• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.276-283
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• 2006

Korea is considered to be immune from the earthquake hazard because it is located far away from the active fault. However, recent earthquake caused a loss of lives and economical loss worldwide. Hence there has been raised an importance of the earthquake resistant design for various infrastructures. In this research, the seismic design and evaluation criterion for RC bridge pier were proposed from the experimental results of 82 circular RC bridge piers tested in domestic and aboard. New seismic criterion was introduced the limited ductile design provision suitable to Korean peninsula, which would be classified as a low or moderate seismic region. In addition, further important topic for the seismic safety of RC bridge piers in Korea is the seismic performance enhancement of RC bridge piers, which were designed and constructed before the 1992 seismic design provision. Therefore, the proposed seismic performance evaluation criterion could be very useful to judge seismic retrofit need or not according to the residual seismic performance of the RC bridge piers. Also, it could reduce an uncertainty for the safety of the infrastructure under earthquakes.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.419-429
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• 2024

The safety and stability of bridges are critical to traffic safety. However, post-earthquake ground motion records often contain noise, which undermines the accuracy of seismic response analysis in bridge structures. To tackle this issue, we introduce a method that optimizes Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) parameters using the Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) and combines it with Wavelet Thresholding (WT) to eliminate noise from strong motion signals. SSA is employed to identify the optimal VMD parameters [K, α], followed by the selection of effective modes based on the Variance Contribution Rate (VCR). These modes are then subjected to WT noise reduction, resulting in a high-quality reconstructed strong motion record. The method was validated using both simulated signals and ground motion records. In simulations, it demonstrated a 31.35% reduction in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), a 31.6% decrease in the Smoothness Indicator (R), and a 1.17% improvement in the Correlation Coefficient (CC), compared to other methods. For ground motion records, it more accurately preserved seismic features than traditional wavelet denoising. When applied to the seismic response analysis of the Dahejia Bridge during the Jishishan earthquake, the denoised ground motion records obtained by this method produced force predictions on pier bearings that closely matched the field-observed damage, outperforming predictions based on traditional wavelet denoising. These findings confirm the accuracy and practicality of the proposed method.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.223-232
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• 2021

The spatial variation characteristics of seismic motions at the nuclear power plant's site and structures were analyzed using earthquake records obtained at the Fukushima nuclear power plant during the Great East Japan Earthquake. The ground responses amplified as they approached the soil surface from the lower rock surface, and the amplification occurred intensively at about 50 m near the ground. Due to the soil layer's nonlinear characteristics caused by the strong seismic motion, the ground's natural frequency derived from the response spectrum ratio appeared to be smaller than that calculated from the shear wave velocity profile. The spatial variation of the peak ground acceleration at the ground surface of the power plant site showed a significant difference of about 0.6 g at the maximum. As a result of comparing the response spectrums at the basement of the structure with the design response spectrum, there was a large variability by each power plant unit. The difference was more significant in the Fukushima Daiichi site record, which showed larger peak ground acceleration at the surface. The earthquake motions input to the basement of the structure amplified according to the structure's height. The natural frequency obtained from the recorded results was lower than that indicated in the previous research. Also, the floor response spectrum change according to the location at the same height was investigated. The vertical response on the foundation surface showed a significant difference in spectral acceleration depending on the location. The amplified response in the structure showed a different variability depending on the type of structure and the target frequency.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.531-549
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• 2021

Analytical models were developed and seismic behaviors were analyzed for a three-story stone pagoda at the Cheollyongsa temple site, which was damaged by the Gyeongju earthquake of 2016. Both finite and discrete element modeling were used and the analysis results were compared to the actual earthquake damage. Vulnerable parts of stone pagoda structure were identified and their seismic behaviors via sliding, rocking, and risk analyses were verified. In finite and discrete element analyses, the 3F main body stone was displaced uniaxially by 60 and 80 mm, respectively, similar to the actual displacement of 90 mm resulting from the earthquake. Considering various input conditions such as uniaxial excitation and soil-structure interaction, as well as seismic components and the distance from the epicenter, both models yielded reasonable and applicable results. The Gyeongju earthquake exhibited extreme short-period characteristics; thus, short-period structures such as stone pagodas were seriously damaged. In addition, we found that sliding occurred in the upper parts because the vertical load was low, but rocking predominated in the lower parts because most structural members were slender. The third-floor main body and roof stones were particularly vulnerable because some damage occurred when the sliding and rocking limits were exceeded. Risk analysis revealed that the probability of collapse was minimal at 0.1 g, but exceeded 80% at above 0.3 g. The collapse risks at an earthquake peak ground acceleration of 0.154 g at the immediate occupancy, life safety, and collapse prevention levels were 90%, 52%, and 6% respectively. When the actual damage was compared with the risk analysis, the stone pagoda retained earthquake-resistant performance at the life safety level.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.52-58
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• 2011

