Incremental dynamic analysis of concrete gravity dams including base and lift joints

The growth in computer processing power has made it possible to use time-consuming analysis methods such as incremental dynamic analysis（IDA） with higher accuracy in less time.In an IDA study,a series of earthquake records are applied to a structure at successively increasing intensity levels,which causes the structure to shift from the elastic state into the inelastic state and finally into collapse.In this way,the limit-states and capacity of a structure can be determined.In the present research,the IDA of a concrete gravity dam considering a nonlinear concrete behavior,and sliding planes within the dam body and at the dam-foundation interface,is performed.The influence of the friction angle and lift joint slope on the response parameters are investigated and the various limit-states of the dam are recognized.It is observed that by introducing a lift joint,the tensile damage can be avoided for the dam structure.The lift joint sliding is essentially independent of the base joint friction angle and the upper ligament over the inclined lift joint slides into the upstream direction in strong earthquakes.

Equating incremental dynamic analysis with static nonlinear analysis at near-field excitation

In an incremental dynamic analysis(IDA) using a set of ground motion records,nonlinear time history analysis needs to be performed on structures.It is well recognized that IDA calls for high computational efforts and the results are highly sensitive to selected ground motions.As a result,alternative static methods are needed.This study aims to introduce a new double-stage(N1- N2) static method to estimate capacity curves of MR frames.The technique is regulated to resemble IDA results with specific emphasis on near-field ground motions.Using an ensemble of 56 near-field earthquake records,required ID As have been carried out for SAC-Los Angeles 3-,9- and 20-story buildings and an additional 15-story building.The results of the proposed static method are compared with those from IDA,displacement-based adaptive procedure(DAP),and multimodal procedure(MMP).The results indicate that in addition to enhanced accuracy,very little time is required in the case of N1-N2 method.Thus,for the 3-story structure,the time required is less than 1 minute.The proposed N1-N2 method shows the best accuracy in terms of lateral mechanisms for the 15-story frame while for the other cases,the first mode load pattern leads to the best accuracy.

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.

Exceeding probability analysis for rail of high-speed railway under seismic excitations

Purpose–The smoothness of the high-speed railway(HSR)on the bridge may exceed the allowable standard when an earthquake causes vibrations for HSR bridges,which may threaten the safety of running trains.Indeed,few studies have evaluated the exceeding probability of rail displacement exceeding the allowable standard.The purposes of this article are to provide a method for investigating the exceeding probability of the rail displacement of HSRs under seismic excitation and to calculate the exceeding probability.Design/methodology/approach–In order to investigate the exceeding probability of the rail displacement under different seismic excitations,the workflow of analyzing the smoothness of the rail based on incremental dynamic analysis(IDA)is proposed,and the intensity measure and limit state for the exceeding probability analysis of HSRs are defined.Then a finite element model(FEM)of an assumed HSR track-bridge system is constructed,which comprises a five-span simply-supported girder bridge supporting a finite length CRTS II ballastless track.Under different seismic excitations,the seismic displacement response of the rail is calculated;the character of the rail displacement is analyzed;and the exceeding probability of the rail vertical displacement exceeding the allowable standard(2mm)is investigated.Findings–The results show that:(1)The bridge-abutment joint position may form a step-like under seismic excitation,threatening the running safety of high-speed trains under seismic excitations,and the rail displacements at mid-span positions are bigger than that at other positions on the bridge.(2)The exceeding probability of rail displacement is up to about 44%when PGA 50.01g,which is the level-five risk probability and can be described as’very likely to happen’.(3)The exceeding probability of the rail at the mid-span positions is bigger than that above other positions of the bridge,and the mid-span positions of the track-bridge system above the bridge may be the most hazardous area for the running safety of trains under seismic excitation when high-speed trains run on bridges.Originality/value–The work extends the seismic hazardous analysis of HSRs and would lead to a better understanding of the exceeding probability for the rail of HSRs under seismic excitations and better references for the alert of the HSR operation.

