Mechanical and low-cycle fatigue behavior of stainless reinforcing steel for earthquake engineering applications

Use of stainless reinforcing steel （SRS） in reinforced concrete （RC） structures is a promising solution to corrosion issues. However, for SRS to be used in seismic applications, several mechanical properties need to be investigated. These include specified and actual yield strengths, tensile strengths, uniform elongations and low-cycle fatigue behavior. Three types of SRSs （Talley S24100, Talley 316LN and Talley 2205） were tested and the results are reported in this paper. They were compared with the properties of A706 carbon reinforcing steel （RS）, which is typical for seismic applications, and MMFX II, which is a high strength, corrosion resistant RS. Low-cycle fatigue tests of the RS coupons were conducted under strain control with constant amplitude to obtain strain life models of the steels. Test results show that the SRSs have slightly lower moduli of elasticity, higher uniform elongations before necking, and better low-cycle fatigue performance than A706 and MMFX II. All five types of RSs tested satisfy the requirements of the ACI 318 code on the lower limit of the tensile to yield strength ratio. Except Talley 2205, the other four types of RSs investigated meet the ACI 318 requirement that the actual yield strength does not exceed the specified yield strength by more than 18 ksi （124 MPa）. Among the three types of SRSs tested, Talley S24100 possesses the highest uniform elongation before necking, and the best low-cycle fatigue performance.

Cyclic performance and simplified pushover analyses of precast segmental concrete bridge columns with circular section

In recent years, precast segmental concrete bridge columns became prevalent because of the benefits of accelerated construction, low environmental impact, high quality and low life cycle costs. The lack of a detailed configuration and appropriate design procedure to ensure a comparable performance with monolithic construction has impeded this structural system from being widely used in areas of high seismicity. In this study, precast segmental bridge column cyclic loading tests were conducted to investigate the performance of unbonded post-tensioned segmental bridge columns. One monolithic and two precast segmental columns were tested. The preeast segmental column exhibited minor damage and small residual displacement after the maximum 7% cyclic drift; energy dissipation （ED） can be enhanced byadding ED bars. The experimental results were modeled by a simplified pushover method （SPOM）, as well as a fiber model （FIBM） finite element method. Forty-five cases of columns with different aspect ratios, axial load ratios and ED bar ratios were analyzed with the SPOM and FIBM, respectively. Using these parametric results, a simplified design method was suggested by regressive analysis. Satisfactory correlation was found between the experimental results and the simplified design method for preeast segmental columns with different design parameters.

Bridge pier failure probabilities under combined hazard effects of scour, truck and earthquake. Part Ⅰ: occurrence probabilities

In many regions of the world, a bridge will experience multiple extreme hazards during its expected service life. The current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials （AASHTO） load and resistance factor design （LRFD） specifications are formulated based on failure probabilities, which are fully calibrated for dead load and nonextreme live loads. Design against earthquake loads is established separately. Design against scour effect is also formulated separately by using the concept of capacity reduction （or increased scour depth）. Furthermore, scour effect cannot be linked directly to an LRFD limit state equation, because the latter is formulated using force-based analysis. This paper （in two parts） presents a probability-based procedure to estimate the combined hazard effects on bridges due to truck, earthquake and scour, by treating the effect of scour as an equivalent load effect so that it can be included in reliability-based bridge failure calculations. In Part I of this series, the general principle of treating the scour depth as an equivalent load effect is presented. The individual and combined partial failure probabilities due to truck, earthquake and scour effects are described. To explain the method of including non-force-based natural hazards effects, two types of common scour failures are considered. In Part 11, the corresponding bridge failure probability, the occurrence of scour as well as simultaneously having both truck load and equivalent scour load are quantitatively discussed.

