Probabilistic analysis of tunnel face seismic stability in layered rock masses using Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodel

Face stability is an essential issue in tunnel design and construction.Layered rock masses are typical and ubiquitous;uncertainties in rock properties always exist.In view of this,a comprehensive method,which combines the Upper bound Limit analysis of Tunnel face stability,the Polynomial Chaos Kriging,the Monte-Carlo Simulation and Analysis of Covariance method(ULT-PCK-MA),is proposed to investigate the seismic stability of tunnel faces.A two-dimensional analytical model of ULT is developed to evaluate the virtual support force based on the upper bound limit analysis.An efficient probabilistic analysis method PCK-MA based on the adaptive Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodel is then implemented to investigate the parameter uncertainty effects.Ten input parameters,including geological strength indices,uniaxial compressive strengths and constants for three rock formations,and the horizontal seismic coefficients,are treated as random variables.The effects of these parameter uncertainties on the failure probability and sensitivity indices are discussed.In addition,the effects of weak layer position,the middle layer thickness and quality,the tunnel diameter,the parameters correlation,and the seismic loadings are investigated,respectively.The results show that the layer distributions significantly influence the tunnel face probabilistic stability,particularly when the weak rock is present in the bottom layer.The efficiency of the proposed ULT-PCK-MA is validated,which is expected to facilitate the engineering design and construction.

Slope stability analysis under seismic load by vector sum analysis method

The vibration characteristics and dynamic responses of rock and soil under seismic load can be estimated with dynamic finite element method （DFEM）. Combining with the DFEM, the vector sum analysis method （VSAM） is employed in seismic stability analysis of a slope in this paper. Different from other conventional methods, the VSAM is proposed based on the vector characteristic of force and current stress state of the slope. The dynamic stress state of the slope at any moment under seismic load can he obtained by the DFEM, thus the factor of safety of the slope at any moment during earthquake can be easily obtained with the VSAM in consideration of the DFEM. Then, the global stability of the slope can be estimated on the basis of time-history curve of factor of safety and reliability theory. The VSAM is applied to a homogeneous slope under seismic load. The factor of safety of the slope is 1.30 under gravity only and the dynamic factor of safety under seismic load is 1.21. The calculating results show that the dynamic characteristics and stability state of the slope with input ground motion can be actually analyzed. It is believed that the VSAM is a feasible and practical approach to estimate the dynamic stability of slopes under seismic load.

Dynamic behavior of single-layer latticed cylindrical shells subjected to seismic loading

The single-layer latticed cylindrical shell is one of the most widely adopted space-fl'amed structures.In this paper,free vibration properties and dynamic response to horizontal and vertical seismic waves of single-layer latticed cylindrical shells are analyzed by the finite element method using ANSYS software.In the numerical study,where hundreds of cases were analyzed,the parameters considered included rise-span ratio,length-span ratio,surface load and member section size.Moreover,to better define the actual behavior of single-layer latticed shells,the study is focused on the dynamic stress response to both axial forces and bending moments.Based on the numerical results,the effects of the parameters considered on the stresses are discussed and a modified seismic force coefficient method is suggested.In addition,some advice based on these research results is presented to help in the future design of such structures.

Topology optimization of shear wall structures under seismic loading

A topology optimization formulation is developed to find the stiffest structure with desirable material distribution subjected to seismic loads. Finite element models of the structures are generated and the optimality criteria method is modified using a simple penalty approach and introducing fictitious strain energy to simultaneously consider both material volume and displacement constraints. Different types of shear walls with/without opening are investigated. Additionally, the effects of shear wall-frame interaction for single and coupled shear walls are studied. Gravity and seismic loads are applied to the shear walls so that the definitions provide a practical approach for locating the critical parts of these structures. The results suggest new viewpoints for architectural and structural engineering for placement of openings.

Earth slope reliability analysis under seismic loadings using neural network

A new method was proposed to cope with the earth slope reliability problem under seismic loadings. The algorithm integrates the concepts of artificial neural network, the first order second moment reliability method and the deterministic stability analysis method of earth slope. The performance function and its derivatives in slope stability analysis under seismic loadings were approximated by a trained multi-layer feed-forward neural network with differentiable transfer functions. The statistical moments calculated from the performance function values and the corresponding gradients using neural network were then used in the first order second moment method for the calculation of the reliability index in slope safety analysis. Two earth slope examples were presented for illustrating the applicability of the proposed approach. The new method is effective in slope reliability analysis. And it has potential application to other reliability problems of complicated engineering structure with a considerably large number of random variables.