Evaluation of collapse resistance of RC frame structures for Chinese schools in seismic design categories B and C

According to the Code for Seismic Design of Buildings （GB50011-2001）, ten typical reinforced concrete （RC） frame structures, used as school classroom buildings, are designed with different seismic fortification intensities （SFIs） （SFI=6 to 8.5） and different seismic design categories （SDCs） （SDC=B and C）. The collapse resistance of the frames with SDC=B and C in terms of collapse fragility curves are quantitatively evaluated and compared via incremental dynamic analysis （IDA）. The results show that the collapse resistance of structures should be evaluated based on both the absolute seismic resistance and the corresponding design seismic intensity. For the frames with SFI from 6 to 7.5, because they have relatively low absolute seismic resistance, their collapse resistance is insufficient even when their corresponding SDCs are upgraded from B to C. Thus, further measures are needed to enhance these structures, and some suggestions are proposed.

Vulnerability of ordinary moment resistant concrete frames

The effects of structural modeling （bar slip in lap splice）, ground motion selection process （epsilon effect） and size of a structure （number of bays and stories） on the fragility of reinforced concrete ordinary moment resisting frames are investigated. An analytical model is developed to account for bar slip in lap splice, which exhibits good correlation with existing experimental data. Then, incremental dynamic analysis is used to derive the fragility curves for four model structures. The model structures simulate frames with a different number of bays and stories. Finally, the fragility curves are corrected for the epsilon effect. The results show that slip in the lap splice can significantly increase the failure probability, especially for the collapse prevention limit state. At the same time, it is found that spectral shape has a significant impact on the fragility curves. It is also found that accounting for or ignoring bar slip or epsilon effects increases the probability of failure for larger structures. This indicates an unconservative bias in the safety of larger structures.

Development of fragility curves by incorporating new spectral shape indicators and a weighted damage index:case study of steel braced frames in the city of Mashhad,Iran

In this study, strong ground motion record （SGMR） selection based on Eta （~/） as a spectral shape indicator has been investigated as applied to steel braced flame structures. A probabilistic seismic hazard disaggregation analysis for the definition of the target Epsilon （ε） and the target Eta （η） values at different hazard levels is presented, taking into account appropriately selected SGMR＇s. Fragility curves are developed for different limit states corresponding to three representative models of typical steel braced frames having significant irregularities in plan, by means of a weighted damage index. The results show that spectral shape indicators have an important effect on the predicted median structural capacities, and also that the parameter r/is a more robust predictor of damage than searching for records with appropriate c values.

Seismic performance evaluation of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete frame structure

The seismic performance of a five-story,four-bay,self-centering precast reinforced concrete frame(SC-RCF),which was redesigned using the direct displacement-based design method,was analytically investigated.The analytical model of the overall structure was developed in OpenSees.The multi-spring contact element was adopted to simulate gap open-close behavior at connection interfaces.The limit states of external mild steel dampers and unbonded post-tensioning strands were considered.Static pushover analyses were performed up to the roof drift of 10%.The nonlinear dynamic responses under four groups of ground motions(with different fault distances and site conditions)at six hazard levels(from the service to the very rare earthquake(VRE))were compared.Incremental dynamic analyses were implemented to quantify the structural collapse risk.The results showed that the structural responses of SC-RCF were satisfactory under all levels of earthquakes.The collapse safety of the structure under earthquakes up to VRE1 was adequate,while the structure would collapse to a large extent under VRE2 and VRE3.

A macro-level global seismic damage model considering higher modes

For modal pushover analysis procedures, the model proposed by Ghobarah et al. （called the G model hereafter, 1999） has been extended to account for the contributions of transient higher modes to global seismic damage of structures excited by strong ground motions. The proposed model has physically and perfectly bridged the G model and the final softening model proposed by DiPasquale and Cakmak （1988）. Modal damage indexes corresponding to all considered vibration modes are combined by the CQC rule or the SRSS rule. Incremental dynamic analysis （IDA） is performed on three example RC frames to validate the proposed model, and a comprehensive comparison is carried out. The demonstration indicates that the proposed model is easy to implement and reflects the influence of the transition in transient vibration periods and modes on structural damage evolution. Some limitations associated with the proposed model are also addressed. Further experimental validations are needed to improve the model in the future.

