Effect of burial depth of a new tunnel on the seismic response of an existing tunnel

Burial depth is a crucial factor affecting the forces and deformation of tunnels during earthquakes.One key issue is a lack of understanding of the effect of a change in the buried depth of a single-side tunnel on the seismic response of a double-tunnel system.In this study,shaking table tests were designed and performed based on a tunnel under construction in Dalian,China.Numerical models were established using the equivalent linear method combined with ABAQUS finite element software to analyze the seismic response of the interacting system.The results showed that the amplification coefficient of the soil acceleration did not change evidently with the burial depth of the new tunnel but decreased as the seismic amplitude increased.In addition,the existing tunnel acceleration,earth pressure,and internal force were hardly affected by the change in the burial depth;for the new tunnel,the acceleration and internal force decreased as the burial depth increased,while the earth pressure increased.This shows that the earth pressure distribution in a double-tunnel system is relatively complex and mainly concentrated on the arch spandrel and arch springing of the relative area.Overall,when the horizontal clearance between the center of the two tunnels was more than twice the sum of the radius of the outer edges of the two tunnels,the change in the burial depth of the new tunnel had little effect on the existing one,and the tunnel structure was deemed safe.These results provide a preliminary understanding and reference for the seismic performance of a double-tunnel system.

Durability evaluation for existing railway engineering: a review

Purpose – This study aims to analyze the factors, evaluation techniques of the durability of existing railwayengineering.Design/methodology/approach – China has built a railway network of over 150,000 km. Ensuring thesafety of the existing railway engineering is of great significance for maintaining normal railway operationorder. However, railway engineering is a strip structure that crosses multiple complex environments. Andrailway engineering will withstand high-frequency impact loads from trains. The above factors have led todifferences in the deterioration characteristics and maintenance strategies of railway engineering compared toconventional concrete structures. Therefore, it is very important to analyze the key factors that affect thedurability of railway structures and propose technologies for durability evaluation.Findings – The factors that affect the durability and reliability of railway engineering are mainly divided intothree categories: material factors, environmental factors and load factors. Among them, material factors alsoinclude influencing factors, such as raw materials, mix proportions and so on. Environmental factors varydepending on the service environment of railway engineering, and the durability and deterioration of concretehave different failure mechanisms. Load factors include static load and train dynamic load. The on-site rapiddetection methods for five common diseases in railway engineering are also proposed in this paper. Thesemethods can quickly evaluate the durability of existing railway engineering concrete.Originality/value – The research can provide some new evaluation techniques and methods for thedurability of existing railway engineering.

Operation optimization strategy of existing residential building energy-saving renovation market:From the perspective of subject behavior

The energy-saving renovation of existing residential buildings is a crucial measure to achieve the strategic goal of energy conservation and emission reduction in China and build ecologically livable cities.This article focuses on the perspective of subject behavior,starting from analyzing the current situation and difficulties of the operation of the energy-saving renovation market for existing residential buildings in China,drawing on the practical experience of the operation of the existing residential building energy-saving renovation market abroad.Based on principles such as systematicity,humanization,feasibility,and sustainability,the article constructs an operation optimization system of the existing residential building energy-saving renovation market from the perspective of subject behavior.In order to provide a reference for the healthy and orderly operation of the existing residential building energy-saving renovation market,this paper proposes implementation strategies for optimizing the operation of the existing residential building energy-saving renovation market.Suggestions are proposed from four aspects:optimizing the market environment,innovating the financing model,building the information sharing platform,and utilizing the synergies of the main subjects.

FNM method for estimating reliability of existing bridges

Combined with current specifications and stress characteristics of concrete filled steel tubular （CFST） arch bridges, the determination principle of safe-middle-failure threestage mode is given. Accordingly, damage probability and failure probability and the corresponding reliability indices are calculated; a direct relationship between reliability indices and three-stage working status is made. Based on the three-stage working mode, a combined FNM （finite element-neural network- Monte-Carlo simulation） method is put forward to estimate the reliability of existing bridges. According to time-dependent reliability theory, subsequent service time is divided into several stages; minimum samples required by the Monte-Carlo method are generated by random sampling; training samples are calculated by the finite element method, and the training samples are extended by the neural network; failure probability and damage probability are calculated by the Monte-Carlo method. Thus, time dependent reliability indices are obtained, and the working status is judged. A case study is investigated to estimate the reliability of an actual bridge by the FNM method. The bridge is a CFST arch bridge with an 83.6 m span and it has been in operation for 10 years. According to analysis results, in the tenth year, the example bridge is still in safe status. This conclusion is consistent with the facts, which proves the feasibility of the FNM method for estimating the reliability of existing bridges.

