Regional Finite-Fault Source Model for Development of Ground Motion Attenuation Relationship in Sichuan, China

The attenuation relationship of ground motion based on seismology has always been a front subject of engineering earthquake.Among them,the regional finite-fault source model is very important.In view of this point,the general characteristics of regional seism-tectonics,including the dip and depth of the fault plane,are emphasized.According to the statistics of regional seism-tectonics and focal mechanisms in Sichuan,China,and the sensitivity of estimated peak ground acceleration(PGA)attenuation is analyzed,and the dip angle is taken as an average of 70°.Based the statistics of the upper crustal structure and the focal depth of regional earthquakes,the bottom boundary of the sedimentary cover can be used as the upper limit for estimating the depth of upper-edge.The analysis shows that this value is sensitive to PGA.Based on the analysis of geometric relations,the corresponding calculation formula is used,and a set of concepts and steps for building the regional finite-fault source model is proposed.The estimation of source parameters takes into account the uncertainty,the geometric relationship among parameters and the total energy conservation.Meanwhile,a set of reasonable models is developed,which lay a foundation for the further study of regional ground motion attenuation based on seismology.

Vertical-to-horizontal response spectral ratio for offshore ground motions:Analysis and simplified design equation

In order to study the differences in vertical component between onshore and offshore motions,the vertical-to-horizontal peak ground acceleration ratio(V/H PGA ratio) and vertical-to-horizontal response spectral ratio(V/H) were investigated using the ground motion recordings from the K-NET network and the seafloor earthquake measuring system(SEMS).The results indicate that the vertical component of offshore motions is lower than that of onshore motions.The V/H PGA ratio of acceleration time histories at offshore stations is about 50%of the ratio at onshore stations.The V/H for offshore ground motions is lower than that for onshore motions,especially for periods less than 0.8 s.Furthermore,based on the results in statistical analysis for offshore recordings in the K-NET,the simplified V/H design equations for offshore motions in minor and moderate earthquakes are proposed for seismic analysis of offshore structures.

Catalogs of ground motion parameters for earthquake-prone regions in Kazakhstan

The catalogs of ground motion parameters for earthquake-prone regions of Kazakhstan used for modeling seismic effects in seismic hazard assessment and microzonation are presented.

Effects of site conditions on earthquake ground motion and their applications in seismic design in loess region

The Loess Plateau is an earthquake prone region of China, where the effects of loess deposit on ground motion were discovered during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake(Ms8.0) and the 2013 Minxian-Zhangxian earthquake(Ms6.6). The field investigations, observations, and analyses indicated that large number of casualties and tremendous economic losses were caused not only by collapse and damage of houses with poor seismic performance, landslides, but also amplification effects of site conditions, topography and thickness of loess deposit, on ground motion. In this paper, we chose Dazhai Village and Majiagou Village as the typical loess site affected by the two earthquakes for intensity evaluation, borehole exploration, temporary strong motion array, micro tremor survey, and numerical analysis. The aim is to explore the relations between amplification factors and site conditions in terms of topography and thickness of loess deposit. We also developed site amplification factors of ground motion for engineering design consideration at loess sites. The results showed that the amplification effects are more predominant with increase in thickness of loess deposit and slope height. The amplification mayincrease seismic intensity by 1 degree, PGA and predominant period by 2 times, respectively.

An investigation on the ground motion parameters and seismic response of underground structures

Peak ground acceleration (PGA), frequency content and time duration are three fundamental parameters of seismic loading. This study focuses on the seismic load frequency and its effect on the underground structures. Eight accelerograms regarding different occurred earthquakes that are scaled to an identical PGA and variation of ground motion parameters with ratio of peak ground velocity (PGV) to PGA, as a parameter related to the load frequency, are considered. Then, concrete lining response of a circular tunnel under various seismic conditions is evaluated analytically. In the next, seismic response of underground structure is assessed numerically using two different time histories. Finally, effects of incident load frequency and frequency ratio on the dynamic damping of geotechnical materials are discussed. Result of analyses show that specific energy of seismic loading with identical PGA is related to the seismic load frequency. Furthermore, incident load frequency and natural frequency of a system have influence on the wave attenuation and dynamic damping of the system.

