Expected loss‐based alarm threshold set for earthquake early warning systems

Earthquake early warning systems (EEWS) seem to have potential as tools for real‐time seismic risk management and mitigation. In fact, although the evacuation of buildings requires warning time not available in many urbanized areas threatened by seismic hazard, they may still be used for the real‐time protection of critical facilities using automatic systems in order to reduce the losses subsequent to a catastrophic event. This is possible due to the real‐time seismology, which consists of methods and procedures for the rapid estimation of earthquake features, as magnitude and location, based on measurements made on the first seconds of the P‐waves. An earthquake engineering application of earthquake early warning (EEW) may be intended as a system able to issue the alarm, if some recorded parameter exceeds a given threshold, to activate risk mitigation actions before the quake strikes at a site of interest. Feasibility analysis and design of such EEWS require the assessment of the expected loss reduction due to the security action and set of the alarm threshold. In this paper a procedure to carry out these tasks in the performance‐based earthquake engineering probabilistic framework is proposed. A merely illustrative example refers to a simple structure assumed to be a classroom. Structural damage and non‐structural collapses are considered; the security action is to shelter occupants below the desks. The cost due to a false alarm is assumed to be related to the interruption of didactic activities. Results show how the comparison of the expected losses, for the alarm‐issuance and non‐issuance cases, allows setting the alarm threshold on a quantitative and consistent basis, and how it may be a tool for the design of engineering applications of EEW. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic performance and global ductility of RC frames rehabilitated with retrofitted joints by CFRP laminates

This paper presents a new FRP retrofi tting scheme to strengthen local beam-column joints in reinforced concrete(RC) frames.The new retrofi tting scheme was proposed following a preliminary study of four different existing retrofi tting schemes.A numerical simulation was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete frames by bridging behavior of local joints to the whole structure.Local confi nement effects due to varying retrofi tting schemes in the joints were simulated in the frame model.The seismic behavior factor was used to evaluate the seismic performance of the strengthened RC frames.The results demonstrated that the new proposed retrofi tting scheme was robust and promising,and fi nite element analysis appropriately captured the strength and global ductility of the frame due to upgrading of the local joints.     

L形截面短肢剪力墙抗震性能的模型试验研究

为了研究L形截面短肢剪力墙的抗震性能,对6个1/2缩尺比例的L形截面短肢剪力墙试件进行了低周反复荷载作用下的试验研究,分析了轴压比、截面高厚比、剪跨比等参数变化时,对试件的承载力、延性、滞回特性、耗能能力及破坏特性等抗震性能的影响。结果表明:L形截面短肢剪力墙试件扭转变形较小,试件以弯剪破坏为主,腹板底部为试件最薄弱部位,剪跨比小,轴压比大的试件腹板中心剪切破坏现象明显;试件随着截面高厚比、轴压比的提高,极限承载力增加,试件耗能能力变差、延性下降明显;L形截面短肢剪力墙试件在截面高厚比适中,为6.5∶1时,经济、抗震性能也较好。     

安徽省震中快速定位查询系统

基于VB6.0软件开发平台,以MapInfo GIS软件为数据支撑平台,建立了安徽省震中快速定位查询系统。系统主要实现了震中快速定位查询显示功能、基于GIS数据的空间分析和定量计算分析功能。为地震应急响应提供辅助决策,为震后资源调度、伤员输送、人员疏散等提供科学信息,提高了应急救援的效率。     

基于性能的结构抗风设计理论框架

提出了基于性能的结构抗风设计理论框架,将风压强度划分为4个设计风压等级（弱风压、中风压、强风压及超强风压）,将人体振动舒适度划分为6个等级（无振感、轻微振感、中等振感、烦恼、非常烦恼和无法忍受）、三种振动水平（与人的舒适感相关的振动水平、与人正常工作和操作有关的振动水平、与人的生理健康直接相关的振动水平）。结合不同类别建筑物的性能需求及人体振动舒适度的要求,将结构风振性能水准划分为4种状态（性能健康、性能亚健康、性能病态及性能丧失）,将结构风振性能目标划分为5个等级（A、B、C、D、E）。提出了结构抗风概念设计与计算分析的一般原则,给出了结构性能抗风安全性评价及社会经济评价基本内容的建议。     

