Vertical seismic absorber utilizing inertance and negative stiffness implemented with gas springs

A novel implementation of negative stiffness elements(NSEs)is proposed,utilizing industrial grade nitrogen gas springs as pre-stressed stiffness elements in a configuration with lever arms.This NSE is combined with an inerter to form a stiff dynamic absorber(SDA)for vertical seismic protection of structures with base isolation.The SDA is optimized to minimize vertical accelerations while ensuring static structural integrity,excellent damping performance and containment of relative displacements.The introduction of gas springs in place of conventional linear springs addresses important practical limitations through features of non-linearity and industrial grade manufacturing.The proposed implementation is dimensioned for a 50-ton structure and evaluated numerically for 25 actual earthquake records,in comparison with a linear SDA model and an equivalent conventional damper(CD).Individual and averaged results of acceleration and displacement time histories demonstrate vastly superior response compared to CD regarding induced accelerations for similar displacements.Performance equivalency with the linear SDA model indicates the stability of the gas spring implementation while guaranteeing predictability,tested endurance,proper tolerances,and off-axis motion resistance without requiring additional guiding components,as opposed to conventional springs.These features render the proposed implementation a promising solution for the realization of NSEs in seismic protection.

Amplitude Variation with Offset Responses Modeling Study of Walkaway Vertical Seismic Profile Data at CO_2 Geological Storage Site,Ketzin,Germany

An important component of any CO_2 sequestration project is seismic monitoring for tracking changes in subsurface physical properties,such as velocity and density.Different reservoirs have different amplitude variation with offset(AVO) responses,which can define underground conditions. In the present paper we investigate walkaway vertical seismic profile(VSP) AVO response to CO_2 injection at the Ketzin site,the first European onshore CO_2 sequestration pilot study dealing with research on geological storage of CO_2.First,we performed rock physics analysis to evaluate the effect of injected CO_2 on seismic velocity using the Biot-Gassmann equation.On the basis of this model,the seismic response for different CO_2 injection saturation was studied using ray tracing modeling.We then created synthetic walkaway VSP data,which we then processed.In contrast,synthetic seismic traces were created from borehole data.Finally,we found that the amplitude of CO_2 injected sand layer with different gas saturations were increased with the offset when compared with the original brine target layer.This is the typical classⅢAVO anomaly for gas sand layer.The AVO responses matched the synthetic seismic traces very well.Therefore,walkaway VSP AVO response can monitor CO_2 distribution in the Ketzin area.

Study of Vertical Seismic Response of Concrete Self-Anchored Suspension Bridges

Based on the variational prineiple of incomplete generalized potential energy with large deflection, the vertical nonlinear vibrational differential equation of self-anchored suspension bridge is presented by taking the effect of coupling of flexural and axial action into consideration. The linear vertical equation is obtained by omitting the nonlinear term, and the pseudo excitation method(PEM). Taking the self-anchored concrete suspension bridge over Lanqi Songhua river for an example, the expected peak responses of main beam, towers and cables are calculated. And the seismic spatial effects on vertical seismic response of self-anchored suspension bridges are discussed.

Investigation of quality factor frequency content in vertical seismic profile for gas reservoirs

Since long ago, indirect study of the underground layers properties has been interesting to geologists.One method for this study was seismography which gained great interest besides other tools due to thedifferent identity of waves and energy attraction phenomena in different layers. Vertical seismic profiling(VSP) is considered as a valuable method in oil and gas exploration. This method is used to estimate therock properties in a well. In seismic operations elastic waves are sent down to the underground. Part ofthe waves’ energy is reflected after passing through the earth layers and are received by receivers on theground level. The received data determine the situation of the underneath layers after being processed,and one of the most important applications of seismic data is in the oil and gas exploration field. Qualityfactor is one of the most important seismic detectors that shows itself apparently in VSP data results. Themost substantial purpose of this study is to investigate the frequency content of the quality factor.

