Performance-based methodology for assessing seismic vulnerability and capacity of buildings

This paper presents a performance-based methodology for the assessment of seismic vulnerability and capacity of buildings. The vulnerability assessment methodology is based on the HAZUS methodology and the improved capacity- demand-diagram method. The spectral displacement (Sd) of performance points on a capacity curve is used to estimate the damage level of a building. The relationship between Sd and peak ground acceleration (PGA) is established, and then a new vulnerability function is expressed in terms of PGA. Furthermore, the expected value of the seismic capacity index (SCev) is provided to estimate the seismic capacity of buildings based on the probability distribution of damage levels and the corresponding seismic capacity index. The results indicate that the proposed vulnerability methodology is able to assess seismic damage of a large number of building stock directly and quickly following an earthquake. The SCev provides an effective index to measure the seismic capacity of buildings and illustrate the relationship between the seismic capacity of buildings and seismic action. The estimated result is compared with damage surveys of the cities of Dujiangyan and Jiangyou in the M8.0 Wenchuan earthquake, revealing that the methodology is acceptable for seismic risk assessment and decision making. The primary reasons for discrepancies between the estimated results and the damage surveys are discussed.

Influences of nonassociated flow rules on seismic bearing capacity factors of strip footing on soil slope by energy dissipation method

Seismic bearing capacity factors of a strip footing placed on soil slope were determined with both associated and nonassociated flow rules. Quasi-static representation of earthquake effects using a seismic coefficient concept was adopted for seismic bearing capacity calculations. A multi-wedge translational failure mechanism was used to obtain the seismic bearing capacity factors for different seismic coefficients and various inclined angles. Employing the associated flow rule, numerical results were compared with the published solutions. For bearing capacity factors related to cohesion and equivalent surcharge load, the maximum difference approximates 0.1%. However, the difference of bearing capacity factor related to unit weight is larger. With the two flow rules, the seismic bearing capacity factors were presented in the form of design charts for practical use. The results show that seismic bearing capacity factors related to the cohesion, the equivalent surcharge load and the unit weight increase greatly as the dilatancy angle increases, and that the nonassociated flow rule has important influences on the seismic bearing capacity.

Seismic stability of reinforced soil walls under bearing capacity failure by pseudo-dynamic method

In order to evaluate the seismic stability of reinforced soil walls against bearing capacity failure,the seismic safety factor of reinforced soil walls was determined by using pseudo-dynamic method,and calculated by considering different parameters,such as horizontal and vertical seismic acceleration coefficients,ratio of reinforcement length to wall height,back fill friction angle,foundation soil friction angle,soil reinforcement interface friction angle and surcharge.The parametric study shows that the seismic safety factor increases by 24-fold when the foundation soil friction angle varies from 25°to 45°,and increases by 2-fold when the soil reinforcement interface friction angle varies from 0 to 30°.That is to say,the bigger values the foundation soil and/or soil reinforcement interface friction angles have,the safer the reinforced soil walls become in the seismic design.The results were also compared with those obtained from pseudo-static method.It is found that there is a higher value of the safety factor by the present work.

Probabilistic analysis of ultimate seismic bearing capacity of strip foundations

This paper presents a reliability analysis of the pseudo-static seismic bearing capacity of a strip foundation using the limit equilibrium theory. The first-order reliability method(FORM) is employed to calculate the reliability index. The response surface methodology(RSM) is used to assess the Hasofer e Lind reliability index and then it is optimized using a genetic algorithm(GA). The random variables used are the soil shear strength parameters and the seismic coefficients(khand kv). Two assumptions(normal and non-normal distribution) are used for the random variables. The assumption of uncorrelated variables was found to be conservative in comparison to that of negatively correlated soil shear strength parameters. The assumption of non-normal distribution for the random variables can induce a negative effect on the reliability index of the practical range of the seismic bearing capacity.

