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In Europe, computation of displacement demand for seismic assessment of existing buildings is essentially based on a simplified formulation of the N2 method as prescribed by Eurocode 8 (EC8). However, a lack of accuracy of the N2 method in certain conditions has been pointed out by several studies. This paper addresses the assessment of effectiveness of the N2 method in seismic displacement demand determination in non-linear domain. The objective of this work is to investigate the accuracy of the N2 method through comparison with displacement demands computed using non-linear time-history analysis (NLTHA). Results show that the original N2 method may lead to overestimation or underestimation of displacement demand predictions. This may affect results of mechanical model-based assessment of seismic vulnerability at an urban scale. Hence, the second part of this paper addresses an improvement of the N2 method formula by empirical evaluation of NLTHA results based on EC8 ground-classes. This task is formulated as a mathematical programming problem in which coefficients are obtained by minimizing the overall discrepancy between NLTHA and modified formula results. Various settings of the mathematical programming problem have been solved using a global optimization metaheuristic. An extensive comparison between the original N2 method formulation and optimized formulae highlights benefits of the strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroseismic intensity data plays an important role in the process of seismic hazard analysis as well in developing of reliable earthquake loss models. This paper presents a physical-based model to predict macroseismic intensity attenuation based on 560 intensity data obtained in Iran in the time period 1975-2013. The geometric spreading and energy absorption of seismic waves have been considered in the proposed model. The proposed easy to implement relation describes the intensity simply as a function of moment magnitude, source to site distance and focal depth. The prediction capability of the proposed model is assessed by means of residuals analysis. Prediction results have been compared with those of other intensity prediction models for Italy, Turkey, Iran and central Asia. The results indicate the higher attenuation rate for the study area in distances less than 70km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate estimates of earthquake response spectrum are essential for design of new structures, or seismic safety evaluation of existing structures. This paper presents an alternative procedure to construct design spectrum from a combined normalized response spectrum (NRS) which is obtained from pseudo-velocity spectrum with the ordinate scaled by different peak ground amplitudes (PGA, PGV, PGD) in different period regions. And a consecutive function f( T) used to normalize the ordinates is defined. Based on a comprehensive study of 220 strong ground motions recorded during recent eleven large worldwide earthquakes, the features of the NRS are discussed and compared with the traditional normalized acceleration, velocity and displacement response spectra (NRS, NRS, NRS). And the relationships between ground amplitudes are evaluated by using a weighted mean method instead of the arithmetic mean. Then the NRS is used to define the design spectrum with given peak ground amplitudes. At last, the smooth spectrum is compared with those derived by the former approaches, and the accuracy of the proposed spectrum is tested through an analysis of the dispersion of ground motion response spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe damage to steel space structures is rarely reported when compared to other structural systems damaged during past major earthquakes around the world. Two gymnasiums of steel space structures in downtown Lushan County that were damaged during the 2013 M7.0 Lushan earthquake in China were investigated and the observations are summarized in this paper. Typical damage to these two steel space structures ranges from moderate to severe. Moderate damage includes global buckling and dislocation of bolted connections of truss members, and inelastic elongation of anchor bolts and sliding of pedestal plates of supports. Severe damage includes member fracture caused by local buckling, and fracture failure of anchor bolts and welds. The distribution of structural damage to these two structures is described in detail and future research opportunities are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reticulated shell structures (RSSs) are characterized as cyclically periodic structures. Mistuning of RSSs will induce structural mode localization. Mode localization has the following two features: some modal vectors of the structure change remarkably when the values of its physical parameters (mass or stiffness) have a slight change; and the vibration of some modes is mainly restricted in some local areas of the structure. In this paper, two quantitative assessment indexes are introduced that correspond to these two features. The first feature is studied through a numerical example of a RSS, and its induced causes are analyzed by using the perturbation theory. The analysis showed that internally, mode localization is closely related to structural frequencies and externally, slight changes of the physical parameters of the structure cause instability to the RSS. A scaled model experiment to examine mode localization was carried out on a Kiewit single-layer spherical RSS, and both features of mode localization are studied. Eight tests that measured the changes of the physical parameters were carried out in the experiment. Since many modes make their contribution in structural dynamic response, six strong vibration modes were tested at random in the experimental analysis. The change and localization of the six modes are analyzed for each test. The results show that slight changes to the physical parameters are likely to induce remarkable changes and localization of some modal vectors in the RSSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying strong motion records and the spatial distribution of ground shaking is of great importance in understanding the underlying causes of damage in earthquakes. Many regions in the world are either not instrumented or are