Determination of horizontal and vertical design spectra based on ground motion records at Lali tunnel, Iran

Most acceleration diagrams show high levels of unpredictability, as a result, it is the best to avoid using diagrams of earthquake acceleration spect~＇a, even if the diagrams recorded at the site in question. In order to design earthquake resistant structures, we, instead, suggest constructing a design spectrum using a set of spectra that have common characteristics to the recorded acceleration diagrams at a particular site and smoothing the associated data. In this study, we conducted a time history analysis and determined a design spectrum for the region near the Lali tunnel in Southwestern Iran. We selected 13 specific ground motion records from the rock site to construct the design spectrum. To process the data, we first applied a base-line correction and then calculated the signal-to-noise ratio （]~SN） for each record. Next, we calculated the Fourier amplitude spectra of the acceleration pertaining to the signal window （1）, and the Fourier amplitude spectra of the associated noise （2）. After dividing each spectra by the square root of the selected window interval, they were divided by each other （1 divided by 2）, in order to obtain the ~SN ratio （filtering was also applied）. In addition, all data were normalized to the peak ground acceleration （PGA）. Next, the normalized vertical and horizontal responses and mean response spectrum （50%） and the mean plus-one standard deviation （84%） were calculated for all the selected ground motion records at 5% damping. Finally, the mean design spectrum and the mean plus-one standard deviation were plotted for the spectrums. The equation of the mean and the above-mean design spectrum at the Lali tunnel site are also provided, along with our observed conclusions.

Ground motion parameters of Shillong plateau: One of the most seismically active zones of northeastern India

Strong ground motion parameters for Shillong plateau of northeastern India are examined. Empirical relations are obtained for main parameters of ground motions as a function of earthquake magnitude, fault type, source depth, velocity characterization of medium and distance. Correlation between ground motion parameters and characteristics of seismogenic zones are established. A new attenuation relation for peak ground acceleration is developed, which predicts higher expected PGA in the region. Parameters of strong motions, particularly the predominant periods and duration of vibrations, depend on the morphology of the studied area. The study measures low estimates of logarithmic width in Shillong plateau. The attenuation relation estimated for pulse width critically indicates increased pulse width dependence on the logarithmic distance which accounts for geometrical spreading and anelastic attenuation.

Correlation study between ground motion intensity measure parameters and deformation demands for bilinear SDOF systems

The correlation between ground motion intensity measures （IM） and single-degree-of-freedom （SDOF） deformation demands is described in this study. Peak ground acceleration （APG）, peak ground velocity （VPG）, peak ground displacement （DPG）, spectral acceleration at the first-mode period of vibration [As（T1）] and ratio of VPG to APG are used as IM parameters, and the correlation is characterized by correlation coefficients p. The numerical results obtained by nonlinear dynamic analyses have shown good correlation between As（T1） or VPG and deformation demands. Furthermore, the effect of As（T1） and VPG as IM on the dispersion of the mean value of deformation demands is also investigated for SDOF systems with three different periods T=0.3 s, 1.0 s, 3.0 s respectively.

Hybrid Slip Model for Near-Field Ground Motion Estimation Based on Uncertainty of Source Parameters

The hybrid slip model used to generate a finite fault model for near-field ground motion estimation and seismic hazard assessment was improved to express the uncertainty of the source form of a future earthquake.In this process, source parameters were treated as normal random variables, and the Fortran code of hybrid slip model was modified by adding a random number generator so that the code could generate many finite fault models with different dimensions and slip distributions for a given magnitude.Furth...