Existing State and Partitioning of Rare Earth on Weathered Ores

The existing state and partitioning of rare earth （RE） on weathered ores in Longnan County（LN）, Xingfeng County（XF） and Ninghua County（NH） were characterized systematically by standard geological analytical methods. It is found that RE in the weathered rare earth ores exist as four phases： （a） water soluble, （b） ion-exchangeable, （c） colloidal sediment （oxides）, （d） minerals, in which mainly as ion exchangeable phase, accounting for nearly 80% of total RE, with about 20% in the form of colloid sediment phase and mineral phase, but very little as aqueous soluble phase. These rare earth partitioning were mainly chosen mid-heavy RE elements, occupying above 60%, but not equal in the four phases. The mid-heavy RE elements were primarily enriched in the ion exchangeable phase up to 40%, while the containment of cerium dioxide is below 2 %. The cerium deficiency occurs in the ion exchangeable phase in weathered ore. It results from that the Ce^3＋ is oxidized into Ce^4＋ and changes into CeO2. For LN ore, the containment of Y is high in weathered ore because Y-minerals are abundant in original rock.

Existing forms of REE in gold-bearing pyrite of the Jinshan gold deposit,Jiangxi Province,China

Rare earth element(REE) is widely used in various fields of geology.Study of the existing forms of REE in geological objects is a necessity for us to solve geological problems related with REE.This paper tried to make it clear the existing forms of REE in gold-bearing pyrite in Jinshan gold deposit by stepwise dissolution test with ICP-MS analysis.Results showed that content of REE in fluid-inclusions of gold-bearing pyrite was very low,which only took about 0.07%–0.70% of the ΣREE,and that of pyrite phase ...

Seismic hazard level reduction for existing buildings considering remaining building lifespans

Seismic hazard levels lower than those for design of new buildings have been permitted for seismic evaluation and retrofi t of existing buildings due to the relatively short remaining lifespans. The seismic hazard reduction enables costeff ective seismic evaluation and retrofi t of existing buildings with limited structural capacity. The current study proposes seismic hazard reduction factors for Korea, one of low to moderate seismicity regions. The seismic hazard reduction factors are based on equal probabilities of non-exceedance within diff erent remaining building lifespans. A validation procedure is proposed to investigate equality of seismic risk in terms of ductility-based limit states using seismic fragility assessment of nonlinear SDOF systems, of which retrofi t demands are determined by the displacement coeffi cient method of ASCE 41-13 for diff erent target remaining building lifespans and corresponding reduced design earthquakes. Validation result shows that the use of seismic hazard reduction factors can be permitted in conjunction with appropriate lower bounds of the remaining building lifespans.

Resilience-based retrofitting of existing urban RC-frame buildings using seismic isolation

The improvement of the seismic resilience of existing reinforced-concrete(RC) frame buildings, which is essential for the seismic resilience of a city, has become a critical issue. Although seismic isolation is an effective method for improving the resilient performance of such buildings, target-oriented quantitative improvements of the resilient performance of these buildings have been reported rarely. To address this gap, the seismic resilience of two existing RC frame buildings located in a high seismic intensity region of China were assessed based on the Chinese Standard for Seismic Resilience Assessment of Buildings. The critical engineering demand parameters(EDPs) affecting the seismic resilience of such buildings were identified. Subsequently, the seismic resilience of buildings retrofitted with different isolation schemes(i.e., yield ratios) were evaluated and compared, with emphasis on the relationships among yield ratios, EDPs, and levels of seismic resilience. Accordingly, to achieve the highest level of seismic resilience with respect to the Chinese standard, a yield ratio of 3% was recommended and successfully applied to the target-oriented design for the seismic-resilience improvement of an existing RC frame building. The research outcome can provide an important reference for the resilience-based retrofitting of existing RC frame buildings using seismic isolation in urban cities.

Existing form and action mechanism of minor scandium and zirconium in Al-Cu-Mg alloy

In order to investigate the existing form and action mechanism of minor scandium （Sc） and zirconium （Zr） in AI-Cu-Mg alloy, microstructures of Al-4Cu-1Mg-Sc-Zr alloy under different conditions, including states of as-cast, homogenized, hot-rolled, as-solution and natural aged, were observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffractometry （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. It is revealed that Sc and Zr are completely dissolved into the supersaturated solid solution in as-cast ingot, but grain refinement is not observed. Coffee-bean-like AI3（Sc, Zr） particles deposit during homogenization of ingot induce an increase in hardness. Al3（Sc, Zr） particles are slightly coarsened in as-solution samples, but they still maintain coherent to matrix, which indicates a high thermal stability of these particles. Good coherency ofAl3（Sc, Zr） particles makes some benefits for inhibiting recrystallization and reserving work-hardening.

