• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.12-19
• /
• 2014

Tsunamis are ocean waves generated by movements of the Earth's crust. Several geophysical events can lead to this kind of catastrophe: earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and other mechanisms such as underwater explosions. Most of the damage associated with tsunamis are related to their run-up onto the shoreline. Therefore, effectively predicting the run-up process is an important aspect of any seismic sea wave mitigation effort. In this paper, a numerical simulation of the behaviors of a floating body near a quaywall during a tsunami is conducted by using a particle method. First, a solitary wave traveling over shallow water with a slope is numerically simulated, and the results are compared with experiments and other numerical results. Then, the behaviors of floating bodies with different drafts are investigated numerically.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.701-721
• /
• 2016

Base isolation is a well-established passive strategy for seismic response control of buildings. In this paper, an efficient framework is proposed for reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) of isolated buildings subjected to uncertain earthquakes. The framework uses reduced function evaluations method, as an efficient tool for structural reliability analysis, and an efficient optimization algorithm for optimal structural design. The probability of failure is calculated considering excessive base displacement, superstructure inter-storey drifts, member stress ratios and absolute accelerations of floors of the isolated building as failure events. The behavior of rubber bearing isolators is modeled using nonlinear hysteretic model and the variability of future earthquakes is modeled by applying a probabilistic approach. The effects of pulse component of stochastic near-fault ground motions, fixity-factor of semi-rigid beam-to-column connections, values of isolator parameters, earthquake magnitude and epicentral distance on the performance and safety of semi-rigidly connected base-isolated steel framed buildings are studied. Suitable RBDO examples are solved to illustrate the results of investigations.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.263-273
• /
• 2020

The use of energy concepts in seismic analysis and design of structures requires the understanding of the input energy response of multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) systems subjected to strong ground motions. For design purposes and non-time consuming analysis, however, it would be beneficial to associate the input energy response of MDOF systems with those of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems. In this paper, the theoretical formulation of energy input to MDOF systems is developed on the basis that only a particular portion of the total mass distributed among floor levels is effective in the nth-mode response. The input energy response histories of several reinforced concrete frames subjected to a set of eleven horizontal acceleration histories selected from actual recorded events and scaled in time domain are obtained. The contribution of the fundamental mode to the total input energy response of MDOF frames is demonstrated both graphically and numerically. The input energy of the fundamental mode is found to be a good indicator of the total energy input to two-dimensional regular MDOF structures. The numerical results computed by the proposed formulation are verified with relative input energy time histories directly computed from linear time history analysis. Finally, the elastic input energies are compared with those computed from time history analysis of nonlinear MDOF systems.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.271-280
• /
• 2018

This paper presents a framework for developing aftershock fragility curves for reinforced concrete bridges initially damaged by mainshocks. The presented aftershock fragility is a damage-dependent fragility function, which is conditioned on an initial damage state resulting from mainshocks. The presented framework can capture the cumulative damage of as-built bridges due to mainshock-aftershock sequences as well as the reduced vulnerability of bridges repaired with CFRP pier jackets. To achieve this goal, the numerical model of column jackets is firstly presented and then validated using existing experimental data available in literature. A four-span concrete box-girder bridge is selected as a case study to examine the application of the presented framework. The aftershock fragility curves are derived using response data from back-to-back nonlinear dynamic analyses under mainshock-aftershock sequences. The aftershock fragility curves for as-built bridge columns are firstly compared with different levels of initial damage state, and then the post-repair effect of FRP pier jacket is examined through the comparison of aftershock fragility curves for as-built and repaired piers.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.51-69
• /
• 2016

Monitoring the performance and estimating the remaining useful life of aging civil infrastructure in the United States has been identified as a major objective in the civil engineering community. Structural health monitoring has emerged as a central tool to fulfill this objective. This paper presents a review of the major structural monitoring programs that have been recently implemented in the United States, focusing on the integrity and performance assessment of large-scale structural systems. Applications where response data from a monitoring program have been used to detect and correct structural deficiencies are highlighted. These applications include (but are not limited to): i) Post-earthquake damage assessment of buildings and bridges; ii) Monitoring of cables vibration in cable-stayed bridges; iii) Evaluation of the effectiveness of technologies for retrofit and seismic protection, such as base isolation systems; and iv) Structural damage assessment of bridges after impact loads resulting from ship collisions. These and many other applications show that a structural health monitoring program is a powerful tool for structural damage and condition assessment, that can be used as part of a comprehensive decision-making process about possible actions that can be undertaken in a large-scale civil infrastructure system after potentially damaging events.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
• /
• 2006.04a
• /
• pp.1025-1032
• /
• 2006