A computational platform for considering the effects of aerodynamic and seismic load combination for utility scale horizontal axis wind turbines

The wide deployment of wind turbines in locations with high seismic hazard has led engineers to take into account a more comprehensive seismic design of such structures. Turbine specific guidelines usually use simplified methods and consider many assumptions to combine seismic demand with the other operational loads effecting the design of these structures. As the turbines increase in size and capacity, the interaction between seismic loads and aerodynamic loads becomes even more important. In response to the need for a computational tool that can perform coupled simulations of wind and seismic loads, a seismic module is developed for the FAST code and described in this research. This platform allows engineers working in this industry to directly consider interaction between seismic and other environmental loads for turbines. This paper details the practical application and theory of this platform and provides examples for the use of different capabilities. The platform is then used to show the suitable earthquake and operational load combination with the implicit consideration of aerodynamic damping by estimating appropriate load factors.

Behaviour of Earth Dam under Seismic Load Considering Nonlinearity of the Soil

The stability and safety are very important issues for the dam structure which are built in seismic regions. The dam body consists of soil materials that behave nonlinearly modelled with finite elements. The numerical investigation employs a fully nonlinear finite element analysis considering linear and elastic-plastic constitutive model to describe the material properties of the soil. In this paper, seismic analysis of an earthen dam is carried out using Geo-Studio software based on finite element method. Initially, the in-situ stress state analysis has been done before the earthquake established, and then its results are used in the seismic analysis as a parent analysis. A complete parametric study is carried out to identify the effects of input motion characteristics, soil behaviour and strength of the shell and core materials on the dynamic response of earthen dams. The real earthquake record is used as input motions. The analysis gives the overall pattern of the dam behaviour in terms of contours of displacements and stresses.

Optimal seismic design of reinforced concrete structures under timehistory earthquake loads using an intelligent hybrid algorithm

A reliable seismic-resistant design of structures is achieved in accordance with the seismic design codes by designing structures under seven or more pairs of earthquake records. Based on the recommendations of seismic design codes, the average time-history responses （ATHR） of structure is required. This paper focuses on the optimal seismic design of reinforced concrete （RC） structures against ten earthquake records using a hybrid of particle swarm optimization algorithm and an intelligent regression model （IRM）. In order to reduce the computational time of optimization procedure due to the computational efforts of time-history analyses, IRM is proposed to accurately predict ATHR of structures. The proposed IRM consists of the combination of the subtractive algorithm （SA）, K-means clustering approach and wavelet weighted least squares support vector machine （WWLS-SVM）. To predict ATHR of structures, first, the input-output samples of structures are classified by SA and K-means clustering approach. Then, WWLS-SVM is trained with few samples and high accuracy for each cluster. 9- and 18-storey RC frames are designed optimally to illustrate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed IRM. The numerical results demonstrate the efficiency and computational advantages of IRM for optimal design of structures subjected to time-history earthquake loads.

A Numerical Study of Wave Propagation and Cracking Processes in Rock-Like Material under Seismic Loading Based on the Bonded-Particle Model Approach

An earthquake is usually followed by a considerable number of aftershocks that play a significant role in earthquake-induced landslides,During the aftershock,the cracking process in rocks becomes more complex because of the formation of faults.In order to investigate the effects of seismic loading on the cracking processes in a specimen containing a single flaw,a numerical approach based on the bonded-particle model(BPM)was adopted to study the seismic loading applied in two orthogonal directions.The results reveal that no transmission and reflection phenomena were observable in the small specimens(76 mm×152 mm)because they were considerably smaller than the wavelength of the P-wave.Furthermore,under seismic loading,the induced crack was solely tensile in nature.Repeated axial seismic loading did not induce crack propagation after the first axial seismic loading.Cracks began to propagate only when the seismic loading direction was changed from axial to lateral,and then back to axial,ultimately resulting in the failure of the specimen.