Deterioration mechanism and rapid detection of performances of an existing subgrade in southern China

To relieve the increasing traffic load, many early built highways need to be widened or reconstructed. The rapid performance detection to existing subgrades is important to their reasonable evaluation and maximized utilization. Based on five kinds of soils taken from an existing highway in southern China, three commonly detecting methods were used to determine their moisture contents, compaction degrees and resilient moduli. The results showed that the measured moisture contents were greater than the design value, and the compaction degrees decreased sharply compared to the original ones. The moisture and heat exchange produced a decrease in the resilient modulus of plate loading test(PLT) from the standard 60 MPa down to 40 MPa. Afterwards, the portable falling weight deflectometer(PFWD) and dynamic cone penetrometer(DCP) were used to evaluate the subgrade performances. The measured PFWD moduli and the DCP penetration rates were correlated with the resilient moduli of PLT, deflections of the Beckman beam test, compaction degrees and moisture contents. The correlation analysis indicates that both of two methods are suitable in rapid detecting subgrade performances, but PFWD method is more recommended for it has higher accuracy and efficiency.

Fragility Curves of Existing RC Buildings Based on Specific Structural Performance Levels

In seismic risk mitigation policies, fragility functions of existing buildings play a fundamental role. In this paper, a procedure to develop analytical fragility curves for Moment Resisting Frame Reinforced Concrete buildings is presented. The design of the selected building typologies was performed according to the codes at the time of construction using force-based methods and the state of the practice at the time of construction. A total of 216 building classes were defined, considering different ages, number of storeys, infill panels, plan dimensions, beam stiffness, and concrete strength. The investigated buildings can be considered low-engineered buildings, using no seismic codes or old seismic codes. The seismic capacity of the selected models representing the existing RC buildings has been evaluated through non-linear dynamic simulations. Seismic response has been analyzed, considering various peak and integral intensity measures and various response parameters, such as ductility demands and Interstorey Drift Ratio (IDR). A new relationship among structural performance, damage levels and interstorey drift ratios for each studied type is introduced, which is calibrated using the damage levels described in EMS98. It is important to highlight that in this study, different thresholds of IDR have been associated with different typologies, considering their different ductility member levels after their different structural responses. Fragility Curves (FCs) for the studied structural types are set up, developed and discussed.

The influence of the underpassing frozen connecting passage on the deformation of the existing tunnel

Based on the engineering background of the contact channel between Shangyang and Gushan of Fuzhou Metro Line 2 undercrossing the existing tunnel line,the freezing temperature field of the contact channel,the displacement field of the existing tunnel line and the contact channel with different net distances and horizontal angles are analyzed by ANSYS finite element software and field measurement method.The obtained results indicate that during the freezing period,the temperature drops at different measuring holes are almost the same.The temperature near the bottom freezing tube drops faster than that far from the tube.It is found that the bilateral freezing technique improves the formation of the freezing wall in the intersection area.In this case,the intersection time of the cross-section is 7 days faster than that of the adjacent ordinary section.The change curve of the displacement of the surface uplift in different freezing periods with the distance from the center of the channel is“M”shaped.The maximum uplift displacement at 12 m from channel center is 25 mm.The vertical displacement of the measuring point located above the central axis of the connecting channel is large.The farther the point from the central axis,the smaller the corresponding vertical displacement.When the horizontal angle between the existing tunnel and the connecting channel is less than 60,the existing vertical displacement of the tunnel changes rapidly with the horizontal angle,reaching 0.17 mm/.Meanwhile,when the net distance is less than 6.1 m,the change rate of the vertical displacement of the tunnel is up to 2.4 mm/m.

Stability Analysis of Cross-Channel Excavation for Existing Anchor Removal Project in Subway Construction

The cutter head will be stuck when the shield machine pass through the area existing anchor left by foundation construction of surrounding high-rise building.Subsurface excavation method is an efficient way to remove the existed anchor.In this paper,a three-dimensional finite element model is developed to study stability of cross-channel excavation.The time-spatial effects of arch crown settlement,intrados uplift and side wall horizontal convergence are analyzed according to different excavation size,lining thickness and lining order.The results show that the excavation size is the main factor to control the deformation of the surrounding soil,especially in arch crown settlement;The influence of lining thickness on the spatial effect of surrounding soil deformation is obvious when the excavation size is large,but little on the time effect;The influence of the lining order on the deformation of the surrounding soil is obvious,in particular,the larger the excavation size,the more obvious advantages of the lining order.Finally,based on the time-spatial effects comparison of nine excavation schemes of the cross-channel,an optimum excavation scheme is adopted in the actual project.

Promoting energy efficiency reconstruction for existing buildings based on comprehensive benefit evaluation

The purpose of the comprehensive benefit evaluation of the existing building energy saving renovation project is to promote the healthy development of the energy saving reconstruction. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect the value and function of incentive and restraint. The concrete embodiment is that: improving energy saving standard renovation of existing buildings, promoting the construction of energy efficiency labeling system, and strengthening the construction of government supervision system by the comprehensive benefit evaluation.

