• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.605-616
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• 2018

In this paper, an extended Cloud analysis method is developed for seismic fragility assessment of existing highway bridges in the southeast Queensland region. This method extends the original Cloud analysis dataset by performing scaled Cloud analyses. The original and scaled Cloud datasets are then paired to generate seismic fragility curves. The seismic hazard in this region is critically reviewed, and the ground motion records are selected for the time-history analysis based on various record selection criteria. A parametric highway bridge model is developed in the OpenSees analysis software, and a sampling technique is employed to quantify the uncertainties of highway bridges ubiquitous in this region. Technical recommendations are also given for the seismic performance evaluation of highway bridges in such low-to-moderate seismic zones. Finally, a probabilistic fragility study is conducted by performing a total of 8000 time-history analyses and representative bridge fragility curves are generated. It is illustrated that the seismic fragility curves generated by the proposed extended Cloud analysis method are in close agreement with those which are obtained by the rigorous incremental dynamic analysis method. Also, it reveals that more than 50% of highway bridges existing in southeast Queensland will be damaged subject to a peak ground acceleration of 0.14 g.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.389-398
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• 2018

The seismic isolation system makes a structure isolated from ground motions to protect the structure from seismic events. Seismic isolation techniques have been implemented in full-scale buildings and bridges because of their simplicity, economic effectiveness, inherent stability and reliability. As for the responses of an isolated structure due to seismic events, it is well known that the most uncertain aspects are the seismic loading itself and structural properties. Due to the randomness of earthquakes and uncertainty of structures, seismic response distributions of an isolated structure are needed when evaluating the seismic fragility assessment (or probabilistic seismic safety assessment) of an isolated structure. Seismic response time histories are useful and often essential elements in its design or evaluation stage. Thus, a large number of non-linear dynamic analyses should be performed to evaluate the seismic performance of an isolated structure. However, it is a monumental task to gather the design or evaluation information of the isolated structure from too many seismic analyses, which is impractical. In this paper, a new methodology that can evaluate the seismic fragility assessment of an isolated structure is proposed by using stochastic response database, which is a device that can estimate the seismic response distributions of an isolated structure without any seismic response analyses. The seismic fragility assessment of the isolated nuclear power plant is performed using the proposed methodology. The proposed methodology is able to evaluate the seismic performance of isolated structures effectively and reduce the computational efforts tremendously.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.53-59
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• 2013

Several researches have been studied to enhance the seismic performance of nuclear power plants (NPPs) by application of seismic isolation. If a seismic base isolation system is applied to NPPs, seismic performance of nuclear power plants should be reevaluated considering the soil-structure interaction effect. The seismic fragility analysis method has been used as a quantitative seismic safety evaluation method for the NPP structures and equipment. In this study, the seismic performance of an isolated NPP is evaluated by seismic fragility curves considering the soil-structure interaction effect. The designed seismic isolation is introduced to a containment building of Shin-Kori NPP which is KSNP (Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant), to improve its seismic performance. The seismic analysis is performed considering the soil-structure interaction effect by using the linearized model of seismic isolation with SASSI (System for Analysis of Soil-Structure Interaction) program. Finally, the seismic fragility is evaluated based on soil-isolation-structure interaction analysis results.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.226-232
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• 2000

Seismic probabilistic risk assessment(RA) rather than deterministic assessment provides more valuable information and insight for resolving seismic safety issues in nuclear power plant design. In the course of seismic PRA seismic fragility analysis is the most significant and essential phase especially for structural or mechanical engineers. Lately the seismic fragility analysis is taken as a useful tool in general structural engineering as well. A systemized and synthesized procedure or technology related to seismic fragility analysis of critical industrial facilities reflecting the unique experiences and database in Korea is urgently required. This paper gives a state-of-the-art reviews of PRA and briefly summarizes the technologies related to PRA and seismic fragility analysis before developing an unique technology considering characteristics of Korean database. Some key items to be resolved theoretically or technically are extracted and presented for the future research.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.200-207
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• 2001

This paper introduces a methodology of seismic fragility analysis and discusses the basic input variables, focusing on the conservatism and variability of reference response spectrum. The procedures to consider the composite modal damping in the seismic fragility analysis is presented and its effects on the seismic capacity of structure is evaluated through an example analysis of the nuclear power plant structure which has typical composite modal damping characteristics. Two seismic fragility analyses were performed to obtain the seismic capacities which evaluated by considering the composite modal damping and the single damping characteristics. The results showed that the seismic fragility analysis without considering the different values of composite modal damping may considerably overestimate the seismic capacity of coupled structures.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.1 s.47
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• pp.63-74
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• 2006