Intermittent swelling and shrinkage of a highly expansive soil treated with polyacrylamide

This laboratory study examines the potential use of an anionic polyacrylamide(PAM)-based material as an environmentally sustainable additive for the stabilization of an expansive soil from South Australia.The experimental program consisted of consistency limits,sediment volume,compaction and oedometer cyclic swell-shrink tests,performed using distilled water and four different PAM-to-water solutions of P_(D)=0.1 g/L,0.2 g/L,0.4 g/L and 0.6 g/L as the mixing liquids.Overall,the relative swelling and shrinkage strains were found to decrease with increasing number of applied swell-shrink cycles,with an‘elastic equilibrium’condition achieved on the conclusion of four cycles.The propensity for swelling/shrinkage potential reduction(for any given cycle)was found to be in favor of increasing the PAM dosage up to P_(D)=0.2 g/L,beyond which the excess PAM molecules self-associate as aggregates,thereby functioning as a lubricant instead of a flocculant;this critical dosage was termed‘maximum flocculation dosage’(MFD).The MFD assertion was discussed and validated using the consistency limits and sediment volume properties,both exhibiting only marginal variations beyond the identified MFD of P_(D)=0.2 g/L.The accumulated axial strain progressively transitioned from‘expansive’for the unamended soil to an ideal‘neutral’state at the MFD,while higher dosages demonstrated undesirable‘contractive’states.

Estimation of peak relative velocity and peak absolute acceleration of linear SDOF systems

In the seismic analysis and design of structures, the true velocity and absolute acceleration are usually approximated by their corresponding pseudo-values. This approach is simple and works well for structures with small damping （say, less than 15%）. When the damping of a structure is enhanced for the purpose of response reduction, it may result in large analysis and design errors. Based on theory of random vibration and the established mechanism of seismic response spectra analysis, a method is developed （1） to predict the relative velocity spectra with any damping ratio level directly from the 5% standard pseudo-acceleration spectrum; and （2） to estimate the peak absolute acceleration. The accuracy of both is validated by using two selected ensembles of ground motion records.

Bridge pier failure probabilities under combined hazard effects of scour, truck and earthquake. Part Ⅱ: failure probabilities

In many regions of the world, a bridge will experience multiple extreme hazards during its expected service life. The current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials （AASHTO） load and resistance factor design （LRFD） specifications are formulated based on failure probabilities, which are fully calibrated for dead load and non-extreme live loads. Design against earthquake load effect is established separately. Design against scour effect is also formulated separately by using the concept of capacity reduction （or increased scour depth）. Furthermore, scour effect cannot be linked directly to an LRFD limit state equation because the latter is formulated using force-based analysis. This paper （in two parts） presents a probability-based procedure to estimate the combined hazard effects on bridges due to truck, earthquake and scour, by treating the effect of scour as an equivalent load effect so that it can be included in reliability-based failure calculations. In Part I of this series, the general principle for treating the scour depth as an equivalent load effect is presented. In Part II, the corresponding bridge failure probability, the occurrence of scour as well as simultaneously having both truck load and equivalent scour load effect are quantitatively discussed. The key formulae of the conditional partial failure probabilities and the necessary conditions are established. In order to illustrate the methodology, an example of dead, truck, earthquake and scour effects on a simple bridge pile foundation is represented.

Geotechnical investigation of low-plasticity organic soil treated with nano-calcium carbonate

Soil stabilization using nanomaterials is an emerging research area although,to date,its investigation has mostly been laboratory-based and therefore requires extensive study for transfer to practical field ap-plications.The present study advocates nano-calcium carbonate(NCC)material,a relatively unexplored nanomaterial additive,for stabilization of low-plasticity fine-grained soil having moderate organic content.The plasticity index,compaction,unconfined compressive strength(UCS),compressibility and permeability characteristics of the 0.2%,0.4%,0.6%and 0.8%NCC-treated soil,and untreated soil(as control),were determined,including investigations of the effect of up to 90-d curing on the UCS and permeability properties.In terms of UCS improvement,0.4%NCC addition was identified as the optimum dosage,mobilizing a UCS at 90-d curing of almost twice that for the untreated soil.For treated soil,particle aggregation arising from NCC addition initially produced an increase in the permeability coef-ficient,but its magnitude decreased for increased curing owing to calcium silicate hydrate(CSH)gel formation,although still remaining higher compared to the untreated soil for all dosages and curing periods investigated.Compression index decreased for all NCC-treated soil investigated.SEM micro-graphs indicated the presence of gel patches along with particle aggregation.X-ray diffraction(XRD)results showed the presence of hydration products,such as CSH.Significant increases in UCS are initially attributed to void filling and then because of CSH gel formation with increased curing.

