Nonlinear Time History Analysis Research Articles

Pounding impact on seismic demands for adjacent irregular buildings with collinear alignment eccentricity

This research aims to evaluate the impact of pounding on seismic demands for neighboring irregular buildings with collinear alignment eccentricity and provide valuable recommendations for seismic design. To achieve this, a numerical simulation is conducted to calculate the effects of pounding on the seismic response requirements in different scenarios where two irregular adjacent buildings with eccentric center of mass are considered, plan irregularity is reflected with eccentricities between the rigidity center and mass center of the building’s superstructure. Adjacent buildings with three different heights involve four-, eight-, and twelve-story buildings with moment-resisting frame (MRF) structural system. To ensure reliable estimation of engineering seismic demands, three different ground motions, which are fully compatible with the design spectrum, are applied to different adjacent building configurations. A nonlinear time history analysis is performed to determine the response demands for different adjacent buildings with collinear alignment eccentricity, such as displacement, inter-story drift, story shear force, impact force, and acceleration responses. The Engineering Design Parameters (EDP) are thoroughly examined to gain a comprehensive understanding of the structural behavior and performance of the adjacent irregular buildings. The findings hold for all these scenarios, suggest that the colinear eccentricity of the irregular building in the closing/convergence direction, promotes the pounding and increases the number of impacts, while the eccentricity in the opening/divergence direction, reduces the pounding probability and the number of impacts between adjacent buildings. Moreover, the findings highlight the impact of eccentricity on peak acceleration responses and emphasize the importance of considering eccentricity in assessing the dynamic response of adjacent buildings with insufficient separation.

Seismic performance assessment of pile supported wharves with seismic isolation system considering pile-soil interaction

Pile-Supported Wharves (PSW) are critical for maritime operations but are highly vulnerable to seismic events, which can disrupt port activities. Previous seismic events have highlighted that short free length piles in wharf structures are particularly prone to earthquake damage. This paper aims to mitigate damage between the wharf deck and piles connections by adopting the seismic isolation systems. Conventional Wharf (CW) and Isolated Wharf (IW) structures were comprehensively assessed, focusing on Pile-Soil Interaction (PSI), using the finite element software OpenSees for advanced numerical simulations. Non-Linear Time History Analysis (NLTHA) of CW and IW has been conducted to verify the design under Contingency Level Earthquake (CLE) and Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE) scenarios. The analysis aims to enhance the performance of short free length piles within the IW structure. Comparative analysis of fragility curves between CW and IW structures shows that isolation systems significantly reduce seismic fragility by 49%, 60%, and 67% at the MCE level for minimal damage, control & repairable damage and life safety protection across three performance levels, respectively. These findings indicate that the implementation of isolation measures has significantly enhanced the seismic performance and safety of PSW structures.

Seismic assessment of glulam frames with dual-tube self-centering buckling-restrained braces

The development of resilient lateral load-resisting systems is essential for multi-story and high-rise timber buildings in earthquake-prone areas. In this paper, an attempt is made to integrate dual-tube self-centering buckling-restrained braces (DT-SCBRBs) to glulam frames, aiming to improve their structural resilience to earthquakes. To assess the seismic effectiveness of such a DT-SCBRB glulam frame, nonlinear time-history analyses (NLTHAs) were conducted on a series of prototype DT-SCBRB glulam frames with different building heights and design parameters of DT-SCBRBs. The seismic performance of these prototype structures was evaluated in terms of maximum inter-story drift ratios (MaxISDRs), residual inter-story drift ratios (ResISDRs), and inter-story drift uniformity. The results show that the frame with lower post-tensioning-to-yielding ratios of DT-SCBRBs tended to exhibit lower MaxISDRs but could sometimes lead to higher ResISDRs under major earthquakes. Low deformability of tendons could result in tendon fracture under major earthquakes. The ResISDRs of all the prototype frames were lower than 0.5 %, the drift limit for the “Repairable” performance level. Compared to minor and moderate earthquakes, the DT-SCBRB glulam frames deformed more uniformly during major earthquakes. Incremental dynamic analyses (IDAs) were also conducted on these prototype structures, developing a database to quantify performance levels of DT-SCBRB glulam frames. The MaxISDRs of 0.5 %, 0.7 %, and 2.6 % were recommended for immediate occupancy (IO), life safety (LS), and collapse prevention (CP) limit states of DT-SCBRB glulam frames.

