Generalized response displacement methods for seismic analysis of underground structures with complex cross section

The response displacement method(RDM)is recommended for the seismic analysis of underground structures in the transverse direction for many codes,including bases for design of structures-seismic actions for designing geotechnical works(ISO 23469)and code for seismic design of urban rail transit structures(GB 50909-2014).However,there are some obvious limitations in the application of RDM.Springs and the shear stress of the soil could be approximately evaluated for the structures having a simple cross section,such as rectangular and circular structures.It is necessary to propose simplified seismic analysis methods for structures with complex cross sections.This paper refers to the idea of RDM and proposes three generalized response displacement methods(GRDM).In GRDM1,a part of the soil surrounding a structure is selected to generate a generalized underground structure with a rectangular cross section,and the same analysis model as RDM is applied to analyze the responses of the structure.In GRDM2,a hollow soil model without a generalized structure is used to compute the equivalent load caused by the relative displacement of the soil,and the soil-structure interaction model is applied to calculate the responses of the structure.In GRDM3,a continuous soil model is applied to compute the equivalent load caused by the relative displacement and shear stress of the soil,and the soil-structure interaction model is applied to analyze the responses of the structure,which is the same as the model used in GRDM2.The time-history analysis method(THAM)is used to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed simplified methods.Results show that the error of GRDM1 is about 20%,while the error is only 5%for GRDM2 and GRDM3.Among the three proposed methods,GRDM3 has obvious advantages regarding calculation efficiency and accuracy.Therefore,it is recommended to use GRDM3 for the seismic response analysis of underground structures that have conventional simple or complex cross sections.

Application of thermodynamics-based rate-dependent constitutive models of concrete in the seismic analysis of concrete dams

This paper discusses the seismic analysis of concrete dams with consideration of material nonlinearity. Based on a consistent rate-dependent model and two thermodynamics-based models, two thermodynamics-based rate-dependent constitutive models were developed with consideration of the influence of the strain rate. They can describe the dynamic behavior of concrete and be applied to nonlinear seismic analysis of concrete dams taking into account the rate sensitivity of concrete. With the two models, a nonlinear analysis of the seismic response of the Koyna Gravity Dam and the Dagangshan Arch Dam was conducted. The results were compared with those of a linear elastic model and two rate-independent thermodynamics-based constitutive models, and the influences of constitutive models and strain rate on the seismic response of concrete dams were discussed. It can be concluded from the analysis that, during seismic response, the tensile stress is the control stress in the design and seismic safety evaluation of concrete dams. In different models, the plastic strain and plastic strain rate of concrete dams show a similar distribution. When the influence of the strain rate is considered, the maximum plastic strain and plastic strain rate decrease.

Seismic Analysis of the Connections of Buried Segmented Pipes

Seismic analysis of buried pipes has been one study focus during the last decades,but the systematic seismic research of pipe connections,especially its relationship with the connected straight pipe,is nearly blank.On the basis,the influence of pipe connections on the joint deformations(JDs)of buried segmented pipes is analyzed in detail by considering different parameters,namely,connection shapes,ground conditions,pipe diameters,branch angles,seismic incident angles,and input ground motions.Moreover,an influence coefficient,which measures the influence of pipe connections on pipe JDs,is calculated.Results show that pipe connections can reduce the JDs of segmented pipes by 40%-50%.Furthermore,the JD is more sensitive to the connection shape,ground condition and pipe diameter than the incident angle and characteristics of seismic waves.An influence coefficient of 0.65 is recommended conservatively for the design of the buried segmented pipes.

Seismic Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Silos under Far-Field and Near-Fault Earthquakes

Silos are strategical structures used to stockpile various types of granular materials.They are highly vulnerable to earthquake excitation and have been frequently reported to fail at a higher rate than any other industrial structure.The seismic response of silos within the near-fault region will suffer a complex combination of loadings due to the unique characteristics of the near-fault ground motions;which are usually associated with a large amplitude pulse at the beginning of either the velocity or the displacement time histories.This study aims to numerically evaluate the seismic response of reinforced concrete cylindrical silos under near-fault ground motions(NFGM)and far-field ground motions(FFGM).The assessment investigates the impact of the slenderness ratio and the para-meters’influence on the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete silos.The validity of the Eurocode provisions in the structural safety of silos will also be inspected.The nonlinear time history analysis is carried out through the finite element approach by examining four silos with different slenderness ratios.The concrete damage plas-ticity model is assigned to the silo wall to simulate the nonlinear behavior of concrete in the plastic zone;while,the behavior of the stored material is represented by the Drucker-Prager plastic model.The wall-granular material interaction is considered and defined by coulomb’s friction theory.The results of the near-fault records reveal a growth up to 72.8%in the hoop stress and 160.4%in the vertical stress compared to the far-field earthquakes.Consequently,the seismic response of reinforced concrete silos is highly sensitive to the type of ground motion,and slender silos tend to impose greater structural demand under the NFGM.Additionally,The Eurocode-8 seismic provisions were adequate in the conventional far-field ground motions and less effective in the near-fault zone.

