Due to soil -structure-interaction (SSI), the seismic lateral structural deformations may be substantially different from the ones traditionally calculated from the fixed-base structure on free-field approach. Additionally, the actual displacements of foundations considering soil compliance are of practical interest in some applications. In the present study, seismic elastic displacement demand of

After the 2010 Maule earthquake, Chilean authorities now require the implementation of base isolation systems in new public hospital build-ings. However, in Chile the typical seismic force-resisting system of non-isolated hospitals is made up of reinforced concrete shear walls, whereas that of isolated buildings is made up of reinforced concrete frames. Since the former is much stiffer than the latter

Full-capacity large-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanks comprise a steel inner tank and a concrete outer tank. The space between the walls of these two tanks is filled with expanded perlite and a resilient blanket as an insulation layer. It is well known that interactions between the outer tank, insulation, inner tank, and liquid occur under seismic loads. In this study, to investigate the effect

Sliding implant-magnetic bearing (IMB) is a new type of seismic isolators that benefits from its adaptive energy-dissipation behavior. In order to assess the performance of the sliding IMB for seismic protection, a complete shaking table test on the base-isolated structure is reported in the present paper. Tri-directional-recorded earthquake ground motions and mono-directional artificial earthquake

This paper presents an analytical solution to the ground motion of an isosceles hill with slope change under incident SH waves. A new partitioning method, multi-region-matching technique (MRMT), is proposed in this paper to establish an accurate analytical solution model. Based on the complex function method and multipolar coordinate transformation, the infinite algebraic equations are established

This study aims to estimate attenuation characteristics of the central Himalayan region of India concerning various strong-motion parameters such as Kappa value (κ) and site effects. We have tried to elaborate on the regional structural heterogeneities and their implications towards the seismic hazard assessment of the study region. A total of 81 earthquakes recorded at 50 stations situated in the

This paper presents a new structure, called a cassette structure, and the modified design method of its core vertical elements, called a grid frame wall, is proposed. The advantages, mechanical properties and performances of the original grid frame wall are introduced, and its weaknesses are discussed based on practical engineering buildings and cycling load tests. To improve the structural performance

A precast concrete frame with replaceable energy-dissipating connectors (REDC) is designed as an innovative system. The REDCs are placed at the top and the bottom of the beam-ends to dissipate energy during major earthquakes. A displacement spectrum-based design method is presented, which can directly determine the target period under strong earthquakes. The results of nonlinear time-history analysis

Site amplification coefficients and acceleration design response spectra (ADRS) for the shallow sites in SI are derived based on non-linear site response analysis at 125 locations. Input motions are selected by considering the seismic hazard map for 475 years as return period and inputted at depth where VS ≥ 1,500 m/s. The new site factors, i.e. FPGA, Fa, and Fv, are proposed for Southern India (SI)

This study aims to assess the seismic performance of typical reinforced concrete buildings constructed in Australia before the enforcement for seismic design. The response of both the primary lateral load resisting system and the gravity load resisting system is considered. A brief description of the modelling approaches adopted to simulate the response of the buildings’ components is provided. Nonlinear

A complicated natural topography, such as a cavity beneath a canyon, can cause considerable ground motion during earthquakes. This phenomenon is referred to as a site effect. An awareness of site effects can help to reduce damage to property and loss of life. However, modeling the highly complex interactions between a cavity and a canyon requires considerable mesh skills. In this study, we developed

The manufacturing of rubber bearing is complicated, the horizontal stiffness of the final product maybe greatly affected by the uncertainties during the processing, thus, it is necessary to study the distribution characteristics of the rubber bearings’ horizontal stiffness, and its influence on the seismic performance of the isolation structure. The rubber layer thickness was taken as a comprehensive

Corrosion represents one of the most important problems affecting the global behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings; in presence of aggressive environmental conditions reinforcing steel bars, as well as concrete, suffer from relevant modifications of the mechanical performance. Steel rebars show a high decrease of the deformation capacity, with reduction of the elongation to maximum load up

A vertical-to-horizontal (V/H) response spectral ratio of 2/3 is commonly adopted in earthquake engineering for assessing the magnitude of vertical motion. However, higher V/H ratios are found in some earthquake records. This study evaluates the factors that can influence the V/H ratio on the basis of vertical and horizontal site response analyses. Two sets of rock motions representing near-source

This paper investigates the potentials of inter-story isolation systems (IIS) for retrofitting irregular masonry buildings by means of an isolated vertical addition realised on the roof of the existing structure. By assuming a case study, a wide parametric analysis is firstly carried out on lumped-masses model for identifying the dynamic properties of the isolated superstructure that minimizes the