Improved PBPD method for dual steel system considering the global effect of space frames

Performance-based plastic design (PBPD) method has been proposed to design single bay planar frames for twenty years. For a dual steel system, such as an eccentrically braced frame (EBF) structure, there will be both EBF bays and moment resisting frame (MRF) bays. So, the global effect between different frame bays cannot be considered when designing the global structure using the traditional PBPD method. In this paper, a ten-story high-strength steel composite K-shaped eccentrically braced frame (HSS-K-EBF) structure was firstly used for performance design and analysis based on a single bay EBF. The results show that the global structural model obtained by direct performance design of the single bay model cannot achieve the desired performance objectives. To this end, an improved PBPD method for the dual steel system was proposed considering the global effects of space frames. The elastic and elastic–plastic shear distribution relations were calculated for different bays of the frames including EBFs and MRFs. The performance objectives of the global structure were designed and evaluated more accurately by considering the over-strength contribution of shear links and the plastic development rate index ξ of energy dissipation members. The improved PBPD method was used to design the ten-story global HSS-K-EBF structure. The results of nonlinear dynamic time history analysis show that the improved PBPD method can ensure that the plastic damage distribution of energy dissipation members of different bays is more uniform and the plastic damage degree is more consistent with expectations.

Influence of pier height and ground motion parameters on seismic response and energy dissipation of isolated railway bridges

The overlap between high-speed railways and earthquake areas makes it necessary to implement isolation design for railway bridges. At present, the variation of seismic energy of railway bridges with structural and ground motion parameters is not clear. In this paper, the finite element models of railway bridges with different pier heights are established and verified by shaking table tests. Then, the nonlinear time history analysis of isolated and non-isolated models is carried out, and the differences in seismic response and energy dissipation between the two models under different parameters are compared. Finally, the isolation effect of hyperbolic friction pendulum bearing (HFPB) is evaluated by using the efficacy coefficient method. Results demonstrate that HFPB can not only reduce the seismic response of the girder and the pier, but also effectively reduce the seismic input energy, structural damping energy, and pier hysteretic energy. In addition, HFPB has a better seismic isolation effect when pier height is 3–15 m, site characteristic period is 0.25–0.45 s, and earthquake PGA is 0.2–0.5 g.

Seismic design parameters of double-layer diamatic domes

The effect of past earthquakes (e.g., the 1995 Kobe and 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes) on the space structures revealed the fact that the assumption of the invulnerability of these structures is incorrect despite their light self-weight and high degree of redundancy, and space structures may suffer severe damage during strong ground motions. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the design of this type of structure in high seismic-risk regions. Nevertheless, the existing seismic design codes have not provided the seismic design parameters (i.e., the seismic response modification factors), including the behavior factor, R, and the displacement amplification factor, Cd for space structures. This research aims to extract the seismic design parameters of double-layer diamatic domes (DLDDs) to answer the challenges that structural engineers face in the design of this type of structure. For this purpose, 16 DLDD models with different rise-to-span ratios (RSRs) and span lengths were considered. After designing the models and performing the nonlinear time history analysis using the simultaneous effect of the three transitional components of ground motions, the target displacement at the control node was determined. Then, the pushover analysis was carried out to derive the capacity curve of the structures and calculate the seismic response modification factors in both horizontal and vertical directions. The results indicate that the domes with RSRs of 1/7 and 1/5 should be designed such that they remain in the elastic state in the horizontal direction. Then, with the growth of RSR, the value of R increases and reaches 1.792. Finally, equations were presented in this study for the period, behavior factor, and displacement amplification factor of DLDD structures in both horizontal and vertical directions using the nonlinear regression analysis.

