• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2017

To overcome the difficulty of performing multi-point response spectrum analysis for engineering structures under spatially varying ground motions (SVGM) using the general finite element code such as ANSYS, an approach has been developed by improving the modelling of the input ground motions in the spectral analysis. Based on the stochastic vibration analyses, the cross-power spectral density (c-PSD) matrix is adopted to model the stationary SVGM. The design response spectra are converted into the corresponding PSD model with appropriate coherency functions and apparent wave velocities. Then elements of c-PSD matrix are summarized in the row and the PSD matrix is transformed into the response spectra for a general spectral analysis. A long-span high-pier bridge under multiple support excitations is analyzed using the proposed approach considering the incoherence, wave-passage and site-response effects. The proposed approach is deemed to be an efficient numerical method that can be used for seismic analysis of large engineering structures under SVGM.

• Geosciences Journal
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1027-1039
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• 2018

Seismic attributes are often used to identify lithology and evaluate reservoir properties. However, interpretation based only on structural attributes and without knowledge of the Vp/Vs ratio can limit the ability to evaluate changes in heavy oil reservoirs. These limitations are often due to less obvious impedance differences. In order to investigate pieces of evidence of a heavy-oil shaly-sand reservoir from seismic data, besides geochemistry, we studied seismic attributes and characterized the reservoir using seismic stack data and well logging data. The study area was the Muglad rift basin in South Sudan. We conducted a seismic complex analysis to evaluate the target reservoir. To delineate the frequency responses of the different lithological units, we applied the spectral decomposition method to the target reservoir. The most unexpected result was continuous bands of strong seismic reflectors in the target reservoir, which extended across the borehole. Spectral decomposition analysis showed that the low-frequency zone of 25 Hz dominant frequency was consistent with instantaneous attributes. This approach can identify lithology, reveal frequency anomalies, and filter the stacked section into low- and high-frequency bands. The heavy-oil reservoir zones exhibited velocity attenuation and the amplitude was strongly frequency dependent.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.4179-4188
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• 2021

This study identifies efficient earthquake intensity measures (IMs) for seismic performances and fragility evaluations of the reactor containment building (RCB) in the advanced power reactor 1400 (APR1400) nuclear power plant (NPP). The computational model of RCB is constructed using the beam-truss model (BTM) for nonlinear analyses. A total of 90 ground motion records and 20 different IMs are employed for numerical analyses. A series of nonlinear time-history analyses are performed to monitor maximum floor displacements and accelerations of RCB. Then, probabilistic seismic demand models of RCB are developed for each IM. Statistical parameters including coefficient of determination (R²), dispersion (i.e. standard deviation), practicality, and proficiency are calculated to recognize strongly correlated IMs with the seismic performance of the NPP structure. The numerical results show that the optimal IMs are spectral acceleration, spectral velocity, spectral displacement at the fundamental period, acceleration spectrum intensity, effective peak acceleration, peak ground acceleration, A95, and sustained maximum acceleration. Moreover, weakly related IMs to the seismic performance of RCB are peak ground displacement, root-mean-square of displacement, specific energy density, root-mean-square of velocity, peak ground velocity, Housner intensity, velocity spectrum intensity, and sustained maximum velocity. Finally, a set of fragility curves of RCB are developed for optimal IMs.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.1331-1346
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• 2016

Historical masonry structures have an important value for cultures and it is essential for every society to strengthen them and confidently transfer to the future. For this reason, determination of the seismic earthquake response, which is the most affecting factor to cause the damage at these structures, gain more importance. In this paper, the seismic earthquake behaviour of Kaya Çelebi Mosque, which is located in Turkey and the restoration process has still continued after 2011 Van earthquake, is determined. Firstly the dynamic modal analysis and subsequently the seismic spectral analysis are performed using the finite element model of the mosque constructed with restoration drawings in SAP2000 program. Maximum displacements, tensile, compressive and shear stresses are obtained and presented with contours diagrams. Turkish Earthquake Code and its general technical specifications are considered to evaluate the structural responses. After the analyses, it is seen that the displacements and compressive/shear stresses within the code limits. However, tension stresses exceeded the maximum values at some local regions. For this mosque, this is in tolerance limits considering the whole structure. But, it can be said that the tension stresses is very important for this type of the structures, especially between the stone and mortar. So, some additional strengthening solutions considering the originality of historical structures may be applicable on maximum tensile regions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.825-837
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• 2017