This study investigates the effect of torsional components of the ground motions (TGM) on the floor acceleration response of flexible special moment-resisting frame (SMRF) buildings. For this purpose, computational models of three SMRF buildings were subjected to far-field ground motions with and without TGMs. Accordingly, the effect of TGM on the floor acceleration of structures with relatively short

A parametric study is performed on the cyclic behavior of reinforced concrete connections. A number of 64 analytical cases are developed being different in the value of the axial force of column, volume of the transverse reinforcement in the connection, ratio of the bending capacity of column and beam, and the continuity index of the longitudinal bars of beam in the connection. The stiffness, dissipated

The main objective of this study is to assess the accuracy and suitability of Nonlinear Static Procedures (NSPs) in the development of analytical damage fragility curves for seismic risk assessment of large portfolios of Reinforced Concrete (RC) bridges. Seven NSP approaches, from widely used single-mode conventional pushover-based approaches to the more rigorous multi-mode conventional or adaptive

This paper focuses on the effects of near-fault motion characteristics on the seismic performance of tall pier bridges. Using the analytical models calibrated by shake table tests, fragility analysis was conducted investigating the influence of near-fault motion features (i.e., period (Tv) and number (N) of velocity pulses). Results show that seismic fragility of the tall pier under near-fault motions

We analyze the global and local uncertainties of ground motion-macroseismic intensity conversion equations and derive new probabilistic relationships between the macroseismic intensity and peak ground motion parameters (peak ground acceleration and peak ground velocity) for western China based on the assumption that the peak values of ground motion are randomly distributed for each MMI level, bounded

Thin reinforced concrete walls may fail due to out-of-plane instability when subjected to seismic loading. While previous numerical studies on wall instability have focused on the behaviour of members with two layers of vertical reinforcement, this work addresses the response of walls with a single layer of rebars. Such walls are particular prone to out-of-plane failure when subjected to cyclic in-plane

This manuscript quantifies the effects of aftershocks with pulse characteristics on the cumulative damage of structures. The revised randomization method is developed to generate the artificial mainshock-aftershock (MSAS) ground motions showing pulse characteristics. The efficiency of period normalization is discussed from the point of view of dispersion, and the effects of the aftershocks are quantitatively

In practice, elastic response spectra are generally obtained by utilizing the 5% value for the damping ratio. The Damping Reduction Factor (DRF) allows to account for higher damping values. As proved by many literature studies, the DRF mainly depends on the structural damping ratio, until now essentially treated in a deterministic way. In this framework, the main aim of the present study is to explore

The study presents a liquefaction potential analysis for the Thailand-Myanmar border area due to the earthquake. Three sites reported liquefaction during Tarlay earthquake in 2011 were investigated including a microtremor to obtain the shear wave velocity profile and depth of engineering bedrock. Next-generation attenuation model was used to estimate the peak ground acceleration at the liquefied sites

Within the European FP7 Project “INSYSME”, the research unit of the University of Pavia has developed a seismic-resistant masonry infill system with original details, which subdivides the masonry panel into horizontal stripes through the insertion of “sliding joints” and deformable joints at the infill–frame interface. The out-of-plane stability is governed by the flexural/arching resistance of the

The non-structural elements (NSE) of a building could be hazardous in the event of an earthquake. Hence, a seismic risk assessment is critical for identifying hazardous elements. This paper proposes a method for visualizing a building’s NSEs to assess their seismic risks using Building Information Modeling (BIM) to visualize and automatically mapping risk factors. The relevant Canadian and American

One of the most important concerns of railway industries is the loss of overall stability and permanent settlements of railway embankments (overlaid on liquefiable foundations) during earthquake. The effectiveness of sand columns in the improvement of stability and strength of the embankments was studied in this research. The embankments behavior during earthquakes in different heights, various sand

A modified frequency-dependent equivalent linear method (M-FD-EQL) is proposed to improve 1D site response at high frequencies. A combination factor is used to interpolate the strain spectrum between the equivalent linear method (EQL) and the frequency-dependent equivalent linear method (FD-EQL). Extensive validation tests have been conducted to benchmark the proposed method with nonlinear analyses

This study investigated the collapse capacity of inelastic single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems subjected to mainshock-aftershock earthquake sequences. A hysteretic model incorporating strength and stiffness deterioration was used to describe the inelastic behaviors of SDOF systems under seismic excitations. An ATC63 far-field record set was adopted as seed mainshock records to synthesize earthquake

Analytical investigations were carried out on high-strength concrete beam–column joints reinforced with high-strength steel rebars. The bond performance of test specimens was evaluated and compared with building code provisions. An analytical approach was obtained to study the influence of various patterns of column axial loading on the failure mechanism of beam–column joint subassemblies. In addition