Study on Site Specific Design Earthquake Ground Motion of Nuclear Power Plants in China

The main technical backgrounds and requirements are introduced with regard to earthquake ground motion design parameters in several domestic and American standards,codes and guides involved in the seismic analysis and design activities of nuclear power plants in China.Based on the research results from site seismic safety evaluation of domestic nuclear power plant projects in the last years,characteristics and differences of site specific design spectra are analyzed in comparison with standard response spectra,and the suitability of standard response spectra for domestic nuclear power plant projects is discussed.

Study on the Relationship of Seismic Design Ground Motion at Different Fortification Levels in the Xinjiang Region

The seismic risk analysis results of 79 cities in Xinjiang are presented, and the bedrock peak ground accelerations under three seismic levels and their ratios are discussed. Then, the relationship between earthquake environments and the seismic risk analysis results of different exceeding probabilities are researched. The results show that minor and major earthquake motion parameters calculated from moderate earthquakes do not have a consistent probability and the ratio of bedrock peak accelerations under different exceedance probabilities are dosdy correlated with earthquake environments.

Study on the severest real ground motion for seismic design and analysis

How to select the adequate real strong earthquake ground motion for seismic analysis and design of structures is an essential problem in earthquake engineering research and practice. In the paper the concept of the severest design ground motion is proposed and a method is developed for comparing the severity of the recorded strong ground motions. By using this method the severest earthquake ground motions are selected out as seismic inputs to the structures to be designed from a database that consists of more than five thousand significant strong ground motion records collected over the world. The selected severest ground motions are very likely to be able to drive the structures to their critical response and thereby result in the highest damage potential. It is noted that for different structures with different predominant natural periods and at different sites where structures are located the severest design ground motions are usually different. Finally, two examples are illustrated to demonstrate the rationality of the concept and the reliability of the selected design motion.

Dynamic-Response Analysis of the Branch System of a Utility Tunnel Subjected to Near-Fault and Far-Field Ground Motions in Different Input Mechanisms

There are few studies on the dynamic-response mechanism of near-fault and far-field ground motions for large underground structures,especially for the branch joint of a utility tunnel(UT)and its internal pipeline.Based on the theory of a 3D viscous-spring artificial boundary,this paper deduced the equivalent nodal force when a P wave and an SV wave were vertically incident at the same time and transformed the ground motion into an equivalent nodal force using a self-developed MATLAB program,which was applied to an ABAQUS finite element model.Based on near-fault and far-field groundmotions obtained fromtheNGA-WEST2 database,the dynamic responses of a utility tunnel and its internal pipeline in different inputmechanisms of near-fault and far-field groundmotions were compared according to bidirectional input and tridirectional input,respectively.Generally,the damage to the utility tunnel caused by the near-fault ground motion was stronger than that caused by the far-field ground motion,and the vertical ground motion of near-fault ground motion aggravated the damage to the utility tunnel.In addition,the joint dislocation of the upper and lower three-way joints of the pipeline in the branch systemunder the seismic action led to local stress concentrations.In general,the branch system of the utility tunnel had good seismic performance to resist the designed earthquake action and protect the internal pipeline fromdamage during the rare earthquake.

Mechanism Design and Motion Analysis of Heavy⁃Load Transfer Robot with Parallel Four⁃Bar Mechanism

Heavy-load transfer robots are widely used in automobile production and machinery manufacturing to improve production efficiency.In order to meet the needs of large billet transfer,a 4-DOF transfer robot is designed in this paper,which consists of parallel four-bar mechanisms.The Jacobian matrix referring to the mapping matrix from the joint velocity to the operating space velocity of the transfer robot can be solved by the differential-vector method.The mean value of the Jacobian matrix condition number in the workspace is used as the global performance index of the robot velocity and the optimization goal.The constraint condition is established based on the actual working condition.Then the linkage length optimization is carried out to decrease the length of the linkage and to increase the global performance index of velocity.The total length of robot rods is reduced by 6.12%.The global performance index of velocity is improved by 45.15%.Taking the optimized rod length as the mechanism parameter,the distribution of the motion space of the transfer robot is obtained.Finally,the results show that the proposed method for establishing the Jacobian matrix of the lower-mobility robot and for the optimization of the rods based on the velocity global performance index is accurate and effective.The workspace distribution of the robot meets the design requirements.