Reliability-based service life prediction of existing concrete structures under marine environment

Chloride-induced corrosion of the reinforcement is considered as one of the major mechanisms resulting in the reduction of structural resistance of reinforced concrete structural elements located in marine and other aggressive environments. A study of reinforced concrete structures located at the Fangcheng dock in the Beibu Gulf port, China, was present. The result from field survey indicates that the concrete cover depth and chloride diffusion coefficient fit best normal distribution and lognormal distribution, respectively. The service life of structure is about 55 a, while initiation time is 45 a. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the most influential factor of the structure service life prediction is concrete cover, followed by diffusion coefficient, diffusion decay index, critical chloride concentration, surface chloride concentration, current density and localized pitting corrosion. Finally, the effects of diffusion decay index and critical chloride concentration on structure service life prediction are discussed.

Safety Aspects of Sustainable Storage Dams and Earthquake Safety of Existing Dams

The basic element in any sustainable dam project is safety, which includes the following safety elements： O structural safety, dam safety monitoring, operational safety and maintenance, and emergency planning. Long-term safety primarily includes the analysis of all hazards affecting the project; that is, hazards from the natural environment, hazards from the man-made environment, and project-specific and site-specific hazards. The special features of the seismic safety of dams are discussed. Large dams were the first structures to be systematically designed against earthquakes, starting in the 1930s. How- ever, the seismic safety of older dams is unknown, as most were designed using seismic design criteria and methods of dynamic analysis that are considered obsolete today. Therefore, we need to reevaluate the seismic safety of existing dams based on current state-of-the-art practices and rehabilitate deficient dams. For large dams, a site-specific seismic hazard analysis is usually recommended. Today, large dams and the safety-relevant elements used for controlling the reservoir after a strong earthquake must be able to withstand the ground motions of a safety evaluation earthquake. The ground motion parameters can be determined either by a probabilistic or a deterministic seismic hazard analysis. During strong earthquakes, inelastic deformations may occur in a dam; therefore, the seismic analysis has to be car- ried out in the time domain. Furthermore, earthquakes create multiple seismic hazards for dams such as ground shaking, fault movements, mass movements, and others. The ground motions needed by the dam engineer are not real earthquake ground motions but models of the ground motion, which allow the safe design of dams. It must also be kept in mind that darn safety evaluations must be carried out several times during the long life of large storage dams. These features are discussed in this paper.

Estimation of the behavior factor of existing RC-MRF buildings

In recent years, several research groups have studied a new generation of analysis methods for seismic response assessment of existing buildings. Nevertheless, many important developments are still needed in order to define more reliable and effective assessment procedures. Moreover, regarding existing buildings, it should be highlighted that due to the low knowledge level, the linear elastic analysis is the only analysis method allowed. The same codes（such as NTC2008, EC8） consider the linear dynamic analysis with behavior factor as the reference method for the evaluation of seismic demand. This type of analysis is based on a linear-elastic structural model subject to a design spectrum, obtained by reducing the elastic spectrum through a behavior factor. The behavior factor（reduction factor or q factor in some codes） is used to reduce the elastic spectrum ordinate or the forces obtained from a linear analysis in order to take into account the non-linear structural capacities. The behavior factors should be defined based on several parameters that influence the seismic nonlinear capacity, such as mechanical materials characteristics, structural system, irregularity and design procedures. In practical applications, there is still an evident lack of detailed rules and accurate behavior factor values adequate for existing buildings. In this work, some investigations of the seismic capacity of the main existing RC-MRF building types have been carried out. In order to make a correct evaluation of the seismic force demand, actual behavior factor values coherent with force based seismic safety assessment procedure have been proposed and compared with the values reported in the Italian seismic code, NTC08.

Investment risk evaluation of existing building energy-saving renovation project for ESCO

The investment risk management of the existing building energy-saving renovation project for ESCO cannot be separated from the scientific risk measurement and evaluation. The investment risk assessment is the basis of investment decision and project implementation. Based on the content analysis and balance of evaluation principle of investment risk evaluation on the existing building energy-saving renovation project, we set up three levels of existing building energy-saving renovation project investment risk evaluation index system, use fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to evaluate the quantitative process, get the scientific assessment of the investment risk of existing building energy-saving renovation project, and support the investment risk response strategy and control measures of existing building energy-saving renovation project for ESCO.

Construction practice of market system for energy saving renovation of existing buildings

The energy-saving reconstruction market of existing buildings is a complex system.It includes three subsystems:service market,capital market and technology market.The service market takes the relationship between energy service companies and owners as the core to establish service associated relationships.The capital market is based on the mechanism of"investment guarantees and risk sharing"to form structures of the capital market.The technology market relies on the"industry-university-research"mode to build technology supporting platforms.Being interdependent and mutually restricted,the three subsystems form the complete system of existing buildings in energy-saving reconstruction.