This paper puts forward a new methodology for time-variant seismic risk analysis of transportation networks. Risk here denotes the probability of exceeding the sum of direct loss due to repair costs of bridges in the network and indirect loss due to the reduced capacity for traffic flow. The proposed methodology employs reliability methods and a host of probabilistic models for earthquake events, damage

The paper addresses the seismic vulnerability assessment of a multi-span footbridge, prone to span unseating due to shorter seat lengths. The structure is representative of a series of pedestrian crossings located in the Southern part of Portugal, a region with a relevant seismicity. A probabilistic approach allows considering the variability of the seismic action and uncertainties in the definition

Two very dense seismographic arrays were deployed in a seismically active area in Greece to incorporate the difference in amplitude and phase between two stations located within the dimension of a structure. The spatial variability in seismic ground motion is generally attributed to the wave passage effect, the incoherence effect, and the local site effect. It can cause severe damage on lifeline structures

Estimation of the lateral load-carrying capacity of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings is essential for their design, vulnerability assessment, and rehabilitation. Lateral strength of URM buildings can be assessed using experimental studies or numerical simulation, but conducting such studies on full-scale building specimens is expensive and requires huge computational effort and input data, which

Over the last decade, significant efforts have been dedicated to develop novel low-cost seismic protection systems that could be used on a large scale in developing regions of the world. In the attempt of reducing the cost of conventional base isolation devices, the feasibility of using flexible reinforcements to replace the steel sheets of traditional steel-reinforced elastomeric isolators (SREIs)

Coupled shear walls (CSW) are an efficient lateral load-resisting system. Their seismic performance depends primarily on their coupling beams (CBs) ability to provide adequate stiffness and strength. However, many existing buildings with CSW resisting system were designed and constructed according to old codes and standards with insufficient requirements for seismic design. These systems feature unsatisfactory

The new formulae with three factors and one factor for calculating the stress reduction coefficient rd at depths of 0–50 m are proposed in this paper. A more reliable database of rd curves is established using models for actual sites, the corresponding real seismic records from the KiK-net downhole array. Then, a quantitative analysis of the factors influencing rd is performed, and the important factors

In order to avoid local buckling at the edge of infill plates, perforations were introduced in the buckling-restrained steel plate shear wall (BRW) in this paper. And a shaking table test on a 1/4 scaled, four-storey, perforated BRW structure was performed to investigate seismic behavior of BRW structures. During the test, no failure at the edge of the infill plate was observed. The test structure

The effects of considering the soil-structure interaction on the structural response can be determined using the cone model. In the general approach of analysis using the cone model, the analysis is performed in the frequency domain; then, the results are reverted to the time domain through a Fourier transformation. This indirect procedure is only applicable for linear systems; whereas, for considering

A recently developed Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) model is implemented to simulate the seismic retrofit of squat concrete shear walls with novel tension-only SMA braces. The model follows a tri-linear envelope that captures the flag-shaped behavior of superelastic SMAs and the accumulation of plastic straining at large strains. The response of the SMA braces is modeled with tension-only truss elements

Since defining ground motions is crucial for reliable analysis of structural responses, it is vital to select coherency model when conducting seismic analyses of extended structures under nonuniform excitation. In the present paper, a series of shaking table tests are conducted to study the effect of coherency models on seismic performances of a utility tunnel. The test results show that there are

The seismic analysis of large-span offshore structures, especially considering soil-structure interaction, requires reasonable spatially variable seismic underground motions in saturated soils as the input. This article theoretically derives transfer functions of saturated soils for incident SV waves to simulate multi-support seismic motions in saturated media. Three critical components for establishing

In modular construction, individual modules are constructed at a controlled industrial environment before being transported to site. They are then connected horizontally and vertically to form a structure. The vertical connections can be achieved by welding or bolting the columns of stacked modules. This study investigates the seismic performance of modular steel-braced frames (MSBFs) connected vertically

The aim of this research is to contribute to increase the understanding regarding the infill panels’ OOP behavior and evaluate the influence of different variables in the panel’ performance, such as: gravity load and panel support condition. For these experimental tests were carried composed by two full-scale infill panels subjected to uniform OOP pressure applied by airbags, subjected to gravity load

This paper describes a generalized distributed simulation framework that has been developed at the University of Toronto. The proposed framework is characterized by the ability to integrate diverse numerical integration and substructure modules and experimental specimens. This feature is enabled by a standardized data-exchange format and a communication protocol through which any potential integration