Post-earthquake investigation on several geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls and slopes during the Ji-Ji earthquake of Taiwan

This paper gives an overview on the application of geosynthetic-reinforced soil structures in Taiwan. Taiwan has an unique topography and geotechnical conditions that rendered a less conservative and more challenging design compared to that of North America, Europe and Japan. The Ji-Ji (Chi-Chi) earthquake of 1999 gave an opportunity to examine the behavior of reinforced soil structures. The performance of several modular-block reinforced soil retaining walls and reinforced slopes at the vicinity of the fault was evaluated. Reinforced structures performed better than unreinforced soil retaining walls. The failure cases were highlighted and the cause of failure was identified. The lack of seismic design consideration could be a major cause of failure. The compound failure mode, the inertia force of the blocks, and the connection stiffness and strength relative to the large dynamic earth pressure, were among major items that would warrant further design consideration.     

带暗支撑T形截面短肢剪力墙抗震性能试验研究

通过6个1：2缩尺的T形截面带暗支撑短肢剪力墙模型的低周反复荷载试验研究,分析比较了带暗支撑T形截面短肢剪力墙和普通T形截面短肢剪力墙的承载力、刚度及其衰减过程、延性、耗能、滞回特性及破坏特征。试验表明,加设钢筋混凝土暗支撑可显著提高T形截面短肢剪力墙的抗震性能。     

钢筋混凝土长肢一字形截面柱抗震性能试验研究

对4个1／2缩尺的长肢一字形截面柱构件进行了低周反复荷载下的抗震性能试验研究,构件截面高厚比分别为4．0、4．5与5．0,分别按柱子配筋与按剪力墙配筋两种配筋方式进行设计。通过试验分析了长肢一字形截面柱的承载力、刚度、延性、耗能、滞回特性等,并提出了抗震设计建议。     

高坝抗震设防问题的探讨

本文探讨了高坝抗震设防的决策问题。分别从高坝设计使用年限及高坝的功能2个角度出发,探讨了进行高坝抗震设防标准决策的2种不同方法。从高坝设计使用年限出发,提出同样重要性的结构在不同的设计使用年限应具有相同的可靠度水平,以此来进行抗震设防烈度的决策。从基于功能分析的角度出发,提出应使总的期望损失最小为准则来进行最优抗震设防烈度的决策。     

Developing efficient scalar and vector intensity measures for IDA capacity estimation by incorporating elastic spectral shape information

Scalar and vector intensity measures are developed for the efficient estimation of limit‐state capacities through incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) by exploiting the elastic spectral shape of individual records. IDA is a powerful analysis method that involves subjecting a structural model to several ground motion records, each scaled to multiple levels of intensity (measured by the intensity measure or IM), thus producing curves of structural response parameterized by the IM on top of which limit‐states can be defined and corresponding capacities can be calculated. When traditional IMs are used, such as the peak ground acceleration or the first‐mode spectral acceleration, the IM‐values of the capacities can display large record‐to‐record variability, forcing the use of many records to achieve reliable results. By using single optimal spectral values as well as vectors and scalar combinations of them on three multistorey buildings significant dispersion reductions are realized. Furthermore, IDA is extended to vector IMs, resulting in intricate fractile IDA surfaces. The results reveal the most influential spectral regions/periods for each limit‐state and building, illustrating the evolution of such periods as the seismic intensity and the structural response increase towards global collapse. The ordinates of the elastic spectrum and the spectral shape of each individual record are found to significantly influence the seismic performance and they are shown to provide promising candidates for highly efficient IMs. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.