sparsely instrumented. As such, significant opportunities for motion-damage correlations are lost. Two recent and damaging earthquakes belong to the class of lost opportunities, namely the Kashmir (Pakistan) earthquake of October 2005 and the Yogyakarta (Indonesia) earthquake of May 2006. In this paper, an overview of the importance of supply and demand studies in earthquake-stricken regions is given, followed by two examples of investigative engineering seismology aimed at reconstructing the hazard from sparse data. The paper closes with a plea for responsible authorities to invest in seismic monitoring networks in the very near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When evaluating the seismic safety and reliability of complex engineering structures, it is a critical problem to reasonably consider the randomness and multi-dimensional nature of ground motions. To this end, a proposed modeling strategy of multi-dimensional stochastic earthquakes is addressed in this study. This improved seismic model has several merits that enable it to better provide seismic analyses of structures. Specifically, at first, the ground motion model is compatible with the design response spectrum. Secondly, the evolutionary power spectrum involved in the model and the design response spectrum are constructed accordingly with sufficient consideration of the correlation between different seismic components. Thirdly, the random function-based dimension-reduction representation is applied, by which seismic modeling is established, with three elementary random variables. Numerical simulations of multi-dimensional stochastic ground motions in a specific design scenario indicate the effectiveness of the proposed modeling strategy. Moreover, the multi-dimensional seismic response and the global reliability of a high-rise frame-core tube structure is discussed in detail to further illustrate the engineering applicability of the proposed method. The analytical investigations demonstrate that the suggested stochastic model of multi-dimensional ground motion is available for accurate seismic response analysis and dynamic reliability assessment of complex engineering structures for performance-based seismic resistance design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

comprehensive study is presented for empirical seismic vulnerability assessment of typical structural types, representative of the building stock of Southern Europe, based on a large set of damage statistics. The observational database was obtained from post-earthquake surveys carried out in the area struck by the September 7, 1999 Athens earthquake. After analysis of the collected observational data, a unified damage database has been created which comprises 180,945 damaged buildings from/after the near-field area of the earthquake. The damaged buildings are classified in specific structural types, according to the materials, seismic codes and construction techniques in Southern Europe. The seismic demand is described in terms of both the regional macroseismic intensity and the ratio α/ a, where α is the maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA) of the earthquake event and a is the unique value PGA that characterizes each municipality shown on the Greek hazard map. The relative and cumulative frequencies of the different damage states for each structural type and each intensity level are computed in terms of damage ratio. Damage probability matrices (DPMs) and vulnerability curves are obtained for specific structural types. A comparison analysis is fulfilled between the produced and the existing vulnerability models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current practice uses predictive models to extrapolate long-period response spectra based on far-field recordings in moderate and weak earthquakes. However, the spectra are not long enough and the data are often not reliable, which means that the seismic design code cannot accurately define seismic design requirements for long-period structures. The near-field recordings in the main-shock of the Chi-Chi earthquake have a large signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which makes them suitable for studying the long-period acceleration response spectrum up to 20 sec. The acceleration response spectra from 246 stations within 120 km of the causative fault are statistically analyzed in this paper. The influence of distance and site conditions on long-period response spectrum is discussed, and the shapes of the amplification spectra are compared with the standard spectra specified in the seismic design code of China. Finally, suggestions for future revisions to the code are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the dynamic behavior of pipeline systems installed with large-mass valves within nuclear power plants during earthquakes, seismic simulation tests are carried out on a pipeline system equipped with a DN80 gate valve, and the FEM updating technique is used to identify the stiffness distribution of the valve. By conducting tests and a numerical analysis, the following conclusions are obtained: After a large-mass valve is installed in the pipeline, the system shows higher sensitivity to intermediate and high frequency components in the earthquake than low frequency components. It is possible for the intermediate frequency components to be amplified by the valve in the horizontal direction, while the pipes tend to amplify the high frequency components in horizontal and vertical directions. Changes in the high-order modes of the system depend on valve stiffness distribution. Since the existence of a valve makes pipeline system damping distribute with an obvious non-proportional feature, when the response spectrum method is used to calculate the response of the pipeline system, it could result in an underestimation of low-damping positions and overestimation of high-damping positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cloud method for generating percentile engineering demand parameter versus intensity measure (EDP-IM) curves of a structure subjected to a set of synthetic ground motions is presented. To this end, an ensemble of synthetic ground motions based on available real ones is generated. This is done by using attenuation relationships, duration and suitable Gutenberg-Richter relations attributed to the