Seismic performance evaluation of steel frame-steel plate shear walls system based on the capacity spectrum method

This paper presents some methods that the standard acceleration design response spectra derived from the present China code for seismic design of buildings are transformed into the seismic demand spectra, and that the base shear force-roof displacement curve of structure is converted to the capacity spectrum of an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom （SDOF） system. The capacity spectrum method （CSM） is programmed by means of MATLABT.0 computer language. A dual lateral force resisting system of 10-story steel frame-steel plate shear walls （SPSW） is designed according to the corresponding China design codes. The base shear force-roof displacement curve of structure subjected to the monotonic increasing lateral inverse triangular load is obtained by applying the equivalent strip model to stimulate SPSW and by using the finite element analysis software SAP2000 to make Pushover analysis. The seismic performance of this dual system subjected to three different conditions, i.e. the 8-intensity frequently occurred earthquake, fortification earthquake and seldom occurred earthquake, is evaluated by CSM program. The excessive safety of steel frame-SPSW system designed according to the present China design codes is pointed out and a new design method is suggested.

Seismic bearing capacity of strip footing on partially saturated soil using modal response analysis

The present study proposes a novel and simplified methodology to assess the seismic bearing capacity(SBC) of a shallow strip footing by incorporating strength non-linearity arising due to partial saturation of a soil matrix. Furthermore, developed methodology incorporates the modal response analysis of soil layers to assess SBC. A constant matric suction distribution profile has been considered throughout the depth of the soil. The Van Genuchten equation and corresponding fitting parameters have been considered to quantify matric suction in the analysis. SBC has been obtained for three different geomaterials;viz. sand, fly ash and clay, based on their predominant grain size and diverse soil water characteristics curve(SWCC) attributes. Variation of SBC with different modes of vibration and damping ratio are reported for ranges of matric suction pertinent to the geomaterials considered in the study. The relative significance of matric suction on SBC has been reported for suction values within the transition zone of each geomaterial. It is observed that the SBC of sand is drastically reduced, with matric suction reaching beyond the residual suction value. The SBC of fly ash remains constant beyond the residual suction value, whereas the SBC of clay shows an increasing trend toward the practical range of matric suction values.

Seismic Capacity Assessment of Existing RC Buildings in The Sudan by Using Pushover Analysis

Recently, the evaluation of seismic performance of existing buildings has received a great attention. Current research works and observations indicate that The Sudan have low-to-moderate seismic regions. Most of existing buildings are designed only for gravity load. The objective of this paper is to assess the seismic performance of existing RC buildings in The Sudan. Four typical buildings were investigated using pushover analysis according to ATC-40. They were designed according to the Regulations for earthquake-resistant design of buildings in Egypt (ESEE) and International Building Code (IBC2012). Results showed that the buildings designed considering by ESEE and IBC2012 loads were found adequate and satisfied the Immediate Occupancy (IO) acceptance criteria according to ATC-40. The comparison of the pushover curve shows that the stiffness of frames is larger when using ESEE Regulations compared to the IBC2012 design. This means that ESEE design procedure provides a greater capability to resist seismic load than the IBC2012 design.

Evaluation of seismic residual capacity ratio for reinforced concrete structures

Use of indices that quantify the seismic residual capacity of buildings damaged in earthquakes is one way to draw judgements on the building’s safety and possibility of future use.In Japanese damage assessment guidelines,several approximate calculation methods exist to evaluate the residual capacity of buildings based on visually observed damage and simplifying assumptions on the nature of the building’s response mechanism and member capacities.While these methods provide a useful residual capacity ratio that enables a‘relative’comparison be-tween buildings,the exact relationship to a physically meaningful residual capacity is unclear.The aim of this study is to benchmark the‘approximations’of residual capacity.To do so,a shake-table test was conducted on a 14 scale 4-storey RC structure and a residual capacity evaluation was undertaken based on observed damage states.With the help of a numerical model,a benchmark residual capacity at each of the damage states is determined and compared to the approximate residual capacity calculation results via guidelines.It was found that approx-imate methods are generally accurate prior to yield but can become overly conservative post-yield.Simplifying assumptions of equal member deformation capacity used in the residual capacity ratio calculation was found to be suitable given constraints of rapid field evaluations.