The earthquake characteristic assessment of social overhead facilities would be an important examination issue for seismic capacity enhancement. This study is intended to reasonably evaluate the structural behavior of longperiod frame structures considering near-fault and far-fault earthquake characteristics. Elastic/inelastic time history analyses were performd by selecting the objective structure which can precisely reflect the effect of input ground motion. Based on the result of numerical analysis, we have investigated response aspects of shear force, moment, acceleration and displacement according to earthquake characteristics. Moreover, in order to understand the inelastic behavior of the objective structure, we have analyzed and compared collapse modes by considering the occurrence process of plastic hinges. The outcome of this research is expected to provide the basic information for the seismic safety assessment of long-period frame structures.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.313-324
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• 2018

In order to study the earthquake precursor in the Korean peninsula, long-term variations of chemical composition, radon-222, and water level were measured at depths (-60 m, -100 m) in the groundwater monitoring wells of the Daejeon and the Cheongwon area. The pH and electrical conductivity of groundwater in the monitoring wells showed some relationship with the Pohang earthquake. The ${HCO_3}^-$ and $Cl^-$ concentration of groundwater in the Daejeon and $Mg^{2+}$, $Cl^-$ and ${NO_3}^-$ in the Cheongwon showed some relation with the Pohang earthquake. However, it is not distinct to find the relationship between their variation and earthquake. The radon-222 concentration in Daejeon was observed a significant increase from a minimum of 162 Bq/L prior to the earthquake to 573 Bq/L right after the earthquake, that indicating a strong correlation with earthquakes. In the case of groundwater levels, it can not find some correlation between earthquakes and continuous decreasing trend in the monitoring wells of Daejeon and Cheongwon area. However, water level of a national groundwater observation well within 10 kilometers of Pohang epicenter was recorded as an abrupt drop right before the earthquake. Conclusively, although the location of monitoring wells is more than 180 kilometers apart from the epicenter of the Pohang earthquake, the radon gas in groundwater can be considered as a reliable candidate among earthquake precursors. The pH, electrical conductivity, ${HCO_3}^-$ and $Cl^-$ among hydrochemicals showed some correlation with earthquake should be monitored during a longer term to recognize distinctly as a precursor of earthquake.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.379-394
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• 2013

Post-earthquake fire (PEF) can lead to a rapid collapse of buildings damaged partially as a result of prior earthquake. Almost all standards and codes for the design of structures against earthquake ignore the risk of PEF, and thus buildings designed using those codes could be too weak when subjected to a fire after an earthquake. An investigation based on sequential analysis inspired by FEMA356 is performed here on the Immediate Occupancy, Life Safety and Collapse Prevention performance levels of structures, designed to the ACI 318-08 code, after they are subjected to an earthquake level with PGA of 0.35g. This investigation is followed by a fire analysis of the damaged structures, examining the time taken for the damaged structures to collapse. As a point of reference, a fire analysis is also performed for undamaged structures and before the occurrence of earthquake. The results indicate that the vulnerability of structures increases dramatically when a previously damaged structure is exposed to PEF. The results also show that the damaging effects of post-earthquake fire are exacerbated when initiated from the second and third floor. Whilst the investigation is made for a certain class of structures (conventional buildings, intermediate reinforced structure, 3 stories), the results confirm the need for the incorporation of post-earthquake fire into the process of analysis and design, and provides some quantitative measures on the level of associated effects.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.375-382
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• 2000

This paper briefly summarizes the basic concepts and main characteristics of seismic design of New Zealand Standards(NZS) with regard to reinforced concrete(RC) structures. NZS used the concept of the capacity design and the limit state design to satisfy the requirements of serviceability and safety. Plastic mechanisms and details with respect to the limit state of safety are briefly presented in this paper. The understanding of this advanced seismic design concept will enable us to implement the basic theory of capacity design and contribute to the development of Korean seismic code in new generation,

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.93-100
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• 2003

Seismic isolation systems can improve the seismic safety of nuclear power plants by decreasing seismic force transmitted to structures and equipment. This study evaluates the effectiveness of equipment seismic isolation systems by the comparison of core damage frequencies in non-isolated and isolated cases. It can be found that the seismic isolation systems increase seismic capacity of nuclear equipment and decrease core damage frequencies significantly. The effect of equipment isolation is more significant in the PGA range of 0.3g to 0.5g.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.3-16
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• 2000

The ultimate safety-goal of nuclear power plants should be targeted at preventing release of nuclear radiation compared to general structures, Accordingly the phases of siting design construction and operation of NPPs are severely regulated by codes of aseismic design so as to assure safety of NPPs. To accomplish this goal strict quality assurace and seismic qualification tests should be conducted for all phases of NPP construction. In addition seismic monitoring systems should be installed and always in operation to provide proper post-earhquake procedures. Besides periodic safety review should be performed during operation along with the seismic margin assessment. In this paper general procedures to secure seismic safety of NPPs are systematically reviewed and additional considerations for improvement are suggested.