Seismic behavior and mechanism analysis of innovative precast shear wall involving vertical joints

To study the seismic performance and load-transferring mechanism of an innovative precast shear wall(IPSW) involving vertical joints, an experimental investigation and theoretical analysis were successively conducted on two test walls. The test results confirm the feasibility of the novel joints as well as the favorable seismic performance of the walls, even though certain optimization measures should be taken to improve the ductility. The load-transferring mechanism subsequently is theoretically investigated based on the experimental study. The theoretical results show the load-transferring route of the novel joints is concise and definite. During the elastic stage, the vertical shear stress in the connecting steel frame(CSF) distributes uniformly; and each high-strength bolt(HSB)primarily delivers vertical shear force. However, the stress in the CSF redistributes when the walls develop into the elastic-plastic stage. At the ultimate state, the vertical shear stress and horizontal normal stress in the CSF distribute linearly; and the HSBs at both ends of the CSF transfer the maximum shear forces.

The North-South Seismic Belt： Vertical Deformation Velocity Gradient Research

The vertical deformation gradient can reflect the rate of vertical change in unit distance,and the vertical deformation velocity gradient can reflect the strength of the earth's crust tectonic activities. In this paper,using long period leveling data combined with GPS data,the vertical deformation gradient values are calculated. Leveling data and GPS data are two different means of monitoring deformation,but the result is approximately the same vertical deformation gradient. The results show that the spatial distribution of the vertical deformation velocity gradient and tectonic distribution has an obvious correlation. The most significant gradient anomalies along the North-South Seismic Belt are Xianshuihe fault, Longmenshan fault and Xiaojiang-Zemuhe fault, while the second gradient anomalies in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan plateau are Zhuanglanghe fault and Lenglongling fault. The Menyuan M_S6. 4 earthquake in 2016 occurred in this abnormal area. However,according to the vertical deformation high gradient area distribution,there is also the possibility of an earthquake occurrence in the Tianzhu and Jingtai area.The area of convergence of three major fault zones is the strongest tectonically active region of the North-South Seismic Belt.

Inversion of walkaway VSP data in the presence of lateral velocity heterogeneity

Multi-azimuth walkaway vertical seismic profiling is an established technique for the estimation of in situ slowness surfaces and inferring anisotropy parameters.Normally,this technique requires the assumption of lateral homogeneity,which makes the horizontal slowness components at depths of downhole receivers equal to those measured at the surface.Any violations of this assumption,such as lateral heterogeneity or nonzero dip of intermediate interfaces,lead to distortions in reconstructed slowness surfaces and,consequently,to errors in estimated anisotropic parameters.In this work,we relax the assumption of lateral homogeneity and discuss how to correct vertical seismic profile data for weak lateral heterogeneity.We describe a procedure of downward continuation of recorded traveltimes that accounts for the presence of both vertical inhomogeneity and weak lateral heterogeneity,which produces correct slowness surfaces at depths of downhole receivers,noticing that sufficiently dense receiver coverage along a borehole is required to separate influences of vertical and lateral heterogeneity on measured traveltimes and obtain accurate estimates of the slowness surfaces.Once the slowness surfaces are found and a desired type of anisotropic model to be inverted is selected,the corresponding anisotropic parameters,providing the best fit to the estimated slownesses,can be obtained.We invert the slowness surfaces of P-waves for parameters of the simplest anisotropic model describing dipping fractures(transversely isotropic medium with a tilted symmetry axis).Five parameters of this model,namely,the P-wave velocity V0 in the direction of the symmetry axis,Thomsen's anisotropic coefficients e and d,the tilt n,and the azimuth b of the symmetry axis,can be estimated in a stable manner when maximum source offset is greater than half of receiver depth.