Investigation of Effects of Capacity Spectrum Method on Performance Evaluation of Multi-Story Buildings According to the IRAQI Seismic Code Requirements

The aim of this study is to assess the performance objectives defined in the Iraqi Seismic Code (ISC) in order to make a realistic evaluation related to Performance-Based Seismic Design (PBSD) of multi-story reinforced concrete buildings and also to compare and evaluate structural response demands obtained from nonlinear static analysis procedures according to two versions of the capacity spectrum method (CSM) which are recommended in ATC 40 and ATC 55. Two groups of three-dimensional RC buildings with different heights, designed according to Iraqi Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete (IBC), are investigated. Pushover analyses are carried out to determine the nonlinear behavior of the buildings under three different seismic hazard levels, for two Iraqi seismic zones, of earthquake loads. In order to determine performance levels of the buildings, maximum inter-story drift demands and plasticizing sequence are determined and compared with the related limits using the CSM recommended in ATC 40 and ATC 55. From the results of this research, it can be concluded that RC buildings designed according to the Iraqi codes sufficiently provide the performance objectives stipulated in the ISC. Comparing structural response quantities obtained from the two versions of CSM, effects on performance evaluations of the buildings are investigated comparatively, as well.

The use of the node-based smoothed finite element method to estimate static and seismic bearing capacities of shallow strip footings

The node-based smoothed finite element method(NS-FEM)is shortly presented for calculations of the static and seismic bearing capacities of shallow strip footings.A series of computations has been performed to assess variations in seismic bearing capacity factors with both horizontal and vertical seismic accelerations.Numerical results obtained agree very well with those using the slip-line method,revealing that the magnitude of the seismic bearing capacity is highly dependent upon the combinations of various directions of both components of the seismic acceleration.An upward vertical seismic acceleration reduces the seismic bearing capacity compared to the downward vertical seismic acceleration in calculations.In addition,particular emphasis is placed on a separate estimation of the effects of soil and superstructure inertia on each seismic bearing capacity component.While the effect of inertia forces arising in the soil on the seismic bearing capacity is non-trivial,and the superstructure inertia is the major contributor to reductions in the seismic bearing capacity.Both tables and charts are given for practical application to the seismic design of the foundations.

Integration of GIS with the Generalized Reciprocal Method(GRM)for Determining Foundation Bearing Capacity:A Case Study in Opolo,Yenagoa Bayelsa State,Nigeria

This study addresses the pressing need to assess foundation bearing capacity in Opolo,Yenagoa,Bayelsa State,Nigeria.The significance lies in the dearth of comprehensive geotechnical data for construction planning in the region.Past research is limited and this study contributes valuable insights by integrating Geographic Information System(GIS)with the Generalized Reciprocal Method(GRM).To collect data,near-surface seismic refraction surveys were conducted along three designated lines,utilizing ABEM Terraloc Mark 6 equipment,Easy Refract,and ArcGIS 10.4.1 software.This methodology allowed for the determination of key geotechnical parameters essential for soil characterization at potential foundation sites.The results revealed three distinct geoseismic layers.The uppermost layer,within a depth of 0.89 to 1.50 meters,exhibited inadequate compressional and shear wave velocities and low values for oedometric modulus,shear modulus,N-value,ultimate bearing capacity,and allowable bearing capacity.This indicates the presence of unsuitable,soft,and weak alluvial deposits for substantial structural loads.In contrast,the second layer(1.52 to 3.84 m depth)displayed favorable geotechnical parameters,making it suitable for various construction loads.The third layer(15.00 to 26.05 m depth)exhibited varying characteristics.The GIS analysis highlighted the unsuitability of the uppermost layer for construction,while the second and third layers were found to be fairly competent and suitable for shallow footing and foundation design.In summary,this study highlights the importance of geotechnical surveys in Opolo’s construction planning.It offers vital information for informed choices,addresses issues in the initial layer,and suggests secure,sustainable construction options.