Development of seismic fragility curves for precast concrete frames with cast-in-situ concrete shear-walls

Precast reinforced concrete buildings have been well received in some seismic zones worldwide due to advantages such as the ease and the speed of implementation,and the possibility of working in inappropriate atmospheric conditions.In this research,seismic fragility curves were developed for precast concrete frames with a cast-in-situ concrete shear-wall,concerning the important issues of modeling the precast beam-column joints,construction quality,and soil type effects.For this purpose,the incremental dynamic analysis(IDA)was conducted for three-dimensional models of 3-,5-,and 8-story buildings under two record sets corresponding to soil types C and D of the NEHRP code.Beam-column joints were modeled using nonlinear rotational springs with rigid links with respect to the finite size of the joint panel.Results demonstrate that the Weibull distribution can be fitted to the damage state capacities better than the lognormal distribution at the intensities that are more than one standard deviation away from the median damage capacity.The seismic vulnerability of precast structures increases at all damage states as the height of the building increases.It is also observed that soil type has almost no considerable effect on the fragility curve parameters for all damage states considered herein.

Assessment of seismic design response factors of concrete wall buildings

To verify the seismic design response factors of high-rise buildings, five reference structures, varying in height from 20- to 60-stories, were selected and designed according to modern design codes to represent a wide range of concrete wall structures. Verified fiber-based analytical models for inelastic simulation were developed, considering the geometric nonlinearity and material inelasticity of the structural members. The ground motion uncertainty was accounted for by employing 20 earthquake records representing two seismic scenarios, consistent with the latest understanding of the tectonic setting and seismicity of the selected reference region （UAE）. A large number of Inelastic Pushover Analyses （IPAs） and Incremental Dynamic Collapse Analyses （IDCAs） were deployed for the reference structures to estimate the seismic design response factors. It is concluded that the factors adopted by the design code are adequately conservative. The results of this systematic assessment of seismic design response factors apply to a wide variety of contemporary concrete wall buildings with various characteristics.

Estimation of drift limits for different seismic damage states of RC frame staging in elevated water tanks using Park and Ang damage index

Damage to elevated water tanks in past earthquakes can be attributed to the poor performance of their supporting frame staging. In order to ascertain the performance of these elevated water tanks, it is crucial to categorize the damage in quantifiable damage states. Among various parameters to quantify the damage states, the top drift of frame staging can be conveniently correlated to the different damage levels. In literature, drift limits corresponding to different damage states of the frame staging of the elevated water tank are not available. In the present study, drift limits for RC frame staging in elevated water tanks corresponding to different seismic damage states have been proposed. Various damage states of the elevated water tank have been determined using the Park and Ang damage index. The Park and Ang damage index utilizes results of both pushover analysis and incremental dynamic analysis. Twelve models of elevated water tanks have been developed considering variation in staging height and tank capacity. Incremental dynamic analysis has been performed using the suite of twelve actual earthquake ground motions. Based on the regression analysis between damage indexes and drift, limiting drift values for each damage state are proposed.

A Coupled Soil-Fluid-Structure Simulation of the Near-Field Earthquake Effects on Gravity Type Quay-Walls

This study focuses on non-linear seismic response of concrete gravity quay-wall structures subjected to near-fault ground motions, a subject which seems not to have received much attention in the literature. A two-dimensional coupled fluid-structure-soil finite element modelling is employed to obtain the quay-wall response. The seawater medium is represented by acoustic type, potential based fluid elements. The elasto-plastic behavior of the soil medium is idealized using Drucker-Prager yield criterion based on associated flow rule assumption. Four nodded plane strain elements are used to model the concrete wall, foundation, subsoil, backfill and seabed zones. Fluid Structure Interface （FSI） elements are considered between the seawater interfaces with the quay-wall and the seabed. Frictional contact elements are employed between the wall and soil interfaces. The numerical model is validated using field measurements available for permanent drifts in a quay-wall damaged during Kobe earthquake. Reasonable agreements are obtained between the model predictions and the field measurements. Non-linear seismic analyses of the selected quay-wall subjected to both near-fault and far-fault ground motions are performed. An incremental dynamic analysis approach （IDA） is used. In general, at least for models examined in the current study, the gravity quay-walls are found to be more vulnerable to near-field, in comparison with the corresponding far-field, earthquakes.