Due to the severe impacts of recent earthquakes, the use of seismic isolation is paramount for the safety of nuclear structures. The diversity observed in seismic events demands ongoing research to analyze the devastating attributes involved, and hence to enhance the sustainability of base-isolated nuclear power plants. This study reports the seismic performance of a seismically-isolated nuclear reactor containment building (NRCB) under strong short-period ground motions (SPGMs) and long-period ground motions (LPGMs). The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission-based design response spectrum for the seismic design of nuclear power plants is stipulated as the reference spectrum for ground motion selection. Within the period range(s) of interest, the spectral matching of selected records with the target spectrum is ensured using the spectral-compatibility approach. NRC-compliant SPGMs and LPGMs from the mega-thrust Tohoku earthquake are used to obtain the structural response of the base-isolated NRCB. To account for the lack of earthquakes in low-to-moderate seismicity zones and the gap in the artificial synthesis of long-period records, wavelet-decomposition based autoregressive moving average modeling for artificial generation of real ground motions is performed. Based on analysis results from real and simulated SPGMs versus LPGMs, the performance of NRCBs is discussed with suggestions for future research and seismic provisions.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.191-209
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• 2016

Seismic codes are the best available guidance on how structures should be designed and constructed to ensure adequate resistance to seismic forces during earthquakes. Seismic provisions of Indian standard code, International building code and European code are applied for buildings with ordinary moment resisting frames and reinforced shear walls at various locations considering the effect of site soil conditions. The study investigates the differences in spectral acceleration coefficient ($S_a/g$), base shear and storey shear obtained following the seismic provisions in different codes in the analysis of these buildings. Study shows that the provision of shear walls at core in low rise buildings and at all the four corners in high rise buildings gives the least value of base shear.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.77-86
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• 2018

This study develops an empirical prediction equation of spectral acceleration responses of earthquakes which can induce structural damages. Ground motion records representing hazards of low-to-moderate seismic regions were selected and organized with several influential factors affecting the response spectra. The empirical equation and estimator coefficients for acceleration response spectra were then proposed using a robust nonlinear optimization coupled with a regression analysis. For analytical verification of the prediction equation, response spectra used for low-to-moderate seismic regions were estimated and the predicted results were comparatively evaluated with measured response spectra. As a result, the predicted shapes of response spectra can simulate the graphical shapes of measured data with high accuracy and most of predicted results are distributed inside range of correlation of variation (COV) of 30% from perfectly correlated lines.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.479-494
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• 2012

This study explores a coefficient-based seismic capacity assessment method with a special emphasis on low-rise masonry in-filled (MI) reinforced concrete (RC) buildings subjected to earthquake motion. The coefficient-based method without requiring any complicated finite element analysis is a simplified procedure to assess the maximum spectral acceleration capacity of buildings. This paper first compares the fundamental periods of MI RC structures obtained, respectively, from experimental period data and empirical period-height formulas. The coefficient-based method for low-rise masonry buildings is then calibrated by the published experimental results obtained from shaking table tests. The comparison of the experimental and estimated results indicates that the simplified coefficient-based method can provide good approximations of the maximum spectral accelerations at peak loads of the low-rise masonry reinforced concrete buildings if a proper set of drift factors and initial fundamental vibration periods of structures are used.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.169-178
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• 2020

In a previous paper, ambient vibration tests were conducted on a cable stayed bridge with resilient-friction base isolation systems (R-FBI) to extract the dynamic characteristics of the bridge and compare the results with a seismic analysis model. In this paper, a nonlinear seismic analysis model was established for analysis of the bridge to compare the difference in seismic responses between nonlinear time history analysis and multi-mode spectral analysis methods in the seismic design phase of cable supported bridges. Through these studies, it was confirmed that the seismic design procedures of the "Korean Highway Bridge Design Code (Limit State Design) for Cable Supported Bridges" is not suitable for cable supported bridges installed with R-FBI. Therefore, to reflect the actual dynamic characteristics of the R-FBI installed on cable-supported bridges, an improved seismic design procedure is proposed that applies the seismic analysis method differently depending on the seismic isolation effect of the R-FBI for each seismic performance level.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.609-623
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• 2020

This paper presents a displacement-based seismic design procedure for new structures with fluid viscous dampers and/or for existing structures, where these devices are required as a retrofit measure and damage control. To consider the non-proportional damping produced by these devices in a conventional modal spectral analysis, the effect of the fluid viscous dampers is approximated as the sum of a proportional damping matrix and a complementary matrix which is representative of non-proportional damping matrix. To illustrate the application of this procedure and evaluate the performance of structures designed with the procedure proposed, five regular plane frames: 8, 12, 17, 20 and 25-storey, and an 8-storey building are designed. The seismic demands used for design and validation were the records obtained at the SCT site during the 1985 Michoacan earthquake, and that of the 2017 Morelos - Puebla earthquake obtained at the Culhuacan site, both stations located on soft soil sites. To validate the procedure proposed, the performances and damage distributions used as design targets were compared with the corresponding results from the nonlinear step-by-step analyses of the designed structures subjected to the same seismic demands.