Shaking table test of a full-scale lightweight bolt-connected concrete sandwich wall panel structure. Ⅰ: Overview and seismic analyses

This study proposed a novel lightweight bolt-connected concrete sandwich wall panel structure with the advantages of thermal insulation, construction efficiency, demountability and remountability. The seismic design of the structure was employed a non-equivalent cast-in-place method, resulting in appropriate configurations of horizontal and vertical bolted joints. Subsequently, a shaking table test was carried out to investigate the damage pattern, dynamic characteristics and dynamic responses of a full-scale structure. The test results demonstrated that the overall damage was moderate, which exerted a few impacts on the structural capacity or integrity. The global responses, including small displacement response, minor torsion response, and high energy dissipation capacity were found, as well as local responses, such as small strains in the steel plates and a slight loss of bolt prestress. The maximum inter-story drift ratio was below the elastoplastic inter-story drift ratio limit θu = 1/120 defined in Chinese code GB 50011. In general, the structure presented high lateral stiffness and sufficient capacity against high-intensity ground motions. A numerical model was developed, wherein precast components were established by multi-layer shell elements and bolted joints were simulated by 3-DoF nonlinear springs. Linear modal and nonlinear time history analyses were performed and compared with the experimental results. The simulation results showed good agreement with the experimental ones, confirming the ability of the model to capture global responses.

Serviceability fragility assessment of non-seismically designed railway viaducts in Turkey under near-field and far-field earthquakes

While many railway viaducts still in use in Turkish railway networks are located on active fault zones that produced historical destructive earthquakes, they are not seismically designed in accordance to current standards. This study aims to provide a better understanding about the serviceability fragility of such systems by conducting detailed probability-based seismic assessments under near-field and far-field earthquakes. To achieve this, firstly, 3D finite element models of a range of selected viaducts in Turkey were generated based on their original design drawings. The developed FE models were validated by comparing the analytical modal frequencies with the results of in-situ dynamic tests involving a series of acceleration measurements. Nonlinear time history analyses were then carried out under 25 near-field and 25 far-field real three-component ground motion recordings to obtain the seismic response of each selected viaduct. Subsequently, probabilistic seismic demand models were defined using linear regression analysis to determine relationships between engineering demand parameters (EDPs) and ground motion intensity measures (IMs). Peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV) and spectral acceleration at 1.0 s (Sa (1.0)) were used as the IM parameter, while the maximum lateral displacement of the bridge spans for different service velocities defined in the Eurocode was considered as the EDP at serviceability damage state. Finally, analytical fragility curves for all the selected railway viaducts were developed considering maximum damage probability for the IM levels. The results, in general, demonstrate the seismic vulnerability of the existing viaducts in Turkey. It is shown that while at low speed limits the viaducts exposed to far-field ground motions were more vulnerable than those under near-field ground motions, at high speed limits the viaducts subjected to near-field ground motions were more vulnerable. Also, it is seen that reinforced concrete and masonry viaducts are generally more vulnerable to earthquakes than the steel viaducts. The outcomes of this study should prove useful for the seismic risk assessment, loss estimation and rehabilitation of the railway transportation networks in future studies.

An innovative sliding-controllable laminated rubber bearing for enhancing seismic performance of highway bridges

Economical laminated rubber bearings have been widely utilized in highway bridges for their exceptional performance under service conditions. These bearings effectively mitigate seismic responses during earthquakes through shear deformation or sliding, contingent upon their bonding methods, whether bonded or unbonded. Nevertheless, past seismic events have underscored vulnerabilities, with unbonded laminated rubber bearings susceptible to excessive displacement and bonded bearings prone to fracture during large earthquakes. To address these seismic deficiencies and improve bridge seismic performance, a novel controllable sliding laminated rubber bearing (SC-LRB) is proposed in this study. The SC-LRB seamlessly integrates the shear-deforming behavior of bonded laminated rubber bearings (B-LRB) with the frictional sliding behavior of unbonded bearings (U-LRB). A quasi-static experiment was initially conducted to investigate the cyclic behaviors of the SC-LRB, leading to the development and calibration of the numerical model for the bearing. Subsequent nonlinear time history analyses were carried out to evaluate the influence of SC-LRBs on the seismic performance of bridges. Results indicate that, with its three-stage working mechanism (pre-sliding, sliding, and post-sliding), the SC-LRB exhibits a friction-shear collaborative behavior, effectively balancing the energy dissipation and recentering capacities of the bearing during earthquakes. Bridges equipped with the SC-LRB demonstrate an ability to maintain balance between controlling bearing displacements and isolating pier seismic demands. The proposed SC-LRB presents promising potential for enhancing the seismic resilience of highway bridges.