Non-stationary Buffeting Response Analysis of Long Span Suspension Bridge Under Strong Wind Loading

The non-stationary buffeting response of long span suspension bridge in time domain under strong wind loading is computed. Modeling method for generating non-stationary fluctuating winds with probabilistic model for non-stationary strong wind fields is first presented. Non-stationary wind forces induced by strong winds on bridge deck and tower are then given a brief introduction. Finally,Non-stationary buffeting response of Pulite Bridge in China,a long span suspension bridge,is computed by using ANSYS software under four working conditions with different combination of time-varying mean wind and time-varying variance. The case study further confirms that it is necessity of considering non-stationary buffeting response for long span suspension bridge under strong wind loading,rather than only stationary buffeting response.

Experimental Study on Improving Seismic Behavior of Load-Bearing Masonry Wall Made of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

To investigate the seismic behavior of autoclaved aerated concrete load-bearing masonry wall(AACLMW), a piece of control block wall without constructional measures and five pieces of block walls with different constructional measures were tested under low reversed cyclic loading which imitated low to moderate earthquake force. The seismic behavior of AACLMW with different constructional measures in terms of failure mode, hysteretic curve, deformation capacity and displacement ductility was studied and compared with that without constructional measures. The experimental results indicate that the constructional measures comprising constructional columns and horizontal concrete strips are effective for improving the seismic behavior of AACLMW. The study in this paper can provide a reliable experimental basis for further analysis and engineering application of AACLMW in the future.

Structural System to Resist Seismic Loads on High Rise Reinforced Concrete Structures

The forces of nature represent the biggest challenge for engineering work in general and perhaps the most prominent of these forces. This generated by earthquake where engineering structure is exposed abnormal loads and stresses which places areal burden on structural engineers to find solutions and structural systems to increase resistance and effectiveness of engineering structure especially high rise concrete structures.

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 Load/Unload Response Ratio in the Study of Seismicity in the Region of Iran

The variation of Load/Unload Response Ratio (LURR) against time for earthquakes in Kerman Province, Iran, on February 22, 2005, M6.4 and in Lorestan Province, Iran, on March 31, 2006, M6.1, has been calculated and analysed in this paper. The tempo-spatial scanning of LURR in the region of Iran during January 1, 2003 to March 31, 2006 has been conducted, with 1 year as a time-window, 1 month as a time-step, and the comparison of the LURR anomalous regions in 2004 with the actual earthquakes with M≥5.0 in the next year (2005) is also given, which shows that 11 earthquakes with M≥5.0 occurred in LURR anomalous regions while 12 earthquakes with M≥5.0 in LURR regions in 2005. Furthermore, the seismicity in this region is studied by investigating the evolvement of the anomalous LURR regions.

Experimental study of seismic cyclic loading effects on small strain shear modulus of saturated sands

The seismic loading on saturated soil deposits induces a decrease in effective stress and a rearrangement of the soil-particle structure, which may both lead to a degradation in undrained stiffness and strength of soils. Only the effective stress influence on small strain shear modulus Gmax is considered in seismic response analysis nowadays, and the cyclic shearing induced fabric changes of the soil-particle structure are neglected. In this paper, undrained cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on saturated sands with the shear wave velocity measured by bender element, to study the influences of seismic loading on Gmax. And Gmax of samples without cyclic loading effects was also investigated for comparison. The test results indicated that Gmax under cyclic loading effects is lower than that without such effects at the same effective stress, and also well correlated with the effective stress variation. Hence it is necessary to reinvestigate the determination of Gmax in seismic response analysis carefully to predict the ground responses during earthquake more reasonably.

出踩与面宽方向柱头科斗栱抗震性能对比试验及数值分析

为研究加载方向对斗栱抗震性能的影响,文章基于地震作用的随机性和斗栱出踩与面宽方向的构造差异,对2个足尺柱头科斗栱分别沿出踩和面宽方向进行拟静力试验,得到斗栱的破坏模式、承载力、刚度与强度退化、耗能和变形能力。结果表明:斗栱在出踩和面宽方向分别加载时,大斗均相对平板枋滑移,馒头榫挤压剪断。出踩方向受力时单昂与桃尖梁相对滑移,面宽方向受力时整体明显转动。相比面宽方向受力的斗栱,出踩方向受力的斗栱具有更高的承载力、初始刚度和耗能能力,而变形能力较差。文章开展柱头科斗栱的数值分析,模拟结果与试验结果吻合较好,研究出踩和面宽不同加载方向、轴压荷载、木构件之间摩擦系数和木材弹性模量对其抗震性能的影响。结果表明:面宽方向是柱头科斗栱的最不利受力方向,其正负向承载力比出踩方向分别低19.21%和17.03%;轴压荷载和木构件之间摩擦系数越大,斗栱承载力越大,而木材顺纹弹性模量和横纹径向弹性模量对斗栱的初始刚度和承载力影响较小。

