1,354,443 research outputs found
The Rolling Shear Influence on the Out-of-Plane Behavior of CLT Panels: A Comparative Analysis
Methodology for an effective retrofitting strategy of existing masonry buildings: a case study near L'Aquila
Feasibility of Timber Pegged Joints for Seismic Design of Structures
This paper investigates the feasibility of employing timber pegged joints in modern seismic-resistant structures or for retrofitting existing structures. The behavior of timber pegged connections has been investigated for about twenty years, but seismic design aspects are not treated in existing standards. In the framework of the force-based design approach, this paper analyzes and defines seismic design aspects and rules for timber pegged connections that are easy-to-use in engineering practice. A large database (more than 350 test results) has been elaborated and the data processed with the purpose of (1) analyzing the effectiveness of the European Yield Model for evaluating the maximum strength of the connection, accounting for the particular embedding behavior due to the presence of timber peg; (2) assessing and defining the capacity design rules to design the dissipative regions (i.e., overstrength factor); and (3) defining the available ductility of the connection with identification of ductility class intervals. The obtained results proved that timber pegged joints have a good potential to be used in seismic-resistant structures. In fact, data processing identified a suitable value for the overstrength factor (useful to project the joint with the capacity design) similar to that used for steel-dowelled connections, and defined a likelihood range of ductility classes. Finally, it is highlighted that the European Yield Model can be a practical tool to calculate connection strength, provided that some modifications are included to consider peg behavior
Effect of panel zone on non-linear behaviour of mrfs in the light of seismic codes
This paper deals with a critical analysis of the current seismic design criteria provided by Eurocode 8 for Moment Resisting Frames. This approach is based on the capacity design principle, in which the design is governed by the strength and stability of the structural elements and by hierarchy ofstrength, this in order to allows development of high dissipative collapse mechanism. The drawbacks of this approach is that the maximum required inter-storey drifts, at service limit states, are not directly satisfied. This leads to an enlargement of geometrical dimensions of the elements, producing significant over-strength and nullifying the use of high behaviour factors. In this paper, an alternative design criterion is proposed. According to this the design is governed by maximum inter-storey drift at service limit state, whereas the satisfaction of capacity design rules is contextually verified. This means to design the structure with seismic actions corresponding toservice earthquakes (i.e. unitary q-factor). Linear and non-linear static analyses on 3, 6 and 9-storey steel frames were performed to compare the design methodologies in terms of push-over curves (i.e.over-strength), interstorey- drifts and collapse mechanisms. Furthermore, the effect of panel zone on the global seismic response of frames was taken into accountin the performed analyses. It has been properly modelled using one of the most diffused literature model, the so called Krawinkler's 'frame model', accounting both its elastic and plastic behaviour
Fragility curves for Italian URM buildings based on a hybrid method
A hybrid seismic fragility model for territorial-scale seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry buildings is developed and presented in this paper. The method combines expert-judgment and mechanical approaches to derive typological fragility curves for Italian residential masonry building stock. The first classifies Italian masonry buildings in five different typological classes as function of age of construction, structural typology, and seismic behaviour and damaging of buildings observed following the most severe earthquakes occurred in Italy. The second, based on numerical analyses results conducted on building prototypes, provides all the parameters necessary for developing fragility functions. Peak-Ground Acceleration (PGA) at Ultimate Limit State attainable by each building’s class has been chosen as an Intensity Measure to represent fragility curves: three types of curve have been developed, each referred to mean, maximum and minimum value of PGAs defined for each building class. To represent the expected damage scenario for increasing earthquake intensities, a correlation between PGAs and Mercalli-Cancani-Sieber macroseismic intensity scale has been used and the corresponding fragility curves developed. Results show that the proposed building’s classes are representative of the Italian masonry building stock and that fragility curves are effective for predicting both seismic vulnerability and expected damage scenarios for seismic-prone areas. Finally, the fragility curves have been compared with empirical curves obtained through a macroseismic approach on Italian masonry buildings available in literature, underlining the differences between the methods
Minimum energy approach for the in-plane shear resistance of masonry panels