Life-cycle seismic resilience prediction of sea-crossing bridge piers exposed to chloride-induced corrosion in marine environments

The life-cycle seismic resilience assessment of sea-crossing highway bridges plays a crucial role in guiding decisions for their long-term operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation. Due to the inherently stochastic nature of marine environments, evaluating the resilience of bridges while considering all possible environmental scenarios throughout their service life necessitates substantial computational efforts and presents practical challenges. Thus, this study develops a three-stage framework for predicting the life-cycle seismic resilience of sea-crossing highway bridges. Stochastic models for marine environmental conditions and bridge durability are developed and validated using experimental measurement data. A modified Good Lattice Point-Partially Stratified Sampling (GLP-PSS) method is employed to generate a uniform and limited number of samples. A typical prestressed concrete sea-crossing highway bridge is selected as the benchmark bridge, and parameterized numerical models are established using 460 representative environmental parameter samples on the OpenSees platform. Leveraging the environmental model and material properties, the durability of the bridge is predicted over its service life. Nonlinear time history analyses are carried out for each bridge model using 120 real ground motion records, which allow the identification of variations in seismic demands, capacities, and system fragilities at different time intervals. Subsequently, the life-cycle seismic resilience of the bridge is predicted utilizing surrogate models based on the response surface method (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN), respectively. Finally, the time-dependent probabilistic characteristics of seismic resilience are thoroughly discussed. Results indicate that ANN demonstrates a higher degree of generalization capability in predicting the life-cycle seismic resilience. Focusing solely on changes in mean resilience over the service time may lead to an underestimation of bridge resilience, as it may ignore the tails of its distribution, potentially resulting in an overestimation of bridge resilience. Furthermore, global warming may expedite the decline in resilience.

Explainable AI model for predicting equivalent viscous damping in dual frame–wall resilient system

A prominent challenge in applying the direct displacement-based design (DDBD) method to the proposed dual frame–wall lateral force-resisting system lies in determining the equivalent viscous damping ratio (EVDR). However, the strong nonlinearity and complexity behind the equivalent procedure lead to limited choice, mostly trial and error based on experience, to explain and predict the EVDR in the context of traditional research. This study employs the XGBoost method to unravel intricate relationships of EVDR using over 5 million data points from nonlinear time-history (NLTH) analyses, encompassing various parameters including the fundamental period, ductility, subsystem stiffness ratios, post-yielding stiffness ratios of the subsystems and ground motion types. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values consistently identify critical features relevant to the equivalent procedure. Comprehensive feature ablation tests further illuminate the robustness and susceptibility of each model. Additionally, the incorporation of Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) for local interpretability provides insights into the intricate decision-making mechanisms inherent in each model’s predictions. Both the predicting results from machine learning (ML) and traditional method are also compared. Findings highlight the relative importance of features for EVDR and present a refined prediction model. It underscores the pivotal role of model interpretability in reinforcing confidence in complex models and advocates for leveraging ML techniques to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the DDBD method in structural design.