The seismic fragility analysis method has been used as a quantitative seismic safety evaluation method for the NPP(Nuclear Power Plant) structures and equipments. The seismic fragility analysis gives a realistic seismic capacity excluding the convertism included in the design stage. The conservatism is considered as the probabilistic parameters related to the response and capacity in the seismic fragility analysis. In this study, the displacement based seismic fragility analysis method was proposed based on the nonlinear dynamic analysis results. In this study, the seismic safety of the prestressed concrete containment building of KSNP(Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant) was evaluated for the scenario earthquakes, neat-fault, far-fault, design earthquake and probability based scenario earthquake, which can be occurred in the NPP sites.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.285-294
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• 2024

Seismic fragility curves present the conditional probability of damage to target structures due to external seismic load and are widely used in various ways. When constructing such a seismic fragility curve, it is essential to consider various types and numbers of ground motions. In general, the earthquake occurrence characteristics of an area where the target structure of the seismic fragility curve exists are analyzed, and based on this, appropriate ground motions are selected to derive the seismic fragility curve. If the number of selected ground motions is large, the diversity of ground motions is considered, but a large amount of computational time is required. Conversely, if the number of ground motions is too small, the diversity of ground motions cannot be considered, which may distort the seismic fragility curve. Therefore, this study analyzed the relationship between the number of ground motions considered when deriving the seismic fragility curve and the parameters of the seismic fragility curve. Using two example structures, numerical analysis was performed by selecting a random number of ground motions from a total of two hundred, and a seismic fragility curve was derived based on the results. Analysis of the relationship of the parameter of the seismic fragility curve and the number of selected ground motions was performed. As the number of ground motions considered increases, uncertainty in ground motion selection decreases, and when deriving seismic fragility curves considering the same number of ground motions, uncertainty increases relatively as the degree of freedom of the target structure increases. However, considering a relatively large number of ground motions, uncertainty appeared insignificant regardless of increased degrees of freedom. Finally, it is possible that the increase in the number of ground motions could lower the epistemic uncertainty and thus improve the reliability of the results.

• 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.02a
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• pp.269-272
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• 2008

The seismic fragility curves of a structure represents the probability of exceeding the prescribed structural damage given various levels of ground motion intensityand the seismic fragility curve is essential to evaluation of structural performance and assessment of risk and loss of structures. The purpose of this paper is to develop seismic fragility functions for bridge structures in Koreaby reviewing those of advanced countries. Therefore, at first, we investigated development conditions of the seismic fragility functions. And the next highway bridges in Korea are classified into a number of categories and several typical bridges are selected to estimate seismic fragilities for using this analysis method in Korea. Finally, fragility curves for PSC Box girder bridge are estimated. The results show that the bridge classification and damage state play an important role in estimation of seismic damage and seismic fragility analysis for bridge structures.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2011

Seismic fragility analysis has been developed to evaluate the seismic performance of existing nuclear power plants, but now its applicability has been extended to buildings and bridges. In general, the seismic fragility curves are evaluated from the nonlinear time-history analysis (THA) using many earthquake ground motions. Seismic fragility analysis using the nonlinear THA requires a time consuming process of structural modeling and analysis. To overcome this shortcoming of the nonlinear THA, simplified methods such as the displacement coefficient method (DCM) and the capacity spectrum method (CSM) are used for the seismic fragility analysis. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the seismic fragility curve calculated by the DCM and the CSM, the seismic fragility curves of a reinforced concrete shear wall structure calculated by the DCM and CSM are compared with those calculated by the nonlinear THA. In order to construct a numerical fragility curve, 190 artificially generated ground motions corresponding to the design spectrum and the methodology proposed by Shinozuka et al. are used.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.99-123
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• 2015

In this study, structural vulnerability of reinforced concrete moment resisting frames (RC-MRFs) by considering the Iran-specific characteristics is investigated to manage the earthquake risk in terms of multicomponent seismic excitations. Low and medium rise RC-MRFs, which constitute approximately 80-90% of the total buildings stock in Iran, are focused in this fragility-based assessment. The seismic design of 3-12 story RC-MRFs are carried out according to the Iranian Code of Practice for Seismic Resistant Design of Buildings (Standard No. 2800), and the analytical models are formed accordingly in open source nonlinear platforms. Frame structures are categorized in three subclasses according to the specific characteristics of construction practice and the observed seismic performance after major earthquakes in Iran. Both far and near fields' ground motions have been considered in the fragility estimation. An optimal intensity measure (IM) called Sa, avg and beta probability distribution were used to obtain reliable fragility-based database for earthquake damage and loss estimation of RC buildings stock in urban areas of Iran. Nonlinear incremental dynamic analyses by means of lumped-parameter based structural models have been simulated and performed to extract the fragility curves. Approximate confidence bounds are developed to represent the epistemic uncertainties inherent in the fragility estimations. Consequently, it's shown that including vertical ground motion in the analysis is highly recommended for reliable seismic assessment of RC buildings.