In a real time hybrid simulation (RTHS), the actuator delay might deviate experimental results, or even destabilize the real-time test. Currently, research is very limited on stability of multiple-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) structures with multiple delays. Using the Lyapunov-Krasovskii (L-K) method, this study proposes stability criteria for MDOF systems with multiple time-varying/constant delays, and

This paper presents the shaking table tests for a 1/5-scale 5-story reinforced concrete (RC) frame subjected to mainshock (MS)-aftershock (AS) sequences for investigating the unfavorable effects of ASs on structural performance. The prototype of the test specimen, which was heavily damaged in Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, was a teaching building designed and built according to the old version of Chinese

A performance-based hybrid force/displacement (HFD) seismic design method for space steel moment resisting frames irregular in plan view and in elevation is developed. Irregularity in elevation is either due to non-uniform distribution of mass or due to the presence of setbacks along the height of the frame. More specifically, 30 different frames irregular in plan view for the first case (plan-irregularities)

Incremental dynamic analyses are performed on 48 infilled reinforced concrete buildings different for infill typology, number of storeys and design peak ground acceleration (PGA). A modelling strategy accounting for infills’ interacting in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) responses is implemented. The seismic displacement demand on buildings may be highly underestimated if the IP/OOP interaction is

While Asymmetric Friction Connections (AFCs) have been employed as seismic energy dissipation devices in steel structures, development of design guidance based on robust understanding of their behaviour is required. This paper describes the quasi-static testing of 18 AFCs with Bisalloy 500 shims and 2 M16 Grade 8.8 bolts to quantify the effect of bolt lever arm to bolt diameter (l/d) ratio on the AFC

Hybrid Simulation (HS) is a well-established testing method that combines both experimental and analytical components to evaluate the performance of structures under extreme events, commonly earthquakes. While several configurations and systems are available around the world to conduct HS, one goal of this paper is to document the development and verification of a compact HS setup at the University

Plasterboard partition walls typically used in commercial buildings are especially sensitive to earthquakes, with the onset of cosmetic damage initiating at small values of interstorey drift. The most common partition wall systems are constructed of gypsum board attached to either steel or timber framing which is fixed directly to the floor system at the top and bottom interfaces. This study investigates

In this study, a new type of non-through-core anchorage is proposed to anchor longitudinal reinforcing bars (rebar) in reinforced concrete (RC) coupling beams into concrete-encased, concrete-filled, steel tube (CFST) composite shear walls. The cyclic behaviour and anchorage performance of the coupling beams is investigated. The concrete-encased CFST wall consists of two boundary CFST components and

Ensuring the safety of undersea shield tunnels constructed in soft marine deposits that are subject to strong seismic motion represents a major engineering challenge. An example of one such undersea shield tunnel is the 2.70 km-long subsea highway tunnel crossing under the Gulf of Suai in the Rongjiang River Estuary in Shantou, China. Using the generalized response displacement method, the authors

An experimental study including reverse quasi-static cyclic tests on solid and hollow Unreinforced Masonry walls strengthened with thin steel fiber-reinforced mortar (SFRM) coating is herein presented. Three types of mortars containing nano-silica and three different typologies of short high-strength steel fibers are used. Compared to traditional coating techniques, the proposed strengthening method

The paper presents the results of a parametric study aimed at determining the pseudo-static critical acceleration of a propped retaining wall in sand under seismic conditions, as a function of problem geometry, soil strength and wall strength. The critical acceleration ratio has been computed by means of a finite element formulation of the limit analysis (LA) theorems. The results obtained, presented

This paper aims to quantify the impact of lateral force resisting system detailing on the performance and cost of RC shear wall buildings in regions with high uncertainty in seismicity. Six archetype buildings are designed and detailed as per the IBC’12. The results showed lower collapse margin ratios for the ordinary detailing, which indicates poorer performance as suggested by engineering intuition

This paper discusses and quantifies the minimum requirements of walls and tie-columns in confined masonry (CM) buildings located in earthquake-prone regions. A research database including 238 damaged CM buildings obtained from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake survey is established and comprehensively examined. The requirements of masonry walls in CM buildings are discussed, and a simplified tie-column

This research demonstrates the efficacy of 2–4 viscous dampers in self-centering rocking structures with bi‑linear elastic response, which is distinctly different to conventional fixed‑base structures. This study assesses the relative impact of 2–4 devices versus typical viscous dampers and 1–3 viscous devices. Performance is assessed by maximum displacement, total base shear, and maximum acceleration

This paper presents the results of a continuous monitoring activity of a commercial steel pallet-rack. The first objective was to obtain the real history of the dynamic actions undergone by the rack under daily service conditions. The second objective was to evaluate the damping factors obtained during the most important dynamic shakes. Finally, the possibility of adopting these damping factors in