Rating damage potential of ground motion records

In this study, a total of 115,246 ground motions recorded during earthquakes of Moment magnitudes ranging from M_w 5.0 to M_w 9.0 are analyzed statistically. A total of 21 ground motion parameters characterising the recorded acceleration time histories are used in the analysis. Classification of these parameters through statistical correlation is reported and a parameter called "distance from zero-amplitude axis," or d_(Z-A), is formulated in the principal component space. The ability for d_(Z-A) to rate the damage potentials of strong motion records is evaluated through correlation of d_(Z-A) with Japan Meteorological Agency(JMA) instrumental seismic intensities. This parameter can be used to rate damage potential of any strong motion record irrespective of the magnitude and location of the earthquake. It can also be used in selecting ground motion records of appropriate damage potential in seismic design and probabilistic analysis.

Prediction of near-field strong ground motions for scenario earthquakes on active fault

A method to predict near-field strong ground motions for scenario earthquakes on active faults is proposed. First, macro-source parameters characterizing the entire source area, i.e., global source parameters, including fault length, fault width, rupture area, average slip on the fault plane, etc., are estimated by seismogeology survey, seismicity and seismic scaling laws. Second, slip distributions characterizing heterogeneity or roughness on the fault plane, i.e., local source parameters, are reproduced/evaluated by the hybrid slip model. Finally, the finite fault source model, developed from both the global and local source parameters, is combined with the stochastically synthetic technique of ground motion using the dynamic comer frequency based on seismology. The proposed method is applied to simulate the acceleration time histories on three base-rock stations during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Comparisons between the predicted and recorded acceleration time histories show that the method is feasible and practicable.

MOTION ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF ACCUMULATOR FOR HYDRAULIC ROCK DRILL

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Ground Motion and Site Effects on Performance-Based Design

The objective of Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering （PBEE） is the analysis of performance objectives with a specified annual probability of exceedance. Increasingly undesirable performance is caused by increasing levels of strong ground motion having decreasing annual probabilities of exceedance. The development of this methodology includes three steps： （1） evaluation of the distribution of ground motion at a site; （2） evaluation of the distribution of system response; （3） evaluation of the probability of exceeding decision variables within a given time period, given appropriate damage measures. The work has taken a systematic approach to determine the impact of increasing levels of detail in site characterization on the accuracy of ground motion and site effects predictions. Complementary studies have investigated the use of the following models for evaluating site effects： （1） amplification factors defined on the basis of generalized site categories, （2） one-dimensional ground response analysis, and （3） two-dimensional ground response analysis for surface topography on ground motion. The paper provides a brief synthesis of ground motion and site effects analysis procedures within a Performance-Based Design framework. It focuses about the influence on the evaluation of site effects in some active regions by different shear waves velocity measurements Down Hole （D-H）, Cross Hole （C-H）, Seismic Dilatometer Marchetti Test （SDMT） and by different variation of shear modulus and damping ratio with strain level and depth from different laboratory dynamic tests for soil characterization： Resonant Column Test （RCT）, Cyclic Loading Torsional Shear Test （CLTST）.

Seismic Ground Motion Zoning Maps of the Pangxi Region

The seismotectonic environment and seismic activity in Southwest China region were studied based on new data and new results obtained during the Eighth and Ninth Five-Year Plans, the seismic areas and zones and potential seismic source zones were determined, and the relation between seismic activity parameters and ground motion attenuation was determined. Finally the seismic ground motion zoning maps of the Pangxi region was compiled by using the multi-parameter and multi-scheme method.