Towards multiple hazard resilient bridges:a methodology for modeling frequent and infrequent time-varying loads Part I,Comprehensive reliability and partial failure probabilities

The current AASHTO load and resistance factor design （LRFD） guidelines are formulated based on bridge reliability, which interprets traditional design safety factors into more rigorously deduced factors based on the theory of probability. This is a major advancement in bridge design specifications. However, LRFD is only calibrated for dead and live loads. In cases when extreme loads are significant, they need to be individually assessed. Combining regular loads with extreme loads has been a major challenge, mainly because the extreme loads are time variables and cannot be directly combined with time invariant loads to formulate the probability of structural failure. To overcome these difficulties, this paper suggests a methodology of comprehensive reliability, by introducing the concept of partial failure probability to separate the loads so that each individual load combination under a certain condition can be approximated as time invariant. Based on these conditions, the extreme loads （also referred to as multiple hazard or MH loads） can be broken down into single effects. In Part II of this paper, a further breakdown of these conditional occurrence probabilities into pure conditions is discussed by using a live truck and earthquake loads on a bridge as an example. There are three major steps in establishing load factors from MH load distributions： （1） formulate the failure probabilities; （2） normalize various load distributions; and （3） establish design limit state equations. This paper describes the formulation of the failure probabilities of single and combined loads.

Towards multiple hazard resilient bridges:a methodology for modeling frequent and infrequent time-varying loads Part Ⅱ,Examples for live and earthquake load effects

The current AASHTO load and resistance factor design （LRFD） guidelines are formulated based on bridge reliability, which interprets traditional design safety factors into more rigorously deduced factors based on the theory of probability. This is a major advancement in bridge design specifications. However, LRFD is only calibrated for dead and live loads. In cases when extreme loads are significant, they need to be individually assessed. Combining regular loads with extreme loads has been a major challenge, mainly because the extreme loads are time variable and cannot be directly combined with time invariant loads to formulate the probability of structural failure.To overcome these difficulties, this paper suggests a methodology of comprehensive reliability, by introducing the concept of partial failure probability to separate the loads so that each individual load combination under a certain condition can be approximated a,; time invariant. Based on these conditions, the extreme loads （also referred to as multiple hazard or MH loads） can be broken down into single effects. In this paper, a further breakdown of these conditional occurrence probabilities into pure conditions is discussed by using a live truck and earthquake loads on a bridge as an example.

Nonlinear dynamic analysis of multi-base seismically isolated structures with uplift potentialⅡ:verification examples

The work presented in this paper serves as numerical verification of the analytical model developed in the companion paper for nonlinear dynamic analysis of multi-base seismically isolated structures. To this end, two numerical examples have been analyzed using the computational algorithm incorporated into program 3D-BASIS-ME-MB, developed on the basis of the newly-formulated analytical model. The first example concerns a seven-story model structure that was tested on the earthquake simulator at the University at Buflhlo and was also used as a verification example for program SAP2000. The second example concerns a two-tower, multi-story structure with a split-level seismic-isolation system. For purposes of verification, key results produced by 3D-BASIS-ME-MB are compared to experimental results, or results obtained from other structural/finite element programs. In both examples, the analyzed structure is excited under conditions of bearing uplift, thus yielding a case of much interest in verifying the capabilities of the developed analysis tool.

Field reconnaissance of the 2007 Niigata-Chuetsu Oki earthquake

As part of the 2007 Tri-Center Field Mission to Japan, a reconnaissance team comprised of fourteen graduate students and three faculty members from three U.S. earthquake engineering research centers, namely, Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research （MCEER）, Mid-America Earthquake Center （MAE）, and Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center （PEER）, undertook a reconnaissance visit to the affected area shortly after the 2007 Niigata- Chuetsu Oki earthquake. This mission provided an opportunity to review the nature of the earthquake damage that occurred, as well as to assess the significance of the damage from an educational perspective. This paper reports on the seismological characteristics of the earthquake, preliminary findings of geotechnical and structural damage, and the causes of the observed failures or collapses. In addition, economic and socio-economic considerations and experiences to enhance earthquake resilience are presented.