Cavitation Bubble Luminescence in Cone-Type Throttle Valve

In light of the light emission from cavitation bubbles under certain conditions, the phenomena of the cavitation bubble luminescence in the hydraulic cone-type throttle valve is focused in this paper. Firstly,the software of automatic dynamic incremental nonlinear analysis( ADINA) is applied to studying the flow field of the flow channel of the cone-type throttle valve. And the pressure distribution of the valve flow channel is obtained. The easyhappening area of cavitation in the cone-type throttle valve is also found out by ADINA. Then,the experimental research on the conetype throttle valve is carried out in this paper. The changing law of the hydraulic oil temperature in the corresponding region under different system pressure and the backpressure condition are experimentally researched. The relationship between the luminescence intensity and the cavitation intensity,the pressure,and the temperature are also studied. Finally,a summary of the causal relationship between the luminescence and cavitation in the cone-type throttle valve,the cavitation effect on the hydraulic oil temperature,and the method for the inhibition of cavitation bubble luminescence are presented. The results show that the light intensity increases with the increase of the cavitation intensity,and the luminescence can be inhibited by the increase of backpressure.

Influence of spiral anchor composite foundation on seismic vulnerability of raw soil structure

A typical single-layer raw soil structure in villages and towns in China is taken as the research object.In the probabilistic seismic demand analysis,the seismic demand model is obtained by the incremental dynamic time history analysis method.The seismic vulnerability analysis is carried out for the raw soil structure of nonfoundation,strip foundation,and spiral anchor composite foundation,respectively.The spiral anchor composite foundation can reduce the seismic response and failure state of raw soil structure,and the performance level of the structure is significantly improved.Structural requirements sample data with the same ground motion intensity are analyzed by linear regression statistics.Compared with the probabilistic seismic demand model under various working conditions,the seismic demand increases gradually with the increase of intensity.The seismic vulnerability curve is summarized for comparative analysis.With the gradual deepening of the limit state,the reduction effect of spiral anchor composite foundation on the exceedance probability becomes more and more obvious,which can reduce the probability of structural failure to a certain extent.

Higher-order mode effects on the seismic performance of tall piers

A comprehensive analysis was conducted to investigate the seismic performance of a typical tall bridge pier through incremental dynamical analysis(IDA).The effect of higher-order modes was studied specifically.The results showed that higher-order modes significantly contributed to the structural seismic response and should not be neglected.Including these modes resulted in an additional hinge midway up the pier.No plastic hinge would occur at this location for conventional bridge piers.Higher-order modes also led to an out-of-phase response between the hinge rotation at the pier bottom and the displacement at the top.This means that the displacementbased seismic design method cannot correctly predict the mechanical state of the critical hinge and therefore is not suitable for use in the seismic design of tall piers.Mistakenly using the displacement-based seismic design method for tall piers may result in a seriously unsafe condition.

Seismic performance of moment resisting steel frame subjected to earthquake excitations

This study presents static and dynamic assessments on the steel structures. Pushover analysis （POA） and incremental dynamic analysis （IDA） were run on moment resisting steel frames. The IDA study involves successive scaling and application of each accelerogram followed by assessment of the maximum response. Steel frames are subjected to nonlinear inelastic time history analysis for 14 different scaled ground motions, 7 near field and 7 far field. The results obtained from POA on the 3, 6 and 9 storey triangular lateral loading. Uniform loading shows that the steel frames show consistent results for both uniform and steel frames exhibits higher base shear than the triangular loading. The IDA results show that the far field ground motions has caused all steel frame design within the research to collapse while near field ground motion only caused some steel frames to collapse. The POA can be used to estimate the performance-based-seismic-design （PBSD） limit states of the steel frames with consistency while the IDA seems to be quite inconsistent. It is concluded that the POA can be consistently used to estimate the limit states of steel frames while limit state estimations from IDA requires carefully selected ground motions with considerations of important parameters.