1,721,034 research outputs found

    An attenuation model for distant earthquakes

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    Large magnitude earthquakes generated at source-site distances exceeding 100km are typified by low-frequency (long-period) seismic waves. Such induced ground shaking can be disproportionately destructive due to its high displacement, and possibly high velocity, shaking characteristics. Distant earthquakes represent a potentially significant safety hazard in certain low and moderate seismic regions where seismic activity is governed by major distant sources as opposed to nearby (regional) background sources. Examples are parts of the Indian sub-continent, Eastern China and Indo-China. The majority of ground motion attenuation relationships currently available for applications in active seismic regions may not be suitable for handling long-distance attenuation, since the significance of distant earthquakes is mainly confined to certain low to moderate seismicity regions. Thus, the effects of distant earthquakes are often not accurately represented by conventional empirical models which were typically developed from curve-fitting earthquake strong-motion data from active seismic regions. Numerous well-known existing attenuation relationships are evaluated in this paper, to highlight their limitations in long-distance applications. In contrast, basic seismological parameters such as the Quality factor (Q-factor) could provide a far more accurate representation for the distant attenuation behaviour of a region, but such information is seldom used by engineers in any direct manner. The aim of this paper is to develop a set of relationships that provide a convenient link between the seismological Q-factor (amongst other factors) and response spectrum attenuation. The use of Q as an input parameter to the proposed model enables valuable local seismological information to be incorporated directly into response spectrum predictions. The application of this new modelling approach is demonstrated by examples based on the Chi-Chi earthquake (Taiwan and South China), Gujarat earthquake (Northwest India), Nisqually earthquake (region surrounding Seattle) and Sumatran-fault earthquake (recorded in Singapore). Field recordings have been obtained from these events for comparison with the proposed model. The accuracy of the stochastic simulations and the regression analysis have been confirmed by comparisons between the model calculations and the actual field observations. It is emphasized that obtaining representative estimates for Q for input into the model is equally important. Thus, this paper forms part of the long-term objective of the authors to develop more effective communications across the engineering and seismological disciplines

    Peak displacement demand of small to moderate magnitude earthquakes in stable continental regions

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    A theoretical fault-slip model has been developed for predicting the notional peak displacement demand (PDD) of earthquakes based on a limiting natural period of 5 s, for application in stable continental regions (SCRs). The developed theoretical expression is simple and robust. Importantly, it envelops predictions arising from a number of existing empirical and seismological (stochastic) models included in the comparison. The notional PDD prediction has been made initially for hard rock crustal conditions and at a reference source-site distance of 30 km. Factors have accordingly been introduced to correct for different distances and geological conditions in completing the PDD prediction model. Assuming displacement-controlled behaviour, the predicted notional PDD may be compared with the displacement capacity of a structure, or component, for purposes of seismic stability assessment

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Seismically induced overturning of objects and filtering effects of buildings

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    The seismic performance of unrestrained objects is critically dependent on the displacement demand behaviour of the building floor. The risk of an object overturning can be estimated from the dual independent criteria of object width and height, as opposed to the usual single criterion of the object aspect ratio (or slenderness ratio) based on static analysis. An object is at risk from overturning if the displacement demand of the floor exceeds one-third of the width of the object. According to floor amplification clauses in earthquake codes of practice, the filtering effects of a building amplify ground motions up its height. However, the building may also behave as an isolation medium, which attenuates the transmitted motions. These two perceptions seem contradictory. This paper aims to resolve this significant dilemma and hence contribute to improving the fundamental understanding of the dynamical processes of damage to building contents. Floor spectra of buildings, as presented in the paper, demonstrate both amplification and isolation actions

    Simple models for estimating period-shift and damping in soil

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    This study describes the development of a simple, heuristic manual calculation procedure for estimating the site period-shift factor and soil damping ratio, with appropriate considerations for the level of shaking, impedance contrast between soil and bedrock interface and the plasticity of the soil layers. Essentially, the analogy of a building shear-frame has been used to represent the seismic response behaviour of a soil column. The proposed procedure has been verified by comparing the predictions with results obtained directly from non-linear shear wave analyses of soil column models

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship

    Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis

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    We provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis

    Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts

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    We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more sophisticated methods

    Author Index

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