Mode selection and combination rules of energy-based multimodal pushover method for simply supported beam bridges

The energy-based method (EBM) has been improved as Energy-based Multimodal Pushover Method (EMPM), and is introduced and verified to be effective and convenient for evaluate the seismic performance of the simply supported beam bridges. This paper mainly focuses on the research of vibration mode selection and combination rules of EMPM. Firstly, the longitudinal vibration modes of simply supported beam bridge are categorized into five cases based on mode shapes, and the case definition is emphasized. Then, corresponding to each case, the Pushover loading force are established, and the modal energy, modal displacement, and modal energy capability curve are proposed. After that, the energy-based demand curve and the corresponding energy coefficient for each case is recommended. Finally, only the mode with maximum mode participation factor (MPF) of each case is suggested to take part in the calculation of the seismic response with the proposed mode participation factor combination rule. Case studies of a practice bridge under Chi-Chi and El Centro earthquake waves are used to illustrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed mode selection and combination rules. The study found that the EMPM with the proposed rules could effectively and rapidly assessing the seismic performance of the simply supported beam bridge, resulting in a 70 % decrease in time consumption compared with the Nonlinear Time History Analysis Method (NTHAM). Compared with the CQC and SRSS combination results, the proposed Mode Participation Factor (MPF) combination rule reduced the maximum relative deviation from 39.4 % to 21.09 % between EMPM and NTHAM for peak displacement. Further research showed that the proposed mode selection approach only uses modes with the highest MPF in each case, decreased the number of modes involved more than 50 % and the result accuracy remained almost identical.

Ground motion parameters and damage correlation in plan irregular L-shape steel structure with BRB

Irregularly designed structures frequently experience greater damage compared to regular buildings as a result of elevated torsional reactions and stress concentration, as indicated by evaluations of damage carried out subsequent to past seismic events. The irregularities in the plan configuration provide significant issues for building seismic design. One example of an irregularity is the re-entrant corners found in L-shaped structures, which can lead to early collapse by causing stress concentration from abrupt changes in stiffness and torsional response amplification. More than ever, a thorough investigation into the relationship between the issue of ground motion parameters (GMPs) and Damage is required because of the complex way that L-shaped buildings respond to earthquakes. The current study examines the relationship between a large number of commonly used GMPs and the associated damage for three-, six-, nine-, and twelve-story 3D buildings—that is, low-, mid, and high-rise structures—with asymmetric L-shaped plan layouts. The system of lateral load resistance that was used was Buckling Restrained Brace Frames (BRBFs). To assess a building's seismic performance, 15 bidirectional earthquake ground motions were applied using Nonlinear Time History Analysis (NTHA) for incident angles of 0°, 45°, 135°, 225°, and 315°. The structural response is reported in terms of the average and maximum inter-story drift as well as the total Park-Ang damage index. The relationship between GMPs and structural damage was then investigated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results indicate that the highest link with damage measurements is found for 3- and 6-story structures when looking at the spectral acceleration at the fundamental period, Sa(T1). However, PGD and SMV exhibit a stronger correlation than other GMPs for structures with nine and twelve stories. Additionally, Classification and Regression Trees (CART) is a decision tree algorithm used for predictive modeling. In this study suggested using CART (Classification and Regression Trees) algorithms to estimate the link between GMPs and Damage Indices. The findings demonstrate the ability of CART algorithms to extract the rules and correlations governing earthquake damage.

Seismic vulnerability and performance-based assessment of monopile offshore wind turbine considering turbine blades

This paper investigated the seismic vulnerability and performance-based assessment of offshore monopile wind turbine (OWT) considering turbine blades. A three-dimensional finite-element model of NREL 5-MW OWT was established with detailed consideration of the nonlinear-behavior of turbine, monopile, blades, pile-soil interactions and pile-water interaction etc. Subsequently, incremental dynamic analysis and fragility evaluation were conducted via a great number of nonlinear time history analysis involving far-field and near-fault records with and without pulse characteristics. It is found that the ignorance of turbine blades in conventional lumped mass (LM) model would significantly underestimate the vulnerability of OWT's acceleration responses, and more importantly, underestimates the stress level at turbine top, misleading the failure pattern of OWT which may be probably damaged at both top and middle part of OWT rather than solely the middle part as estimated by the LM model ignoring the effect of turbine blades. Finally, it can be concluded that the modeling of turbine blades should be consider in the numerical studies.