Random Vibration Analysis of Urban Underground Tunnels Under Vertical Earthquake Excitations Based on Mass–Damper–Spring Model

In this paper, the verticalseismic effects on tunnels are studied based on a classic mass–damper–spring model. An analyticaldiscrete modelof urban underground tunnels subjected to verticalearthquake excitations is proposed by considering the first verticalvibration mode. Taking a light railproject in Tianjin as an example, this study uses the proposed discrete modelto analyze the displacements of tunneland soilunder verticalearthquake excitations. The soildisplacement responses at different tunnellocations are analyzed with linear random vibration theory.The computationalcost is greatly reduced using the proposed model. It can be seen that different from the case of horizontalearthquakes, the displacement responses under verticalearthquake excitations keep growing after seismic acceleration reaches its peak for a short duration, and then,they begin to decay. The soils at different positions around the tunnels have large relative displacement under verticalearthquake excitations. Moreover, a finite-element modelis also established for displacement responses using ABAQUS.The comparison with the results of the finite-element modelshows that the results of the proposed discrete modelare available.

Analytical expressions for determining the stability of cohesionless soil slope under generalized seismic conditions

In recent major earthquakes, the researchers have found the need for consideration of vertical seismic acceleration for the stability analysis of the man-made and natural slopes. However, in most past studies, the performance of slopes has been assessed by accounting only the horizontal seismic component of the ground motion, without giving due weightage to the effect of vertical component. In the present study, analytical expressions are derived to determine the factor of safety, yield seismic coefficient and consequently the seismic displacement of cohesionless soil slope under combined horizontal and vertical components of the ground motion. The derivation uses the Newmark's sliding block approach, in which the soil slope with a planar failure surface within the framework of conventional pseudo-static analysis is assumed to follow the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The effects of vertical seismic coefficient on the stability of cohesionless slope have been studied through a set of graphical presentations for a specific range of soil parameters. It is observed that overlooking the effect of the vertical component of the ground motion on factor of safety and the displacement while designing the slope may be detrimental, resulting in the slope failure. The general expressions presented in this paper may be highly useful in the field of earthquake geotechnical engineering practice for designing the cohesionless soil slopes under combined horizontal and vertical seismic loads.

Ambient noise as the new source for urban engineering seismology and earthquake engineering: a case study from Beijing metropolitan area

In highly populated urban centers, traditional seismic survey sources can no longer be properly applied due to restrictions in modern civilian life styles. The ambient vibration noise, including both microseisms and microtremor, though are generally weak but available anywhere and anytime, can be an ideal supplementary source for conducting seismic surveys for engineering seismology and earthquake engineering. This is funda- mentally supported by advanced digital signal processing techniques for effectively extracting the useful information out from the noise. Thus, it can be essentially regarded as a passive seismic method. In this paper we first make a brief survey of the ambient vibration noise, followed by a quick summary of digital signal processing for passive seismic surveys. Then the applications of ambient noise in engi- neering seismology and earthquake engineering for urban settings are illustrated with examples from Beijing metro- politan area. For engineering seismology the example is the assessment of site effect in a large area via microtremor observations. For earthquake engineering the example is for structural characterization of a typical reinforced con- crete high-rise building using background vibration noise.By showing these examples we argue that the ambient noise can be treated as a new source that is economical, practical, and particularly valuable to engineering seis- mology and earthquake engineering projects for seismic hazard mitigation in urban areas.

Variations of the Earth＇s rotation rate and cyclic processes in geodynamics

The authors analyzed the relationship between variations of the Earth＇s rotation rate and the geodynamic processes within the Earth＇s body, including seismic activity, The rotation rate of a planet determines its uniaxial compression along the axis of rotation and the areas of various surface elements of the body. The Earth＇s ellipticity variations, caused naturally by the rotation rate variations, are manifested in vertical components of precise GPS measurements. Comparative analysis of these variations is considered in view of modern theoretical ideas concerning the Earth＇s figure. The results justify further research that is of interest for improvement of space svstems and technologiesi.

Investigation of a landslide in the new site of Badong County by integrated geophysical survey

An integrated geophysical survey which combines vertical seismicprofile method, shallow reflection seismic method, electric sounding, soil temperature measurement and radioactive gas measurement was used to investigate Zhaoshuling landslide in the new site of Badong County and to assess the stability of the landslide. By rational use of these methods together with borehole geological profile and other geological information, the spatial distribution of the landslide body, the formations and structures within and without the landslide body were determined and the stability of the landslide was also assessed, thus making great contribution to the successful and rational investigation and assessment of the landslide.