湖南省地震灾害风险评估研究

基于最新的地震潜在震源划分成果,该研究对湖南省在不同超越概率水平下的地震危险性进行了分析,并将其作为地震灾害风险评估的关键地震作用输入。通过对湖南省各地区典型建筑典型房屋建筑物进行抽样调查,修正了区域建筑物群体的易损性,结合房屋、人口和GDP等关键承灾体数据,对全省地震灾害风险可能引发的人员死亡和直接经济损失进行了初步评估。结果表明,除常德等局部地区外,湖南省整体地震危险性相对较低。然而,由于建筑物的抗震能力普遍不足,地震可能带来的人员伤亡和经济损失仍需引起关注。特别是在基本设防烈度下,某些局部地区的人员死亡和经济损失尤为严重,呈现出“中等地震引发重大灾害”的不利局面。

考虑构件震害影响的城市桥梁震后通行功能损失评估方法

桥梁作为城市交通网络重要节点,其车辆通行能力在震后救灾和重建过程中起着至关重要的作用。但现有城市桥梁震后损失研究多集中于结构损伤维修成本方面,对桥梁震后车辆通行功能损失研究关注不足,难以为震后紧急救援和桥梁修复决策提供有效指导。因此,本文提出了综合考虑桥梁构件震害破坏及其对车辆通行影响的桥梁震后通行功能损失评估方法。首先,为了更准确地分析地震对桥梁结构整体系统的影响,采用copula函数,开展了考虑桥梁构件破坏相关性的桥梁系统地震易损性分析;其次,提出了地震导致桥梁车辆通行能力损失的评估方法。该方法综合考虑了桥梁结构损伤、承载力下降导致的开放车道减少以及桥梁伸缩缝损坏导致的车辆行驶速度降低等因素影响,因而可以更准确地反映震后桥梁车辆通行能力;最后,通过一个4跨连续梁桥算例发现相较于现有评估方法,本文提出的城市桥梁震后通行功能损失评估方法具有准确度更高、离散程度和不确定性更小的特点。与传统的定性和主观震后桥梁功能损失评估方法相比,本项研究提出的分析方法从物理层面考虑了桥梁构件震害对桥梁车辆通行能力的具体影响,为震后决策过程提供了一个数学模型。

Simplified stiffness-based approach for seismic performance evaluation of moment-resisting frame

Based on the concept of stiffness degradation, a damage index of the whole frame and the storey is proposed for the frame seismic performance evaluation. The index is compatible with the non-linear static analysis （e. g. the pushover analysis）, and the structural damage is considered via plastic hinges. Simultaneously, a practical approach is developed to obtain the relationships between the proposed index and earthquake intensities based on the capacity spectrum method. The proposed index is then illustrated through two low-rise reinforced concrete frames, and it is also compared with some other indices. The results indicate that the proposed index is on the safe side and not sensitive to the lateral load pattern. The storey index is helpful to reflect the storey damage and to uncover the position of the weak storey. Finally, the relationship between performance levels and damage index values is also proposed through statistical analysis for the performance-based seismic evaluation.

Seismic damage of mountain tunnels during the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake

A number of mountain tunnels suffered significant damage to various extent during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China.Damage ranging from small to heavy cracking was observed both at the portal and inside the tunnels,while some sections close to the faults completely collapsed.A summary of qualitative data collected from reports and papers is presented regarding the behavior of the 55 mountain tunnels near the epicenter during the earthquake.Based on the seismic investigation and data collection of mountain tunnels,the tunnel damage is classified into six most common damage models involving cracking,spalling,shear failure,dislocation,pavement uplift and collapse.Detailed study and discussion are then carried out on the damage models.In order to examine the influencing factors of the damage magnitude of the mountain tunnels,the correlations between epicentral distance,earthquake intensity,overburden depth,geological condition and damage levels are analyzed.The relationships between earthquake parameters and different damagemodels are developed and discussed.Also,suggestions are provided to improve the seismic resistance of mountain tunnels.

Effects of riverbed scour on seismic performance of high-rise pile cap foundation

To explore the seismic performance of a high-rise pile cap foundation with riverbed scour, a finite element model for foundations is introduced in the OpenSees finite element framework. In the model, a fiber element is used to simulate the pile shaft, a nonlinear p-y element is used to simulate the soil-pile interaction, and the p-factor method is used to reflect the group effects. A global and local scour model is proposed, in which two parameters, the scour depth of the same row of piles and the difference in the scour depth of the upstream pile and the downstream pile, are included to study the influence of scour on the foundation. Several elasto-plastic static pushover analyses are performed on this finite element model. The analysis results indicate that the seismic capacity （or supply） of the foundation is in the worst condition when the predicted deepest global scout depth is reached, and the capacity becomes larger when the local scour depth is below the predicted deepest global scout depth. Therefore, to evaluate the seismic capacity of a foundation, only the predicted deepest global scout depth should be considered. The method used in this paper can be also applied to foundations with other soil types.