Comparative seismic analysis of frames with shape memory alloy slip friction dampers

This study investigated the seismic performance of 6-, 9-, and 12-story concentrically braced steel frames utilizing shape memory alloy slip friction dampers (SMASFDFs). For comparison purposes, identical frames equipped with self-centering braces (SCBFs) and buckling-restrained braces (BRBFs) were also designed and analyzed. The seismic performance of considered frames was evaluated through nonlinear static and nonlinear time history analysis (NLTHA) under three seismic hazard levels, i.e., frequently occurred earthquakes (FOE), design basis earthquakes (DBE), and maximum considered earthquakes (MCE). Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) was conducted to examine the seismic responses, including peak interstory drift ratios (PID), peak floor accelerations (PFA), and residual interstory drift ratios (RID), of the designed frames under varying levels of seismic intensity. Fragility curves considering single and multiple seismic responses were obtained based on the IDA results. The results show that the SMASFDFs have comparable deformation control capacity as the BRBFs while exhibiting zero RID and more uniform deformation distribution over the building height. Moreover, in most circumstances, the joint failure probability is lowest for the SMASFDFs when considering multiple seismic responses. From a seismic design perspective, current results suggest that the SMASFDFs can be designed with the same strength reduction factor (R) if the PID is especially concerned.

Seismic performance and design of an innovative structure with controlled rocking shear wall using ring springs

The application of ring springs in civil engineering, aimed at improving the seismic behavior of structures, has been largely overlooked despite their many advantages. These springs are highly durable, heat-resistant, low-maintenance, and self-centering, meaning that they withstand large deformations while always returning to their original state. Structures equipped with properly designed ring springs survive earthquakes without suffering major damage or plastic deformation, making them an excellent investment in terms of both economic efficiency and sustainable resource use. This paper explores a new use for ring springs in earthquake-resistant structures, with a focus on their implementation into controlled rocking shear walls. A parametric study utilizing the Non-Linear Time History Analysis method was conducted on a simplified model to investigate the rocking behavior and derive a design methodology based on the obtained results. A comparative study was conducted on elastic, non-linear, and rocking shear walls to demonstrate the feasibility and design principles of the rocking systems. Furthermore, the results of the comparative studies provided evidence supporting the efficacy of incorporating ring spring dampers into the rocking systems. The controlled rocking shear wall demonstrated elastic behavior during seismic loading, indicating that the addition of ring spring dampers was effective in enhancing its performance. On the other hand, the conventionally designed numerical model exhibited nonlinear behavior at its base. The developed design procedure ultimately enables the practical application of controlled rocking shear walls using ring spring dampers in earthquake engineering.

Seismic Performance Assessment of Steel Buildings Equipped with a New Semi-active Displacement-Dependent Viscous Damper

This paper investigates numerically the seismic behavior of multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) systems with novel 2–4 direction and displacement-dependent (2–4DDD) and 2–4 Displacement-Velocity- (2–4DVD) Semi-Active (SA) controls. This study builds upon the novel SA 2–4DDD control system, in which the damper forces are controlled by inter-story drifts. For the first time, this paper investigates numerically the behavior of an MDOF system with 2–4DDD controls. A 3-story steel frame is modeled in OpenSees and then subjected to real earthquake records. The frame is modeled considering three control systems: (i) conventional passive nonlinear viscous dampers (NVDs), (ii) SA 2–4DDD dampers, and (iii) a new 2–4DVD SA damper. Parametric studies are conducted to determine the optimal parameters of 2–4DVD control in the designed frames. New design methodologies for MDOF systems with 2–4DVD and 2–4DDD controls are also proposed. The results are discussed in terms of inter-story drift, base shear force, acceleration, dissipated energy and required damper force. Results from Nonlinear Time History Analyses show that, compared to a frame with traditional NVDs, the inter-story drifts and base shear of the frame with 2–4DVD control are up to 72% and 32% lower, respectively. 2–4DVD control also reduces damping forces and acceleration by up to 60% and 87%, respectively, compared to 2–4DDD control. It is also shown that the 2–4DDD control was not stable in high-frequency earthquake records. Conversely, the new 2–4DVD control leads to smoother damping force changes between quadrants for the case study investigated in this paper. This study contributes toward the development of new seismic retrofitting dampers for nonlinear MDOF systems.

