636 research outputs found
Advanced Research in Seismic Resilience of Structures and Infrastructures
No full textDear Colleagues,
In recent years, several countries have experienced heavy damages produced by earthquakes on existing structures designed considering only gravity loads. In some cases, new structures designed according to recent international seismic codes have also exhibited inadequate levels of seismic performance, especially in terms of serviceability limit state. Moreover, most economic loss associated to earthquakes is often strongly correlated to damage of nonstructural elements. As structural vulnerability contributes to raising the seismic risk, a comprehensive model to quantify seismic resilience of structures is needed in order to estimate the capacity of integrated systems to rebound after severe earthquakes.
This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality papers on advanced research on seismic resilience of structures and infrastructures (including buildings, bridges, cultural heritage, strategic life lines, etc.) dealing with different topics. In particular, recent research on seismic input definition, influence of dynamic soil–structure interaction, structural retrofit, passive control of structures, structural health monitoring, damage detection, and new structural systems toward earthquake-resilient structures is welcome for this interdisciplinary Special Issue.
Prof. Dr. Felice Carlo Ponzo
Dr. Antonio Di Cesare
Dr. Rocco Ditommaso
Guest Editor
Analysis of structural seismic behaviour: from non stationary to non linear effects
No full textThe change in fundamental frequency of a building is considered the simplest way to detect the onset of damage. Several authors in the past proposed that the difference in periods that can be observed among ambient noise, earthquake weak-motion measurements can be attributed to transient non-linearity due to reversible modification of the building characteristic (e.g. the degree of coupling between frame and infill in reinforced concrete buildings).
The necessity of effective and efficient seismic protection of vast and aging structures and infrastructure has increased markedly the interest in the development of structural monitoring techniques. Damage to any structure alters its dynamic properties and for that dynamic monitoring techniques enable the identification of damage by comparing pre and post seismic excitation characteristic. The principle parameters usually monitored are: fundamental period, damping factors and modal shapes. Several damage identification and localization techniques are based on variations in these parameters (see, e.g Ponzo et al. 2010 and reference therein).
Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE) methods can be rank on four different levels with the higher levels requiring increased quality and quantity of available information. The most common methods are therefore related to Level 1, due to their simplified and economic implementation. These methods are based mainly upon the variation of vibration frequencies and/or variations in Equivalent Viscous Damping associated with these vibration modes. It is important to underline however that although the presence of damage will lead to alterations in vibration modes the opposite does not necessarily hold true. Two types of frequency variation can be distinguished; long time period variations (due to variations in temperature, foundation soil moisture content etc.) and short period variations (for example due to a seismic event). For short period variations, changes in frequency can be attributed to either non-linearity (i.e. Damage) or non-stationary phenomenon (the particular combination of input and response). This fact may lead to erroneous conclusions attributing the frequency variations to the structural damage instead that to non-stationary phenomena.
This article deals with the theoretical foundation of the analysis of non-stationary behaviour of structures, and then provides experimental evidence in order to distinguish non-linearity from simple non-stationary phenomena. Further work must be performed in order to fully validate this kind of approach and to completely define these threshold for various structural forms and building typologies
Short Time Impulse Response Function (STIRF) for automatic evaluation of the variation of the dynamic parameters for reinforced concrete framed structures during strong earthquakes.
No full textThis study presents an innovative strategy for automatic evaluation of the variable fundamental frequency and related damping factors of nonlinear structures during strong motion phases. Most of methods for damage detection are based on the assessment of the variations of the dynamic parameters characterizing the monitored structure. A crucial aspect of these methods is the automatic and accurate estimation of both structural eigen-frequencies and related damping factors also during the nonlinear behaviour.
A new method based on the nonlinear interferometric analysis combined with the Fourier Transform (FT) (Short-Time Impulse Response Function - STIRF) is here proposed in order to characterize frequencies and damping variations of a monitored structure.
The STIRF approach helps to overcome some limitation derived from the use of techniques based on simple Fourier Transform. These latter techniques provide good results when the response of the monitored system is stationary, but fails when the system exhibits a non-stationary, time-varying behaviour: even non-stationary input, soil-foundation and/or adjacent structures interaction phenomena can show the inadequacy of classic techniques to analysing the nonlinear and/or non-stationary behaviour of structures. In fact, using this kind of approach it is possible to improve some of the existing methods for the automatic damage detection providing stable results also during the strong motion phase. Results are consistent with those expected if compared with other techniques. The main advantage derived from the use of the proposed approach (STIRF) for Structural Health Monitoring is based on the simplicity of the interpretation of the nonlinear variations of the fundamental frequency and the related equivalent viscous damping factor.
The proposed methodology has been tested on both numerical and experimental models also using data retrieved from shaking table tests. Based on the results provided in this study, the methodology seems to be able to evaluate fast variations (over time) of dynamic parameters of a generic reinforced concrete framed structure.
Further analyses are necessary to better calibrate the length of the moving time-window (in order to minimize the spurious frequency within each Interferometric Response Function evaluated on both weak and strong motion phases) and to verify the possibility to use the STIRF to analyse the nonlinear behaviour of general systems
Short Time Impulse Response Function (STIRF): an operative tool for the automatic evaluation of the main eigenfrequencies of structures subjected to relevant earthquakes
No full textThis study presents an innovative strategy for automatic evaluation of the variable fundamental frequency and related damping factor of nonlinear structures during strong motion phases. Most of methods for damage detection are based on the assessment of the variations of the dynamic parameters characterizing the monitored structure. A crucial aspect of these methods is the automatic and accurate estimation of both structural eigen-frequencies and related damping factors also during the nonlinear behaviour.