Gran parte del patrimonio edilizio esistente in zona sismica, soprattutto nei paesi in via di sviluppo, è costituito da edifici in muratura, largamente diffusi anche in tutti i centri storici europei. I collassi e i danni rilevati a seguito di eventi sismici hanno evidenziato la necessità di interventi e soprattutto di tecniche di analisi idonee. In un edificio in muratura ben progettato e realizzato, ove i meccanismi di collasso per azioni fuori piano possono essere esclusi, il comportamento nel piano delle pareti in muratura diventa un aspetto chiave da esaminare nelle valutazioni di vulnerabilità sismica. Partendo da quest'ultima considerazione, questo lavoro presenta un approccio per la l'analisi del comportamento nel piano di pareti murarie sottoposte a compressione e taglio. La procedura utilizzata considera la muratura come un materiale elastico non resistente a trazione, definisce pertanto una sagoma reagente contenuta nell'ambito del pannello murario soggetta a soli sforzi di compressione e risolve una procedura numerica la cui soluzione corrisponde al minimo dell'energia potenziale per il pannello. Vengono presentati confronti fra i risultati numerici e alcune prove sperimentali presenti in letteratura per diverse geometrie di pannello.Great part of the existing buildings in seismic areas and in particular in developing countries is represented by masonry buildings, diffused also in the major part of historical centres in Europe. Damages due to seismic events have evidenced the large demand of rehabilitation together with suitable assessment methods for these structures. When out of plane mechanism can be avoided, the contribution of in-plane shear resistance of the masonry walls is a key aspect to consider in the vulnerability analysis of the whole structure. Based on this last consideration, this paper presents an approach to the analysis of in-plane behaviour of masonry walls, involving a minimum energy strategy. The results of the numerical analyses presented are compared with those obtained by laboratory tests on brick masonry panels
PROS and CONS of linear and nonlinear seismic analyses for existing URM structures: Application to a historical building
Seismic vulnerability assessment of minor Italian urban centres: development of urban fragility curves
This paper presents a novel hybrid-based methodology devoted to develop urban fragility curves and damage probability matrices to predict likelihood seismic damage scenarios for small and medium Italian urban centres, considering URM buildings only. The concept of urban fragility curve consists of a single curve mean-representative of the seismic fragility of an entire area accounting for the combinations of building classes and their percentage, then they differ from those typological. The methodology has been developed with reference to Rocca di Mezzo, a small Italian urban centre located in the central Apennine area, Italy. Based on CarTiS inventory, building classes have been firstly recognized and urban fragility curves, representative for damage scenarios at Ultimate Limit State, developed. To predict damage scenarios from low to high-intensity earthquakes, an approach to define multi-damage urban fragility curves and damage probability matrices has been also presented. To this aim, a damage scale suffered by building classes has been defined by converting the final outcomes of the AeDES form (used in Italy for post-earthquake surveys) in the damage levels provided by the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS98). Data coming from urban fragility curves have been compared with the actual damage scenario recorded in Rocca di Mezzo after the 2009 L’Aquila’s earthquake, in terms of both peak-ground acceleration and Mecalli-Cancani-Sieberg scale. The achieved results showed a good accordance between theoretical predictions and actual damage scenarios, coherent also with the damage scenarios occurred in other Italian historical centres hit by severe earthquakes over the years. Thus, the methodology can provide a first important indicator to support the development of emergently plans devoted to identify priority of interventions in such areas particularly vulnerable with respect to others
Seismic Fragility Assessment of Inner Peripheries of Italy through Digital Crowd-Sourcing Technologies
The structural and seismic fragility assessment of minor historical centers of the Inner Peripheries of Italy is a key phase of the preservation process of the historical and cultural features of a portion of the Italian building stock, whose reuse is crucial for the reversal of shrinking trends and the stimulation of population growth. In this framework, the opportunities offered by digital crowd-sourcing technologies with respect to performing probabilistic structural safety assessment at a large scale are investigated herein. The objective of this research was to exploit data and information available on the web such that the key building features of an area of interest are collected through virtual inspections, historical databases, maps, urban plans, etc. Thus, homogeneous clusters of buildings identified in the area of interest are catalogued and associated with specific building classes (chosen among those available in the literature), and the buildings’ levels of seismic fragility are determined through the development of fragility curves. The research outcomes show that the proposed approach provides a satisfactory initial screening of the seismic fragility level of an area, thus allowing for the identification of priority zones that require further investigations or structural interventions to mitigate seismic risk
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