Peak earthquake response of structures under multi-component excitations

Accurate estimation of the peak seismic responses of structures is important in earthquake resistant design. The internal force distributions and the seismic responses of structures are quite complex, since ground motions are multidirectional. One key issue is the uncertainty of the incident angle between the directions of ground motion and the reference axes of the structure. Different assumed seismic incidences can result in different peak values within the scope of design spectrum analysis for a given structure and earthquake ground motion record combination. Using time history analysis to determine the maximum structural responses excited by a given earthquake record requires repetitive calculations to determine the critical incident angle. This paper presents a transformation approach for relatively accurate and rapid determination of the maximum peak responses of a linear structure subjected to three-dimensional excitations within all possible seismic incident angles. The responses can be deformations, internal forces, strains and so on. An irregular building structure model is established using SAP2000 program. Several typical earthquake records and an artificial white noise are applied to the structure model to illustrate the variation of the maximum structural responses for different incident angles. Numerical results show that for many structural parameters, the variation can be greater than 100%. This method can be directly applied to time history analysis of structures using existing computer software to determine the peak responses without carrying out the analyses for all possible incident angles. It can also be used to verify and/or modify aseismic designs by using response spectrum analysis.

Principal axes of M-DOF structures Part I:Static loading

This paper is the first in a two-part series that discusses the principal axes of M-DOF structures subjected to static and dynamic loads. The primary purpose of this series is to understand the magnitude of the dynamic response of structures to enable better design of structures and control modification devices/systems. Under idealized design conditions, the structural responses are obtained by using single direction input ground motions in the direction of the intended control devices/systems, and by assuming that the responses of the structure is decoupleable in three mutually perpendicular directions. This standard practice has been applied to both new and retrofitted structures using various seismic protective systems. Very limited information is available on the effects of neglecting the impact of directional couplings (cross effects - of which torsion is a component) of the dynamic response of structures. In order to quantify such effects, it is necessary to examine the principal axes of structures under both static and dynamic loading. This first paper deals with quantitative definitions of principal axes and “cross effects” of three-dimensional structures under static load by using linear algebra. It shows theoretically that, for three-dimensional structures, such principal axes rarely exist. Under static loading conditions, the cross effect is typically small and negligible from the viewpoint of engineering applications. However, it provides the theoretical base for subsequent quantification of the response couplings under dynamic loads, which is reported in part II of this series.

Principal axes of M-DOF structures PartⅡ:Dynamic loading

This paper is the second in a two-part series that discusses the principal axes of M-DOF structures subjected to static and dynamic loads.The primary purpose of this series is to understand the magnitude of the dynamie response of structures to enable better design of structures and response modification devices/systems.Under idealized design condi- tions,the structural responses are obtained by using single directinn input ground motions in the direction of the intended response modification devices/systems,and by assuming that the responses of the structure is deconpleable in three mutual- ly perpendicular directions.This standard practice has been applied to both new and retrofitted structures using various seis- mic protective systems.Very limited information is available on the effects of neglecting the impact of directional couplings (cross effects of which torsion is a component)of the dynamic response of structures.In order to quantify such effects,it is necessary to examine the principal axes of structures under both static and dynamic loading.In this twn-part series,the first paper is concerned with static loading,which provides definitions and fundamental formulations,with the conclusion that cross effects of a statically loaded M-DOF structure resulting from the lack of principal axes are of insignificant magnitude. However,under dynamic or earthquake loading,a relatively small amount of energy transferred across perpendicular direc- tions is accumulated,which may result in significant enlargement of the structural response.This paper deals with a formu- lation to define the principal axes of M-DOF structures under dynamic loading and develops quantitative measures to identify cross effects resuhing from the non-existence of principal axes.

On similitude law of sub-systems

Based on Buckingham＇s π-Theorem, dimensional analysis has achieved considerable success over the past near-century. Model testing has long been a powerful tool in both scientific studies and engineering applications. However, the prototype objects are becoming more and more complicated nowadays, and many of the prototype systems can contain several sub-systems. The conventional theories on model-prototype similarity and dimensional analysis have only limited application since the π-Theorem itself does not distinguish between the original system and subsystems. This is particularly true in the field of structural dynamics, where the structure is often modeled as a multi-degree-of-freedom system. In this paper, we attempt to show that, if a system can be decoupled into several nontrivial subsystems, then, in each subsystem, the number of π-terms will be reduced and therefore simplify the model testing. On the other hand, if a system cannot be decoupled into subsystems, then using model testing with reduced π-term analysis, both experimentally and theoretically, may introduce severe errors.