水平双轴加载下带翼缘RC 剪力墙抗震性能试验研究

为了揭示双轴耦合效应对不同截面形式带翼缘RC剪力墙多维抗震性能的影响,对3个T形截面和2个L形截面RC剪力墙分别沿其主轴方向进行了低周往复加载试验,对比分析了水平单、双轴加载下带翼缘RC剪力墙的破坏特征、滞回特性、承载力、延性、极限位移角、耗能能力与钢筋应变。研究表明:T形墙和L形墙的破坏均呈现出明显的非对称性,即破坏集中于墙肢自由端,双轴加载加重了带翼缘RC剪力墙的开裂和损伤程度,且易引起剪力墙局部损伤集中;与单轴加载相比,双轴加载不仅削弱了带翼缘RC剪力墙各受力方向的承载力与变形能力、增大了腹板塑性铰区弯曲变形在总变形中的占比、加速了耗能进程、降低了单个方向的耗能能力,并且增大了腹板与翼缘竖向钢筋的应变以及翼缘的剪力滞后效应;双轴耦合效应对L形墙损伤的影响较T形墙更为显著,并导致双轴加载下L形墙各抗震性能指标的衰减程度大于T形墙。考虑双轴受力后,中国抗震规范关于RC剪力墙层间位移角的限值仍较为安全,但安全冗余度降低。

地震荷载作用下土体变形试验研究

为研究不规则地震荷载对土体变形特性的影响,对砂土试样开展了系统的动三轴试验。试验中分别对3种不同密度砂土试样施加了4条具有不同峰值的不规则地震应力时程及其循环次数为20周的等幅正弦荷载,以便开展对比研究。结果表明:在地震荷载及其等幅循环荷载输入下,砂土试样的应变增长曲线差异显著,荷载类型及荷载波形是影响土单元应变时程发展特征的主要因素。考虑荷载不规则性得到的修正系数受荷载类型和砂土相对密实度的影响,不受输入荷载动应力幅值大小及砂土类型的影响。最后针对地震荷载下土单元变形的计算,给出了以常规的等幅三轴变形试验为依据的估算方法。

大型空泡水洞试验设施结构有限元分析

大型空泡水洞试验设施是目前中国规模最大的水洞系统,为评估其整体结构强度和抗震设计安全性,对空泡水洞结构进行三维有限元数值分析,考虑正常工作工况和地震载荷作用极限工况下的结构刚强度,基于振型分解反应谱法计算了地震惯性加速度载荷,并对结构地震位移响应进行校核。结果表明:空泡水洞的结构变形在正常工作工况主要表现为水洞内壁的膨胀变形,在极限工况下主要表现为由地震载荷引起的水洞顶部水平位移;空泡水洞高应力区域主要位于结构角隅处的筒壁和加强筋。这对中国自主研发大型空泡水洞具有重要的借鉴意义。

基于爆破荷载等效施加方法的振动波形预测与古建筑安全评估

隧道爆破开挖产生的振动对邻近的古建筑有着不容忽视的安全影响,为研究爆破振动波的传播规律以及预测地面振动效应和分析临近古建筑结构的安全性,以拉卜楞隧道为依托,采用现场实测结合数值模拟分析的方法,预测爆破荷载作用下拉卜楞寺的动力响应。结果表明:(1)随着单响总药量的增加,质点振动速度增大,衰减比也随之增大,说明高频振动衰减快,低频振动衰减慢;(2)通过理论计算将爆破荷载等效施加在弹性边界或隧道开挖轮廓面上,动力模拟结果表明在大于40 m的中远区两者振速变化规律趋于一致,故将荷载施加在开挖轮廓面上是合理的;(3)爆破地震波自由界面处体波经过反射形成沿表面传播的Rayleigh波,结合数值模拟山体内部地震波的传播规律发现,经反射叠加山体内部形成复杂的振动区;(4)当地震波到达拉卜楞寺最近点时,径向振速峰值为0.000672 cm/s,垂向振速峰值为0.000448 cm/s,合成振速峰值为0.000807 cm/s,远小于古建筑安全振动控制标准。