An improved modal pushover analysis procedure for estimating seismic demands of structures

The pushover analysis （POA） procedure is difficult to apply to high-rise buildings, as it cannot account for the contributions of higher modes. To overcome this limitation, a modal pushover analysis （MPA） procedure was proposed by Chopra et al. （2001）. However, invariable lateral force distributions are still adopted in the MPA. In this paper, an improved MPA procedure is presented to estimate the seismic demands of structures, considering the redistribution of inertia forces after the structure yields. This improved procedure is verified with numerical examples of 5-, 9- and 22-story buildings. It is concluded that the improved MPA procedure is more accurate than either the POA procedure or MPA procedure. In addition, the proposed procedure avoids a large computational effort by adopting a two-phase lateral force distribution..

Seismic vulnerability evaluation of axially loaded steel built-up laced members II:evaluations

The test results described in Part 1 of this paper （Lee and Bruneau, 2008） on twelve steel built-up laced members （BLMs） subjected to quasi-static loading are analyzed to provide better knowledge on their seismic behavior. Strength capacity of the BLM specimens is correlated with the strength predicted by the AISC LRFD Specifications. Assessments of hysteretic properties such as ductility capacity, energy dissipation capacity, and strength degradation after buckling of the specimen are performed. The compressive strength of BLMs is found to be relatively well predicted by the AISC LRFD Specifications. BLMs with smaller kl/r were ductile but failed to reach the target ductility of 3.0 before starting to fracture, while those with larger kl/r could meet the ductility demand in most cases. The normalized energy dissipation ratio, EC/ET and the normalized compressive strength degradation, Cr″/Cr of BLMs typically decrease as normalized displacements δ/δb,exp increase, and the ratios for specimens with larger kl/r dropped more rapidly than for specimens with smaller kl/r; similar trends were observed for the monolithic braces. The BLMs with a smaller slenderness ratio, kl/r, and width-to-thickness ratio, b/t, experienced a larger number of inelastic cycles than those with larger ratios.

Study of seismic behavior of PHC piles with partial normal-strength deformed bars

Nine PHC piles with partial normal-strength deformed bars were prepared in present study,and cyclic loading tests were implemented to evaluate these piles’seismic performance.The influence of the axial compression ratio and the amount of normal-strength deformed bars on failure modes,crack patterns,strength,stiffness,and ductility were examined.The test findings indicate that the change of axial compression ratio has a noticeable influence on the failure mode of PHC piles.A larger axial compression ratio results in a higher cracking bending resistance,ultimate bending resistance,and initial stiffness,but the propagation heights of flexural cracks decrease as the axial compression ratio increases.Furthermore,increasing the amount of normal-strength deformed bars causes a slight decrease in ductility.Finally,a calculation formula was proposed to predict the flexural capacity of PHC piles with partial normal-strength deformed bars.

Performance-based concept on seismic evaluation of existing bridges

Conventional seismic evaluation of existing bridges explores the ability of a bridge to survive under significant earthquake excitations. This approach has several major drawbacks, such as only a single structural performance of near collapse is considered, and the simplified approach of adopting strength-based concept to indirectly estimate the nonlinear behavior of a structure lacks accuracy. As a result, performance-based concepts that include a wider variety of structural performance states of a given bridge excited by different levels of earthquake intensity is needed by the engineering community. This paper introduces an improved process for the seismic evaluation of existing bridges. The relationship between the overall structural performance and earthquakes with varying levels of peak ground acceleration （PGA） can successfully be linked. A universal perspective on the seismic evaluation of bridges over their entire life-cycle can be easily obtained to investigate multiple performance objectives. The accuracy of the proposed method, based on pushover analysis, is proven in a case study that compares the results from the proposed procedure with additional nonlinear time history analyses.