the studies of the pseudodynamic loading test of reinforced concrete structure specimens subjected to ground motions with different time duration are shown. The purpose of this test is to estimate the damaging properties of ground motions and the accuracy of the proposed prediction procedure. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

25～75℃酸性NaCl溶液中方铅矿的溶解动力学

在25～75℃、pH=0.43～2.45的1mol/LNaCl溶液中进行了方铅矿的溶解动力学实验。发现在远平衡条件下,方铅矿的溶解速率r与氢离子活度犤H+犦呈线性关系,溶解速率方程(速率定律)为:r=k犤H+犦,即对H+而言,溶解反应为一级。其中速率常数k为2.344×10-7mol/m2·s(25℃)、1.380×10-6mol/m2·s(50℃)、7.079×10-6mol/m2·s(75℃)。溶解反应的活化能为43.54kJ/mol,方铅矿的溶解机理为表面化学反应,速率决定步骤为表面配合物的离解。     

离散裂隙渗流方法与裂隙化渗透介质建模

流体渗流模拟的连续介质方法通常适用于多孔地质体，并不一定适用于裂隙岩体，由于裂隙分布及其特征与孔隙差异较大。若流体渗流主要受裂隙的控制，对于一定尺寸的裂隙岩体，多孔介质假设则较难刻划裂隙岩体的渗流特征。离散裂隙渗流方法不但可直接用于模拟裂隙岩体非均质性和各向异性等渗流特征，而且可用其确定所研究的裂隙岩体典型单元体及其水力传导（渗透）张量大小。主要讨论了以下问题：（1）饱和裂隙介质中一般的离散流体渗流模拟；（2）裂隙岩体中的REV（典型单元体）及其水力传导（渗透）张量的确定；（3）利用离散裂隙网络流体渗流模型研究裂隙方向几何参数对水力传导系数和REV的影响；（4）在二维和三维离散裂隙流体渗流模型中对区域大裂隙和局部小裂隙的处理方法。调查结果显示离散裂隙流体渗流数学模型可用来评价不同尺度上的裂隙岩体的水力特征，以及裂隙方向对裂隙化岩体的水力特征有着不可忽视的影响。同时，局部小裂隙、区域大裂隙应当区别对待，以便据其所起的作用及水力特征，建立裂隙化岩体相应的流体渗流模型。     

Seismic Hazard for Selected Sites in Greece: A Bayesian Estimate of Seismic Peak Ground Acceleration

A procedure for estimating maximum values of seismic peak ground accelerationat the examined site and quantiles of its probabilistic distribution in a future timeinterval of a given length is considered. The input information for the method areseismic catalog and regression relation between peak seismic acceleration at a givenpoint and magnitude and distance from the site to epicenter (seismic attenuation law).The method is based on Bayesian approach, which simply accounts for influenceof uncertainties of seismic acceleration values. The main assumptions for the method are Poissonian character of seismic events flow and distribution law of Gutenberg-Richter's type. The method is applied to seismic hazard estimation in six selected sitesin Greece.     

Analyzing CO2 emissions mitigation by technology improvement in Central and Eastern Europe

As a legacy of the centrally planned economy, the economies in transition of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have a unique potential to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through the improvement in their high energy intensities. Since much of this `low-hanging fruit' in energy-efficiency improvements can be highly cost-effective, many developed countries facing difficulties in meeting their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets domestically are eager to find such opportunities in the CEE region. Therefore, studies analysing the potentials and costs of carbon dioxide reduction through technology improvement in the region have come into the limelight. While there are a few excellent studies in the region aimed at analysing climate change abatement potentials, they all embark on different assumptions, methodologies and boundary conditions. It is hence difficult, if not impossible, to compare and analyse the results of these studies across different authors, countries or time horizons. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to place four leading studies on GHG mitigation through technology improvement from the CEE region into an internationally comparable framework. Four studies were selected from three countries, Poland, Hungary and Estonia, which are all the results of major national and international efforts to assess costs and potentials of GHG reduction. The paper places their assumptions, methods and final results into a framework which enables policy-makers and project designers to compare these across geographical and technological boundaries. Since other studies from around the globe have been analysed in this framework in the literature, this paper provides a vehicle for the findings of these four studies to be compared to others worldwide. In addition, the paper highlights a few areas where similar studies to be completed in the future in the region may be enhanced by incorporating features used in GHG mitigation research in other parts of the world. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characteristics and conservation of biodiversity in Xinjiang

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region covers nearly 1/6 territory of China, with vari-ous landscape patterns, environmental conditions and three key regions of biodiversity of China.The ecosystem here has a relatively simple structure and fragile ecological stability. The coverageof sparse vegetation here is only 2.1% which is far lower than 14%, the average coverage all overthe country. Although the fragile and unstable ecosystems are improved partly in the past, the totalsituation in Xinjiang has worsened (such as drying up of rivers and lakes, desertification andsalinization of soil, deterioration of meadow, reduction of biodiversity, etc.). Although the speciesnumbers of Xinjiang are few, the diversity of taxa is very high. The types of plant communities areabundant, and the flora abounds in one-species genus, one-genus family and few-species genus.Also, the fauna abounds in endangered species and endemic species, of which 108 species ofvertebrates were listed as nationally protected species. In addition, there are abundantanti-adversity gene pools. The present paper puts forwards several suggestions for biodiversityconservation in Xinjiang.     