considered seismic hazard at a given site by estimating a suitable distribution of magnitude and site to source distance. The study aims to clarify the significance of the duration and frequency content on the seismic performance of structures, which were not considered in developing percentile incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) curves. The collapse probabilities of two steel moment-resisting frames with different ductility levels generated by IDA and the proposed cloud method are compared at different intensity levels. When compared with conventional IDA, the suggested cloud analysis (SCA) methodology with the same run number of dynamic analyses was able to develop response hazard curves that were more consistent with site-specific seismic hazards. Eliminating the need to find many real records by generating synthetic records consistent with site-specific seismic hazards from a few available recorded ground motions is another advantage of using this scheme over the IDA method.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on the evaluation of the seismic hazard for Romania using earthquake catalogues generated by a Monte Carlo approach. The seismicity of Romania can be attributed to the Vrancea intermediate-depth seismic source and to 13 other crustal seismic sources. The recurrence times of large magnitude seismic events (both crustal and subcrustal), as well as the moment release rates are computed using simulated earthquake catalogues. The results show that the largest contribution to the overall moment release for the crustal seismic sources is from the seismic regions in Bulgaria, while the seismic regions in Romania contribute less than 5% of the overall moment release. In addition, the computations show that the moment release rate for the Vrancea subcrustal seismic source is about ten times larger than that of all the crustal seismic sources. Finally, the Monte Carlo approach is used to evaluate the seismic hazard for 20 cities in Romania with populations larger than 100,000 inhabitants. The results show some differences between the seismic hazard values obtained through Monte-Carlo simulation and those in the Romanian seismic design code P100-1/2013, notably for cities situated in the western part of Romania that are influenced by local crustal seismic sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic ground motion hazard for Nepal has been estimated using a probabilistic approach. A catalogue of earthquakes has been compiled for Nepal and the surrounding region (latitude 26° N and 31.7° N and longitude 79° E and 90° E) from 1255 to 2011. The distribution of catalogued earthquakes, together with available geological and tectonic information were used to delineate twenty-three seismic source zones in Nepal and the surrounding region. By using the seismic source information and probabilistic earthquake hazard parameters in conjunction with a selected ground motion prediction relationship, peak ground accelerations (PGAs) have been calculated at bedrock level with 63%, 10%, and 2% probability of exceedance in 50 years. The estimated PGA values are in the range of 0.07-0.16 g, 0.21-0.62 g, and 0.38-1.1 g for 63%, 10%, and 2% probability of exceedance in 50 years, respectively. The resulting ground motion maps show different characteristics of PGA distribution, i.e., high hazard in the far-western and eastern sections, and low hazard in southern Nepal. The quantified PGA values at bedrock level provide information for microzonation studies in different parts of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic performance of composite steel plate shear walls (CSPSWs) that consist of a steel plate shear wall (SPSW) with reinforced concrete (RC) panels attached to one or both sides by means of bolts or connectors is experimentally studied. The shear wall is connected to the frame beams but not to the columns. This arrangement restrains the possible out-of-plane buckling of the thin-walled steel plate, thus significantly increasing the bearing capacity and ductility of the overall wall, and prevents the premature overall or local buckling failure of the frame columns. From a practical viewpoint, these solutions can provide open space in a floor as this type of composite shear walls with a relatively small aspect ratio can be placed parallel along a bay. In this study, four CSPSWs and one SPSW were tested and the results showed that both CSPSWs and SPSW possessed good ductility. For SPSW alone, the buckling appeared and resulted in a decrease of bearing capacity and energy dissipation capacity. In addition, welding stiffeners at corners were shown to be an effective way to increase the energy dissipation capacity of CSPSWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground motion records are often used to develop ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) for a randomly oriented horizontal component, and to assess the principal directions of ground motions based on the Arias intensity tensor or the orientation of the major response axis. The former is needed for seismic hazard assessment, whereas the latter can be important for assessing structural responses under multi-directional excitations. However, a comprehensive investigation of the pseudo-spectral acceleration (PSA) and of GMPEs conditioned on different axes is currently lacking. This study investigates the principal directions of strong ground motions and their relation to the orientation of the major response axis, statistics of the PSA along the principal directions on the horizontal plane, and correlation of the PSA along the principal directions on the horizontal plane. For these, three sets of strong ground motion records, including intraplate California earthquakes, inslab Mexican earthquakes, and interface Mexican earthquakes, are used. The results indicate that one of the principal directions could be considered as quasi-vertical. By focusing on seismic excitations on the horizontal plane, the statistics of the angles between the major response axis and the major principal axis are obtained; GMPEs along the principal axes are provided and compared with those obtained for a randomly oriented horizontal component; and statistical analysis of residuals associated with GMPEs along the principal directions is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]