Structural Response Research Articles

Efficient seismic fragility analysis considering uncertainties in structural systems and ground motions

AbstractFragility plays a pivotal role in performance‐based earthquake engineering, which represents the seismic performance of structural systems. To comprehensively understand the structural performance under seismic events, it is necessary to consider uncertainties in the structural model, i.e., epistemic uncertainties. However, considering such uncertainties is challenging due to computational complexity, leading most fragility analyses only to consider the chaotic behavior of ground motions on structural responses, i.e., aleatoric uncertainties. To address this challenge, this study proposes an adaptive algorithm that intertwines with the conventional fragility analysis procedures to consider both aleatoric and epistemic uncertainties. The algorithm introduces Gaussian process‐based metamodels to efficiently consider epistemic uncertainties with a small number of time history analyses. Steel moment‐resisting frame structures and a reinforced concrete building are used to demonstrate the improved efficiency and wide applicability of the proposed method. In each case, the proposed method yields fragility curves consistent with reference solutions but with substantially lower computational effort. Comprehensive discussions are provided regarding ground motion sets, structural types, and definitions of limit‐states to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed approach.

The wave-current combined effect on the dynamic response of monopile-supported system considering fluid-structure interactions

ABSTRACT The monopile-supported offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are subjected to complex marine environment loads, the dynamic responses of wind turbine structures under wave and current loads are critical for structural safety assessment, which involves the interaction of fluid and structure fields. This study proposed an approach for simulating the two-way (T-W) fluid-structure interaction (FSI), the dynamic responses of the wind turbine support structure under the combined action of wave and current load are investigated. Subsequently, the effect of wave-current interaction, scour depth and flow velocity on the dynamic responses of monopile-supported OWTs are analysed and some useful guidelines are provided. The results indicate that the wave-current interaction can strongly influence the dynamic responses of OWTs, especially for larger scour depth and higher flow velocity. In addition, the displacement amplitude of OWT decreases by 15% under the current load in consideration of the fluid-structure interaction and the bearing performance of the pile improves accordingly.

Effect of Vertical Aspect Ratio on Mass, Stiffness and Vertical Geometric Irregular Structures

Occurrence of earthquake will highly damage the structures which are not modelled and designed to resist such loads it may cause sometimes the collapse of structures leads to loss of human lives. The size of the building and slenderness ratio are the important factors for the efficient structural design. The aspect ratio of buildings is considerably effects under seismic loads. It is important to know the influence of aspect ratio on the irregular structures in high seismic zone areas. The research has been performed on the 15 storey building frames of five cases with mass, stiffness and vertical geometric irregularities. Each case comprises of four models having various vertical aspect ratios. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of vertical aspect ratio on mass, stiffness and vertical geometric irregular structures and how the structure will vary under seismic loads. The irregularities are incorporated in to the buildings by increasing the loads and column height in particular storeys and by eliminating the columns and beam sections compared to adjacent storeys. Linear dynamic analysis is performed. It is observed that with the decrease of vertical aspect ratio the structural response will increases the response of storey displacement, base shear, storey drift and over turning moment in the cases of mass and stiffness irregular structures. In the case of vertical geometric irregular structures with the decrease of vertical aspect ratio the storey displacement and storey drift values decrease for all the models, the base shear, overturning moment and stiffness increases with the decrease of vertical aspect ratio. Key words: Mass irregularity, Stiffness irregularity, Vertical geometric irregularity, Vertical aspect ratio, Linear dynamic analysis.

Structural response of steel-concrete composite panels to near field simultaneous blast and fragmentation loading

Steel-concrete composite sandwich panels are used in blast doors or blast walls to protect personnel and equipment in explosive environments due to their superior performance against blast effects. In the design of such panels, most design methods treat blast and fragment loading independently for far-field explosions. However, the synergistic effects of combined blast and fragments loading should be accounted for in close-in explosion scenarios. In this study, a field test program was conducted to assess the damage of the steel-concrete composite panels subjected to close-in explosion of cased charges at various scaled distance between 0.39 and 0.78 m/kg1/3. Characterization test of cased charge detonation was performed to explore the combined loading effect. The analysis includes the pressure-time history from the cased charge detonation, distribution of the fragment masses and velocities over the test panels. The structural damage and response of the composite panels against the combined loading effects was measured. The results indicated that in addition to the damage from the blast wave, the panel was remarkably damaged by the fragment impact. Despite the significant structural damage, the panels maintained its structural integrity after the tests. Additionally, quasi-static load tests were conducted on the panels to quantify their load resistant differences in pristine condition and various damaged conditions due to the explosive effects.