A methodology for the evaluation of long-term volcanic risk from pyroclastic flows in Campi Flegrei (Italy)

The volcanological history of Campi Flegrei suggests that the most frequent eruptions are characterized by the emplacement of pyroclastic flow and surge deposits erupted from different vents scattered over a 150-km² caldera. The evaluation of volcanic risk in volcanic fields is complex because of the lack of a central vent. To approach this problem, we subdivided the entire area of Campi Flegrei into a regular grid and evaluated the relative spatial probability of opening of vents based on geological, geophysical and geochemical data. We evaluated the volcanic risk caused by pyroclastic flows based on the formula proposed by UNESCO (1972), R=H×V×Va, where H is the hazard, V is the vulnerability and Va is the value of the elements at risk. The product H×V was obtained by performing simulations of type eruptions centered in each cell of the grid. The simulation is based on the energy cone scheme proposed by Sheridan and Malin [J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 17 (1983) 187–202], hypothesizing a column collapse height of 100 m for eruptions of VEI=3 and 300 m for eruptions of VEI=4 with a slope angle of 6°. Each simulation has been given the relative probability value associated with the corresponding cell. We made use of the GIS software ArcView 3.2 to evaluate the intersection between the energy cone and the topography. The superposition of the areas invaded by pyroclastic flows (124 simulations for VEI=3 and 37 for VEI=4) was used to obtain the relative hazard map of the area. The relative volcanic risk map is obtained by superimposing the urbanization maps.     

Spatial variation of seismic motion induced by propagation of body waves

Spatial variation of earthquake ground motion is an important phenomenon that cannot be ignored in the design and safety of strategic structures. Several models have been developed to describe this variation using statistical, mathematical or physical approaches. The latter approach is not specific to an event. A recent contribution, which uses such an approach and called complete stochastic deamplification approach (CSDA), was developed [1]. The aim of this paper is to analyze the spatial variation of earthquake motion induced by the propagation of body waves using the CSDA. Coherency functions are evaluated for the cases of SH–SV–P waves propagating through stratified soil. Results obtained show that the variation of the coherency function is not the same for vertical and horizontal components and that the motion is more coherent at depth than at the free surface. In fact, we found that the rate of decrease with frequency and distance is not the same if P–SV waves propagate through stratified soil.     

Nonlinear earthquake response analysis and energy calculation for seismic slit shear wall structures

Based on the concept of structural passive control, a new type of slit shear wall, with improved seismic performance when compared to an ordinary solid shear wall, was proposed by the authors in 1996. The idea has been verified by a series of pseudo-static and dynamic tests. In this paper a macro numerical model is developed for the wall element and the energy dissipation device. Then, nonlinear time history analysis is carried out for a 10-story slit shear wall model tested on a shaking table. Furthermore, the seismic input energy and the individual energy dissipated by the components are calculated by a method based on Newmark-β assumptions for this shear wall model, and the advantages of this shear wall are further demonstrated by the calculation results from the viewpoint of energy. Finally, according to the seismic damage criterion on the basis of plastic accumulative energy and maximum response, the optimal analysis is carried out to select design parameters for the energy dissipation device.     

钢筋砼摩擦耗能支撑框架结构的单元刚度和力学模型分析

为研究钢筋砼摩擦耗能支撑框架结构的动力反应性能 ,对其中的摩擦耗能器单元和框架杆单元的单元刚度和力学模型做了分析。钢筋砼摩擦耗能支撑单元由支撑杆单元和钢板—橡胶摩擦耗能器单元组成 ,支撑单元可取空间杆单元 ,摩擦耗能器单元为平面应力矩形单元。摩擦耗能器单元的剪切恢复力曲线为理想的弹塑性曲线 ,根据耗能器单元的力学模型 ,可确定其在每一时刻的刚度 ;框架结构空间杆单元的恢复力模型采用双线型模型 ,根据杆单元的力学模型 ,可确定其在每一时刻的刚度。并利用所编制的程序对十层单榀两跨空间普通框架和摩擦耗能支撑框架在地震作用下进行了弹塑性反应时程分析 ,结果表明耗能支撑框架的顶层最大位移明显小于普通框架