Seismic fragility analysis of clay-pile-pier systems considering the optimization of ground motion intensity measures

The performance of clay-pile-pier system under earthquake shaking was comprehensively examined via three-dimensional finite element analyses,in which the complex stress-strain relationships of a clay and piled pier system were depicted by a hyperbolic-hysteretic and an equivalent elastoplastic model,respectively.One hundred twenty ground motions with varying peak accelerations were considered,along with the variations in bridge superstructure mass and pile flexural rigidity.Comprehensive comparison studies suggested that peak pile-cap acceleration and peak pile-cap velocity are the optimal ground motion intensity measures for seismic responses of the pier and the pile,respectively.Furthermore,based on two optimal ground motion intensity measures and using curvature ductility to quantify different damage states,seismic fragility analyses were performed.The pier generally had no evident damage except when the bridge girder mass was equal to 960 t,which seemed to be comparatively insensitive to the varying pile flexural rigidity.In comparison,the pile was found to be more vulnerable to seismic damage and its failure probabilities tended to clearly reduce with the increment of pile flexural rigidity,while the influence of the bridge girder mass was relatively minor.

Comparison of seismic fragility analysis methods for arch dams

This study focuses on the seismic fragility analysis of arch dams.The multiple stripe analysis(MSA),cloud analysis(CLA),and incremental dynamic analysis(IDA)methods are compared.A comprehensive dam-reservoir-foundation rock system,which considers the opening of contraction joints,the nonlinearity of dam concrete and foundation rock,the radiation damping effect of semi-unbounded foundation,and the compressibility of reservoir water,is used as a numerical example.225,80,and 15 earthquake records are selected for MSA,CLA,and IDA,respectively.The results show that MSA provides satisfactory fragility analysis,while both CLA and IDA have assumptions that may lead to deviations.Therefore,MSA is the most reliable method among the three methods and is recommended for the fragility analysis of arch dams.It is also shown that the choice of demand level affects the reliability of fragility curves and the effect of the material uncertainty on the fragility of the dam is not significant.

A Seismic Facies Analysis to Determine the Relative Age and History of the Al Idrissi Mud Volcano from Offshore Larache Located in the NW Moroccan Atlantic Margin

Formed on top of the Gulf of Cadiz, the Al Idrissi mud volcano is the shallowest and largest mud volcano in the El Arraiche mud volcano field of the northwestern Moroccan margin. The development and morphology of mud volcanoes from the El Arraiche mud volcanoes group have been studied at a large scale. However, the time interval related to their formation period still needs to be better understood. In this regard, we interpreted and analyzed the seismic facies from the 2D reflection data of the GEOMARGEN-1 campaign, which took place in 2011. The aim was to identify the seismic sequences and draw the Al Idrissi mud volcano system to determine the formation period of the Al Idriss mud volcano. And as a result, the Al Idrissi mud volcano system is made of both buried and superficial bicone and was identified along with the Upper Tortonian to Messinian-Upper Pliocene facies. As the initial mud volcano extrusive edifice, the buried bicone was formed in the Late-Messinian to Early-Pliocene period. However, the superficial bicone, as the final extrusive edifice, was included in the Late Pliocene. In this case, the timing interval between the buried and superficial bicone is equivalent to the Late-Messinian to Upper-Pliocene period. Therefore, the latter corresponds to the Al Idrissi mud volcano formation period.