Influence of ground motion parameters on seismic response of a large-longitudinal-slope and small-radius curved girder bridge.

The mechanical performance of curved bridges under the action of an earthquake is complex. To obtain the influence of seismic parameters on the seismic response of curved girder bridges, this paper relies on a large slope small-radius curved steel box girder bridge (LSCGB) and selects seismic wave incidence angle, vertical component of ground motion, and site category as seismic parameters to carry out nonlinear time history analysis. Based on the analysis results of the case bridge, it is shown that the torsional vibration of the first 10 modes of LSCGB is significant, the modes are dispersed, and the contribution of high-order modes of vibration cannot be ignored. The most unfavorable seismic wave incidence angle is in the direction of 45°∼60° counterclockwise Angle from the central connection line of Pier No. 1 and Pier No. 4 of the bridge. The seismic response of the curved bridge components increases with the vertical seismic intensity, and the influence on displacement responses is more significant. The basic vibration period of curved girder bridges built on soft soil sites is extended by approximately 18.23%, and the seismic response of key components increases with the softening of the site soil. Therefore, when analyzing the seismic response of LSCGBs, the influence of vertical component of ground motion and site category should not be ignored.

Vulnerability of suspension bridges to spatially variable vertical ground motions

This study investigates the vulnerability of long-span suspension bridges to spatially variable vertical ground motions (SV-VGMs). While of recognized importance, a comprehensive understanding of this topic has been traditionally limited by the unavailability of an adequate number of arrays of motions. In this work, 10 simulations of a large-magnitude Hayward Fault earthquake are utilized to perform site-specific structural response assessments of a suspension bridge under different load scenarios. A detailed nonlinear model representative of the West San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is employed as the case study structure. Four sets of nonlinear time-history analyses are performed with and without VGMs and with and without the incorporation of spatial variability to offer the basis for a complete comparison of the demand distributions across different load cases. Results indicate that VGMs largely influence the response of the bridge decks in the vertical direction, with an increase in drifts up to 2× for the case of synchronous input and up to 2.5× for the case of asynchronous inputs. The analysis of the bridge response in the time and frequency domain across all load cases reveals a high sensitivity of the decks’ response to minor time lags in input motions of comparable amplitude, which are seen to activate the contribution of higher modes to the structural response. Evidence from this study points to the potential of severely underestimating structural demands if the (even limited) spatial variability of the input motions is not incorporated correctly. For the case study structure, the probability of exceeding the onset of nonlinearity in the short decks at the design earthquake level is seen to increase by a factor of about two when considering SV-VGMs as opposed to synchronous horizontal motions only.

Effect of Ground Motion on Fragility and Vulnerability of Reinforced Concrete Bridge in Different Soil Conditions

Bridges are essential components of transportation networks, serving as lifelines for the movement of people and goods. The bridges' resilience to natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, is an issue of paramount significance. Yet, a critical knowledge gap exists when it comes to understanding how bridges perform in the challenging terrain of medium-density sandy and clay soils during seismic events. This study seeks to bridge that gap by developing fragility curves that quantitatively evaluate the likelihood of bridge damage or failure across varying levels of earthquake magnitudes. The CSI Bridge v25.0.0 was used to simulate earthquake ground motions specifically within medium-density sandy and stiff clayey soils. Nonlinear time history analyses of the bridge were performed by using 5 different earthquake events with PGA ranging from 0.25 – 1.5g. Fragility analysis is performed to develop seismic fragility curves for the critical part of the bridge for various peak ground acceleration (PGA) in two types of soil conditions. The findings revealed that the deck component is more susceptible to damage than the pier. The impact of seismic activity on medium-dense soil is more significant than on stiff clayey soils in relation to the critical components of the bridge. This result enhances the ability to design bridges that can withstand and recover from seismic events more effectively.