Sliding response of gravity dams including vertical seismic accelerations

Seismic safety assessment of gravity dams has become a major concern in many regions of the world while the effects of vertical seismic accelerations on the response of structures remain poorly understood.This paper first investigates the effect of including vertical accelerations in the sliding response analysis of gravity dams subjected to a range of historical ground motion records separated in two groups according to their source-to-site distance.Analyses showed that the incidence of vertical accelerations on the sliding response of gravity dams is significantly higher for near-source records than for far- source records.The pseudo-static 30% load combination rule,commonly used in practice to account for the non-simultaneous occurrence of the peak horizontal and vertical accelerations,yielded good approximations of the minimum safety factors against sliding computed from time-history analyses.A method for empirically estimating the vertical response spectra based on horizontal spectra,accounting for the difference in frequency content and amplitudes between the two components is investigated.Results from analyses using spectrum compatible horizontal and vertical synthetic records also approximated well the sliding response of a gravity dam subjected to series of simultaneous horizontal and vertical historical earthquake records.

Earthquake motion input and its dissemination via the Internet

Objectives of this task are to conduct research on seismic hazards,and to provide relevant input on the expected levels of these hazards to other tasks.Other tasks requiring this input include those dealing with inventory,fragility curves, rehabilitation strategies and demonstration projects.The corresponding input is provided in various formats depending on the intended use:as peak ground motion parameters and/or response spectral values for a given magnitude,epicentral distance and site conditions;or as time histories for scenario earthquakes that are selected based on the disaggregated seismic hazard mapped by the U.S.Geological Survey and are incorporated in building codes.The user community for this research is both academic researchers and practicing engineers who may use the seismic input generated by the synthesis techniques that are developed under this task for a variety of applications.These include ground motions for scenario earthquakes,for developing fragility curves and in specifying ground motion input for critical facilities (such as hospitals) located in the eastern U.S.

FRP Retrofitted RC Slabs Using Finite Difference Model

Current guidelines recommend using single-degree-of-freedom(SDOF) method for dynamic analysis of reinforced concretec (RC) structures against blast loads, which is not suitable for retrofitted members. Thus, a finite difference procedure developed in another study was used to accurately and efficiently analyze the dynamic response of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) plated members under blast loads. It can accommodate changes in the mechanical properties of a member's cross section along its length and through its depth in each time step, making it possible to directly incorporate both strain rate effects (which will vary along the length and depth of a member) and non-uniform member loading to solve the partial differential equation of motion. The accuracy of the proposed method was validated in part using data from field blast testing. The finite difference procedure is implemented easily and enables accurate predictions of FRP-plated-member response.

Wastewater surveillance provides 10-days forecasting of COVID-19 hospitalizations superior to cases and test positivity:A prediction study

Background:The public health response to COVID-19 has shifted to reducing deaths and hospitalizations to prevent overwhelming health systems.The amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments in wastewater are known to correlate with clinical data including cases and hospital admissions for COVID-19.We developed and tested a predictive model for incident COVID-19 hospital admissions in New York State using wastewater data.Methods:Using county-level COVID-19 hospital admissions and wastewater surveillance covering 13.8 million people across 56 counties,we fit a generalized linear mixed model predicting new hospital admissions from wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from April 29,2020 to June 30,2022.We included covariates such as COVID-19 vaccine coverage in the county,comorbidities,demographic variables,and holiday gatherings.Findings:Wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA correlated with new hospital admissions per 100,000 up to ten days prior to admission.Models that included wastewater had higher predictive power than models that included clinical cases only,increasing the accuracy of the model by 15%.Predicted hospital admissions correlated highly with observed admissions(r¼0.77)with an average difference of 0.013 hospitalizations per 100,000(95%CI¼[0.002,0.025])Interpretation:Using wastewater to predict future hospital admissions from COVID-19 is accurate and effective with superior results to using case data alone.The lead time of ten days could alert the public to take precautions and improve resource allocation for seasonal surges.

From the editors:special issue announcement

A comparative study of selected bridge damage due to the Wenchuan, Northridge, Loma Prieta and San Fernando earthquakes is described in this paper. Typical ground motion effects considered include large ground fault displacement, liquefaction, landslide, and strong ground shaking. Issues related to falling spans, inadequate detailing for structural ductility and complex bridge configurations are discussed within the context of the recent seismic design codes of China and the US. A significant lesson learned from the Great Wenchuan earthquake, far beyond the opportunities to improve the seismic design provisions for bridges, is articulated.