• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.97-111
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• 2020

Cylindrical steel tanks are important components of industrial facilities. Their safety becomes a crucial issue since any failure may cause catastrophic consequences. The aim of the paper is to show the results of comprehensive FEM numerical investigation focused on the response of cylindrical steel tanks under mining tremors and moderate earthquakes. The effects of different levels of liquid filling, the influence of non-uniform seismic excitation as well as the aspects of diagnosis of structural damage have been investigated. The results of the modal analysis indicate that the level of liquid filling is really essential in the structural analysis leading to considerable changes in the shapes of vibration modes with a substantial reduction in the natural frequencies when the level of liquid increases. The results of seismic and paraseismic analysis indicate that the filling the tank with liquid leads to the substantial increase in the structural response underground motions. It has also been observed that the peak structural response values under mining tremors and moderate earthquakes can be comparable to each other. Moreover, the consideration of spatial effects related to seismic wave propagation leads to a considerable decrease in the structural response under non-uniform seismic excitation. Finally, the analysis of damage diagnosis in steel tanks shows that different types of damage may induce changes in the free vibration modes and values of natural frequencies.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.175-189
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• 2019

The aim of the study is to show the results of complex shaking table experimental investigation focused on the response of two models of cylindrical steel tanks under mining tremors and moderate earthquakes, including the aspects of diagnosis of structural damage. Firstly, the impact and the sweep-sine tests have been carried out, so as to determine the dynamic properties of models filled with different levels of liquid. Then, the models have been subjected to seismic and paraseismic excitations. Finally, one fully filled structure has been tested after introducing two different types of damages, so as to verify the method of damage diagnosis. The results of the impact and the sweep-sine tests show that filling the models with liquid leads to substantial reduction in natural frequencies, due to gradually increasing overall mass. Moreover, the results of sweep-sine tests clearly indicate that the increase in the liquid level results in significant increase in the damping structural ratio, which is the effect of damping properties of liquid due to its sloshing. The results of seismic and paraseismic tests indicate that filling the tank with liquid leads initially to considerable reduction in values of acceleration (damping effect of liquid sloshing); however, beyond a certain level of water filling, this regularity is inverted and acceleration values increase (effect of increasing total mass of the structure). Moreover, comparison of the responses under mining tremors and moderate earthquakes indicate that the power amplification factor of the mining tremors may be larger than the seismic power amplification factor. Finally, the results of damage diagnosis of fully filled steel tank model indicate that the forms of the Fourier spectra, together with the frequency and power spectral density values, can be directly related to the specific type of structural damage. They show a decrease in the natural frequencies for the model with unscrewed support bolts (global type of damage), while cutting the welds (local type of damage) has resulted in significant increase in values of the power spectral density for higher vibration modes.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.215-231
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• 1995

The key concepts of seismic moment tensor are introduced in a 'physicist - oriented' style. The theory and application of seismic moment tensor which have been developed since the 1970s have become one of the most important branches in modern seismology. The description of earthquake sources in the modern seismology have led to much deeper understanding of the physics of indigenous earthquakes as well as various kinds of artificial seismic events, such as underground explosions, mining rockbursts, and reservoir induced tremors. Furthermore, with the development of digital seismological observation, some concepts, which were not included in 'classical' seismology, or not so important in 'classical' seismology, has become more and more important. It seems that it has been the time to have a new look at the fundamentals of seismology as a branch of applied physics, especially the part dealing with the physics of earthquake sources. Also in this field it may be important to clarify some fundamental concepts which, unexpectedly, have caused confusions even among professionals.