South China Sea Typhoon Hagibis enhanced Xinfengjiang Reservoir seismicity

There was an evident increase in the number of earthquakes in the Xinfengjiang Reservoir from June to July 2014 after the landing of Typhoon Hagibis.To understand the spatial and temporal evolution of this microseismicity,we built a high-precision earthquake catalog for 2014 and relocated 2275 events using recently developed methods for event picking and catalog construction.Seismicity occurred in the southeastern part of the reservoir,with the preferred fault plane orientation aligned along the Heyuan Fault.The total seismic energy peaked when the typhoon passed through the reservoir,and seismicity correlated with typhoon energy.In contrast,a limited seismic response was observed during the later Typhoon Rammasun.Combining data regarding the water level in the Xinfengjiang Reservoir and seismicity frequency changes in the Taiwan region during these two typhoon events,we suggest that typhoon activity may increase microseism energy by impacting fault stability around the Xinfengjiang Reservoir.Whether a fault can be activated also depends on how close the stress accumulation is to its failure point.

Numerical analysis on seismic response of Shinkansen bridge-train interaction system under moderate earthquakes

This study is intended to evaluate the influence of dynamic bridge-train interaction （BTI） on the seismic response of the Shinkansen system in Japan under moderate earthquakes. An analytical approach to simulate the seismic response of the BTI system is developed. In this approach, the behavior of the bridge structure is assumed to be within the elastic range under moderate ground motions. A bullet train car model idealized as a sprung-mass system is established. The viaduct is modeled with 3D finite elements. The BTI analysis algorithm is verified by comparing the analytical and experimental results. The seismic analysis is validated through comparison with a general program. Then, the seismic responses of the BTI system are simulated and evaluated. Some useful conclusions are drawn, indicating the importance of a proper consideration of the dynamic BTI in seismic design.

Seismic analysis of semi-gravity RC cantilever retaining wall with TDA backfill

The seismic behavior of Tire Derived Aggregate （TDA） used as backfill material of 6.10 m high retaining walls was investigated based on nonlinear time-history Finite Element Analysis （FEA）. The retaining walls were semi- gravity reinforced concrete cantilever type. In the backfill, a 2.74 m thick conventional soil layer was placed over a 3.06 m thick TDA layer. For comparison purpose, a conventional all soil-backfill model was also developed, and the analysis results from the two models under the Northridge and Takatori earthquakes were compared. The FEA results showed that both models did not experience major damage in the backfill under the Northridge earthquake. However, under the Takatori earthquake, the TDA-backfiU model developed substantially large displacement in the retaining walls and in the backfill compared with the soil-backfill model. Regions of large plastic strain were mainly formed in the TDA layer, and the soil over the TDA layer did not experience such large plastic strain, suggesting less damage than the soil-backfill model. In addition, the acceleration on the backfill surface of the TDA-backfill model decreased substantially compared with the soil-backfill model. If an acceleration sensitive structure is placed on the surface of the backfill, the TDA backfill may induce less damage to it.

Seismic analysis of a super high-rise steel structure with horizontal strengthened storeys

Horizontal strengthened storeys are widely used in super high-rise steel structures to improve the lateral structural rigidity.This use has great effects on the seismic properties of the entire structure.The seismic properties of the Wuhan International Securities Building (a 68-storey super high-rise steel structure with three horizontal strengthened storeys) were evaluated in this study.Two approaches,i.e.,mode-superposition response spectrum analysis and time-history analysis,were employed to calculate the seismic response of the structure.The response spectrum analysis indicated that transition parts near the three strengthened storeys were weak zones of the structure because of the abrupt change in rigidity.In the response spectrum analysis approach,the Square Root of Sum of Square (SRSS) method was recommended when the vertical seismic effects could be ignored.However,the complete quadratic combination (CQC) method was superior to SRSS method when the vertical seismic effects should be considered.With the aid of time-history analysis,the seismic responses of the structure were obtained.The whiplash effect that spectrum analysis cannot reveal was observed through time-history analysis.This study provides references for the seismic design of super high-rise steel structures with horizontal strengthened storeys.