A new method, named STIRF (Short-Time Impulse Response Function - STIRF), based on the nonlinear interferometric analysis combined with the Fourier Transform (FT) here is proposed in order to allow scientists and engineers to characterize frequencies and damping variations of a monitored structure.
The STIRF approach helps to overcome some limitation derived from the use of techniques based on simple Fourier Transform. These latter techniques provide good results when the response of the monitored system is stationary, but fails when the system exhibits a non-stationary, time-varying behaviour: even non-stationary input, soil-foundation and/or adjacent structures interaction phenomena can show the inadequacy of classic techniques to analysing the nonlinear and/or non-stationary behaviour of structures. In fact, using this kind of approach it is possible to improve some of the existing methods for the automatic damage detection providing stable results also during the strong motion phase. Results are consistent with those expected if compared with other techniques. The main advantage derived from the use of the proposed approach (STIRF) for Structural Health Monitoring is based on the simplicity of the interpretation of the nonlinear variations of the fundamental frequency and the related equivalent viscous damping factor.
The proposed methodology has been tested on both numerical and experimental models also using data retrieved from shaking table tests. Based on the results provided in this study, the methodology seems to be able to evaluate fast variations (over time) of dynamic parameters of a generic reinforced concrete framed structure.
Further analyses are necessary to better calibrate the length of the moving time-window (in order to minimize the spurious frequency within each Interferometric Response Function evaluated on both weak and strong motion phases) and to verify the possibility to use the STIRF to analyse the nonlinear behaviour of general systems
Identifying Damage in Structures: Definition of Thresholds to Minimize False Alarms in SHM Systems
No full textIn recent years, the development of quick and streamlined methods for the detection and localization of structural damage has been achieved by analysing key dynamic parameters before and after significant events or as a result of aging. Many Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems rely on the relationship between occurred damage and variations in eigenfrequencies. While it is acknowledged that damage can affect eigenfrequencies, the reverse is not necessarily true, particularly for minor frequency variations. Thus, reducing false positives is essential for the effectiveness of SHM systems. The aim of this paper is to identify scenarios where observed changes in eigenfrequencies are not caused by structural damage, but rather by non-stationary combinations of input and system response (e.g., wind effects, traffic vibrations), or by stochastic variations in mass, damping, and stiffness (e.g., environmental variations). To achieve this, statistical variations of thresholds were established to separate linear non-stationary behaviour from nonlinear structural behaviour. The Duffing oscillator was employed in this study to perform various nonlinear analyses via Monte Carlo simulations
Comportamento Sismico in Campo Non-lineare di Edifici in Calcestruzzo Armato Progettati Secondo le Regole degli Eurocodici 2 e 8 per Differenti Livelli di Duttilità e di Intensità Sismica
No full textAutomatic evaluation of the fundamental frequency variations and related damping factor of reinforced concrete framed structures using the Short Time Impulse Response Function (STIRF)
No full textStructural Health Monitoring (SHM) aims to improve knowledge of the safety and maintainability of civil structures and infrastructures. This paper presents an innovative strategy for automatic evaluation of the variable fundamental frequency and related damping factors of nonlinear structures during strong motion phases. In fact, most of methods for damage detection are based on the assessment of the variations related to dynamic parameters characterizing the monitored structure. In this case, a crucial aspect is a correct estimation of both structural eigenfrequencies and related damping factor also during the nonlinear behavior of a monitored structure. In this paper, nonlinear interferometric analyses combined with the Fourier Transform (FT) are proposed to evaluate the Short-Time Impulse Response Function (STIRF) able to characterize frequencies and damping variations of a monitored structure. Two application of the STIRF are proposed on both numerical and experimental models
Non linear seismic response of EC8 designed R/C building structures
No full textIn this paper, results of an analytical study on the non-linear dynamic behaviour of reinforced concrete buildings designed according to modern European Codes (Eurocode 8) are presented. An investigation of the seismic performance of 8-storey regular and irregular buildings is carried out. The study is aimed at evaluating their seismic structural performance with a focus on the influence of several design parameters used in the code affecting non-linear response. Towards this aim, use is made of a suite of spectrum-compatible artificial accelerograms. It is concluded that EC8 provisions, although correct in principle, are conservative, at least for the structures and input motions considered, in view of the very low predicted damage levels observed in most cases
Seismic retrofit of reinforced concrete frame buildings with hysteretic bracing systems: design procedure and behaviour factor
No full textThis paper presents a design procedure to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of hysteretic Energy Dissipation Bracing (EDB) systems for seismic retrofitting of existing reinforced concrete framed buildings. The proposed procedure, aiming at controlling the maximum interstorey drifts, imposes a maximum top displacement as function of the seismic demand and, if needed, regularizes the stiffness and strength of the building along its elevation. In order to explain the application of the proposed procedure and its capacity to involve most of the devices in the energy dissipation with similar level of ductility demand, a simple benchmark structure has been studied and nonlinear dynamic analyses have been performed. A further goal of this work is to propose a simplified approach for designing dissipating systems based on linear analysis with the application of a suitable behaviour factor, in order to achieve a widespread adoption of the passive control techniques. At this goal, the increasing of the structural performances due to the addition of an EDB system designed with the above-mentioned procedure has been estimated considering one thousand case studies designed with different combinations of the main design parameters. An analytical formulation of the behaviour factor for braced buildings has been proposed
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