The PVRC(Pressure Vessel Research Council) damping is for the response spectrum analysis of the piping system. In this study, the possibility to apply it to the time history analysis is evaluated to reduce the higher conservatism for the structural integrity. The evaluation was performed for the surge line connecting the pressurizer to the hot-leg, and the whole mode includes the RCS and the building structures with the surge line. The analyses were performed using ANSYS code. The first modal analysis shows the modes of the surge line are isolated from those of the other structures. The composite modal damping was calculated with PVRC damping for the surge line and RG 1.60 damping for the other structures by using ANSYS routines. Of the calculated composite modal damping values, the composite modal damping values related to the modes of the surge line were replaced with the PVRC damping values with respect to its frequencies. With this replacement, the composite modal damping values of the other structures were not changed. Based on this decouple characteristics, the time history analyses for the seismic events with PVRC damping for the surge line were performed. And the results show the resultant loads can be reduced by up to 50%.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.49 no.2
• /
• pp.426-433
• /
• 2017

This paper describes the development process, the innovative techniques used and insights gained from the latest integrated, full scope, multistate Level 2 PSA analysis conducted at the Leibstadt Nuclear Power Plant (KKL), Switzerland. KKL is a modern single-unit General Electric Boiling Water Reactor (BWR/6) with Mark III Containment, and a power output of $3600MW_{th}/1200MW_e$, the highest among the five operating reactors in Switzerland. A Level 2 Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) analyses accident phenomena in nuclear power plants, identifies ways in which radioactive releases from plants can occur and estimates release pathways, magnitude and frequency. This paper attempts to give an overview of the advanced modeling techniques that have been developed and implemented for the recent KKL Level 2 PSA update, with the aim of systematizing the analysis and modeling processes, as well as complying with the relatively prescriptive Swiss requirements for PSA. The analysis provides significant insights into the absolute and relative importances of risk contributors and accident prevention and mitigation measures. Thanks to several newly developed techniques and an integrated approach, the KKL Level 2 PSA report exhibits a high degree of reviewability and maintainability, and transparently highlights the most important risk contributors to Large Early Release Frequency (LERF) with respect to initiating events, components, operator actions or seismic component failure probabilities (fragilities).

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.261-280
• /
• 2014

In many parts of the world, reinforced concrete (RC) buildings, designed and built in accordance with older codes, have suffered severe damage or even collapse as a result of recent near-fault earthquakes. This is particularly due to the deficiencies of most of the older (and even some of the recent) codes in dealing with near fault events. In this study, a tested three-storey frame designed for gravity loads only was selected to represent those deficient buildings. Nonlinear time history analyses were performed, followed by damage assessment procedures. The results were compared with experimental observation of the same frame showing a good match. Damage and fragility analyses of the frame subjected to 204 pulse-type motions were then performed using a selected damage model and inter-storey drifts. The results showed that the frame located in near-fault regions is extremely vulnerable to ground motions. The results also showed that the damage model better captures the damage distribution in the frame than inter-storey drifts. The first storey was identified as the most fragile and the inner columns of the first storey suffered most damage as indicated by the damage index. The findings would be helpful in the decision making process prior to the strengthening of buildings in near-fault regions.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.207-209
• /
• 2005

The local magnitude scales yield in the Southern Korean Peninsula following the Richter's original definition are reviewed. In order to compare the previous ML scales, the new distance correction term of ML scale is derived as - log A 0 = 1.017 log ( r/17) + 0.00028 ( r-17)2 + 2 .0 using broadband velocity seismograms from 126 local events occured from 2000 to 2004. The attenuation rate of this formula fall between those of western and eastern North America. This result is in nearly accord with the ML scales proposed by Kim and Park(2002). The differences between various ML scales is owing to insufficient seismic data not to distribute whole area of Southern Korea.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.703-716
• /
• 2018

In this study, the different energy demands in reinforced concrete (RC) wall piers, coupled by buckling restrained braces (BRBs), are investigated. As well as this, a single plastic hinge approach (SPH) and an extended plastic hinge (EPH) approach is considered for the wall piers. In the SPH approach, plasticity can extend only in the 0.1H adjacent to the wall base while, in the EPH approach, the plasticity can extend anywhere in the wall. The seismic behavior of 10-, 20- and 30-storey structures, subjected to near-fault (NF) as well as far-fault (FF) earthquakes, is studied with respect to the energy concepts involved in each storey. Different kinds of energy, including inelastic, damping, kinetic, elastic and total input energy demand, are investigated. The energy contribution from the wall piers, as well as the BRBs in each model, are studied. On average, for EPH approach, the inelastic demand portion pertaining to the BRBs for NF and FF records, is more than 60 and 80%, respectively. In the SPH approach, these ratios are 77 and 90% for the NF and FF events, respectively. It appears that utilizing the BRBs as energy dissipation members between two wall piers is an efficient concept.