Seismic analysis of long tunnels:A review of simplified and unified methods

Seismic analysis of long tunnels is important for safety evaluation of the tunnel structure during earthquakes.Simplified models of long tunnels are commonly adopted in seismic design by practitioners,in which the tunnel is usually assumed as a beam supported by the ground.These models can be conveniently used to obtain the overall response of the tunnel structure subjected to seismic loading.However,simplified methods are limited due to the assumptions that need to be made to reach the solution,e.g.shield tunnels are assembled with segments and bolts to form a lining ring and such structural details may not be included in the simplified model.In most cases,the design will require a numerical method that does not have the shortcomings of the analytical solutions,as it can consider the structural details,non-linear behavior,etc.Furthermore,long tunnels have significant length and pass through different strata.All of these would require large-scale seismic analysis of long tunnels with three-dimensional models,which is difficult due to the lack of available computing power.This paper introduces two types of methods for seismic analysis of long tunnels,namely simplified and unified methods.Several models,including the mass-spring-beam model,and the beam-spring model and its analytical solution are presented as examples of the simplified method.The unified method is based on a multiscale framework for long tunnels,with coarse and refined finite element meshes,or with the discrete element method and the finite difference method to compute the overall seismic response of the tunnel while including detailed dynamic response at positions of potential damage or of interest.A bridging scale term is introduced in the framework so that compatibility of dynamic behavior between the macro-and meso-scale subdomains is enforced.Examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the simplified and the unified methods.

Regularity classification and corresponding analysis method requirements of horizontally curved bridges with unequal pier heights

The seismic behavior of horizontally curved bridges,particularly with unequal height piers,is more complicated than that of straight bridges due to their geometric properties.In this study,the seismic responses of several horizontally curved single-column-bent viaducts with various degrees of curvature and different pier heights have been investigated,employing three different analysis approaches:namely,modal pushover analysis,uniform load method,and nonlinear time history analysis.Considering the investigated bridge configurations and utilizing the most common regularity indices,the results indicate that viaducts with 45-degree and 90-degree deck subtended angles can be categorized as regular and moderately irregular,respectively,while the bridges with 180-degree deck subtended angle are found to be highly irregular.Furthermore,the viaducts whose pier heights are asymmetric may be considered as irregular for almost all ranges of the deck subtended angles.The effects of higher transverse and longitudinal modes are discussed and the minimum analysis requirements are identified to assess the seismic response of such bridge configurations for design purposes.Although the Regularity Indices used here are useful tools to distinguish between regular and irregular bridges,further studies are needed to improve their reliability.

Dynamic characterization of tailing dam using fully coupled dynamic analysis with different boundary conditions-a case study

The seismic response analysis of a tailing dam is studied using a fully coupled effective stress approach in conjunction with an advanced multi yield surface plastic constitutive model for tailing material.Strain controlled static and cyclic triaxial tests were carried out to obtain the constitutive model for the tailing material.The tailing materials were collected from the Rampura Agucha tailing dam(Rajasthan State,India).A 2D nonlinear finite element(FE)model was then developed using different boundary conditions from the tailing embankment constructed using the downstream and upstream method of rising using OpenSees software.In first case,the model boundary was fixed in both the X and Y directions,and in the second case,viscous dashpots were introduced for both side and horizontal boundaries.The model was validated with experimental results on tailing material.Analyses were carried out considering five different earthquake motions,which were applied at the base.Comparisons of the different boundary conditions in terms of displacement flow vectors,pore pressure and stress-strain curves during shaking are presented.From the analysis,it was observed that the viscous boundary condition replicates the actual field conditions more accurately than the fixed boundary condition.In addition,it was found that the tailing embankment constructed by the downstream and upstream method of rising is not susceptible to liquefaction and lateral spreading for earthquake motions,even for a magnitude>5.5.

Vector-intensity measure based seismic vulnerability analysis of bridge structures

This paper presents a method for seismic vulnerability analysis of bridge structures based on vector-valued intensity measure （viM）, which predicts the limit-state capacities efficiently with multi-intensity measures of seismic event. Accounting for the uncertainties of the bridge model, ten single-bent overpass bridge structures are taken as samples statistically using Latin hypercube sampling approach. 200 earthquake records are chosen randomly for the uncertainties of ground motions according to the site condition of the bridges. The uncertainties of structural capacity and seismic demand are evaluated with the ratios of demand to capacity in different damage state. By comparing the relative importance of different intensity measures, Sa（T1） and Sa（T2） are chosen as viM. Then, the vector-valued fragility functions of different bridge components are developed. Finally, the system-level vulnerability of the bridge based on viM is studied with Duunett- Sobel class correlation matrix which can consider the correlation effects of different bridge components. The study indicates that an increment IMs from a scalar IM to viM results in a significant reduction in the dispersion of fragility functions and in the uncertainties in evaluating earthquake risk. The feasibility and validity of the proposed vulnerability analysis method is validated and the bridge is more vulnerable than any components.

Unsupervised seismic facies analysis using sparse representation spectral clustering

Traditional unsupervised seismic facies analysis techniques need to assume that seismic data obey mixed Gaussian distribution.However,fi eld seismic data may not meet this condition,thereby leading to wrong classifi cation in the application of this technology.This paper introduces a spectral clustering technique for unsupervised seismic facies analysis.This algorithm is based on on the idea of a graph to cluster the data.Its kem is that seismic data are regarded as points in space,points can be connected with the edge and construct to graphs.When the graphs are divided,the weights of the edges between the different subgraphs are as low as possible,whereas the weights of the inner edges of the subgraph should be as high as possible.That has high computational complexity and entails large memory consumption for spectral clustering algorithm.To solve the problem this paper introduces the idea of sparse representation into spectral clustering.Through the selection of a small number of local sparse representation points,the spectral clustering matrix of all sample points is approximately represented to reduce the cost of spectral clustering operation.Verifi cation of physical model and fi eld data shows that the proposed approach can obtain more accurate seismic facies classification results without considering the data meet any hypothesis.The computing efficiency of this new method is better than that of the conventional spectral clustering method,thereby meeting the application needs of fi eld seismic data.

Seismic risk analysis of coastal area of Pakistan

Estimation of seismic hazard for the fast developing coastal area of Pakistan is carried out using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. On the basis of seismotectonics and geology, eleven faults are recognized in five seismic provinces as potential hazard sources. Maximum magnitude potential for each of these sources is calculated. Peak ground acceleration (PGA) values at the seven coastal cities due to the maximum credible earthquake on the relevant source are also obtained. Cities of Gwadar and Ormara with acceleration values of 0.21g and 0.25g respectively fall in the high seismic risk area. Cities of Turbat and Karachi lie in low seismic risk area with acceleration values of less than 0.1g. The Probabilistic PGA maps with contour interval of 0.05g for 50 and 100 years return period with 90% probability of non-exceedance are also compiled.

Seismic hazard analysis for central-western Argentina

In this study, we present a PSHA（Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis） for the city of San Juan, which is located in the central-western region of Argentina（30°S-35.5°S; 66.5°W-71°W）. In addition to crustal earthquakes provided by catalogues, recent paleoseismological and neotectonic investigations have permitted to consider events which occurred during the last 400 years.Four seismogenic sources that could cause damages to the studied site corresponding to Precordillera,Western Sierras Pampeanas, Basement of the Cuyana Basin and Cordillera Principal were identified.Based on the evaluation of the contribution of these sources,maximum moment magnitudes above 7.5（Mw） are expected.High values of SA（spectral acceleration）（0.2 and 1 s periods） and PGA（peak ground acceleration） were found in the city of San Juan, which suggests that it is located in a zone of high seismic hazard.Finally, the obtained SA spectra were compared with the seismic-resistant construction standards of Argentina INPRES-CIRSOC 103 [1]. Results suggest that for the city of San Juan and for a return period of475 years, it covers the seismic requirements of the structures.

Copula joint function and its application in probability seismic hazard analysis

A mature mathematical technique called copula joint function is introduced in this paper, which is commonly used in the financial risk analysis to estimate uncertainty. The joint function is generalized to the n-dimensional Frank’s copula. In addition, we adopt two attenuation models proposed by YU and Boore et al, respectively, and construct a two-dimensional copula joint probabilistic function as an example to illustrate the uncertainty treatment at low probability. The results show that copula joint function gives us a better prediction of peak ground motion than that resultant from the simple linear weight technique which is commonly used in the traditional logic-tree treatment of model uncertainties. In light of widespread application in the risk analysis from financial investment to insurance assessment, we believe that the copula-based technique will have a potential application in the seismic hazard analysis.

Complex Seismic Focus Structure and Earthquake-Triggered Landslide Distribution:Analysis of the 2014 Ludian M_w6.1 Earthquake in Yunnan

Objective The 2014 Ludian Mw6.1 earthquake in Yunnan occurred in a mountainous area with complex tectonics and topography, which caused serious damage as well as co-seismic landslides of an unusual large scale. Because the suspected seismogenic faults on the surface, distribution of aftershocks and focal mechanism solutions are not consistent, it remains difficult to determine what is the real causal fault or seismogenic structure for this event. Actually, it may imply the complicity of the seismic source at depth. In addition, the distribution of the co- seismic landslides also exhibits some diffusion that is different from general eases, likely associated with the seismic focus structure.