Cost-oriented fire safety design of urban structures

Providing adequate fire safety for urban buildings is a life-saving goal, and can be addressed in different ways. Reported studies integrating fire safety and life cycle cost (LCC) of conventional urban structures are rare. To address this gap, a cost–performance framework was developed. Four- and seven-storey steel (with and without fireproofing coatings) and reinforced concrete (RC) structures were designed, first for conventional loads and then fireproofed to meet their required fire-resistance rating. A range of sprinkler spacings, from 3200 mm (based on NFPA 13) to 12 000 mm, was configured. Fire was simulated using a fire dynamic simulation tool and the results were used to monitor evacuation plans and structural responses. The steel structures were additionally analysed under the assumption that they were not fireproofed. Human and financial damage costs were then estimated and the LCC for every case/scenario was determined. Interestingly, the results showed that the optimum LCC was not achieved for cases designed based on NFPA 13; instead, a sprinkler spacing of 6000 mm led to the optimum LCC. It was also found that steel structures without fireproofing do not have a higher LCC if the sprinklers are placed over a shorter distance. This result could be particularly beneficial for existing structures that are not fireproofed.

Dynamic performance of a 5-story full-scale prestressed precast space frame structure under edge and corner column failure scenarios

Progressive collapse resistance is more critical for precast concrete than cast-in-place structures. Most existing studies utilized scaled-down and quasi-static pushdown tests on substructures with rigid constraints under key member failure scenarios. However, the connection details, the spatial action of floors and the constraint stiffness of the remaining structure significantly affect the structure's progressive collapse resistance. Full-scale structural testing is the most direct method to evaluate the progressive collapse resistance of a new prefabricated structure, although it is difficult and costly to load and measure. A 2 × 2 bay 5-story full-scale frame structure was constructed according to the minimum requirements of the Code for Seismic Design of Buildings to investigate the progressive collapse resistance of a new precast, prestressed, efficiently fabricated frame (PPEFF) system. The structure's dynamic performance was analyzed by removing the 4th-floor edge column and bottom corner column. The slider and double micro-friction surface configuration proved suitable for the rapid removal of large axial force columns in a full-scale progressive collapse experiment. The layout of the full-scale structural test and the structure's dynamic responses are described. The effect of the lateral constraint stiffness and the duration of column removal on the dynamic response of the test structure were analyzed using finite element analysis. The progressive collapse resistance mechanism of the PPEFF structure was discussed. The PPEFF system remained in an elastic state and exhibited good progressive collapse resistance.

Advanced Predictive Structural Health Monitoring in High-Rise Buildings Using Recurrent Neural Networks

This study proposes a machine learning (ML) model to predict the displacement response of high-rise structures under various vertical and lateral loading conditions. The study combined finite element analysis (FEA), parametric modeling, and a multi-objective genetic algorithm to create a robust and diverse dataset of loading scenarios for developing a predictive ML model. The ML model was trained using a recurrent neural network (RNN) with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) layers. The developed model demonstrated high accuracy in predicting time series of vertical, lateral (X), and lateral (Y) displacements. The training and testing results showed Mean Squared Errors (MSE) of 0.1796 and 0.0033, respectively, with R2 values of 0.8416 and 0.9939. The model’s predictions differed by only 0.93% from the actual vertical displacement values and by 4.55% and 7.35% for lateral displacements in the Y and X directions, respectively. The results demonstrate the model’s high accuracy and generalization ability, making it a valuable tool for structural health monitoring (SHM) in high-rise buildings. This research highlights the potential of ML to provide real-time displacement predictions under various load conditions, offering practical applications for ensuring the structural integrity and safety of high-rise buildings, particularly in high-risk seismic areas.

Enhancement of second-harmonic generation in a lithium niobate metasurface by exploring the bound states in the continuum

The nonlinear lithium niobate (LiNbO3), characterized by transparency across a broad spectral range from ultraviolet to mid-infrared, stands out as an ideal material for second-harmonic generation (SHG). The concept of bound states in the continuum (BIC) represents a non-radiative mode embedded within the radiation continuum, offering the capability to confine the electromagnetic field within the nanostructure. Here, we propose the design of a LiNbO3 metasurface utilizing the BIC mechanism to enhance SHG at fundamental wavelengths above 2 µm, which injects new thoughts into the field of integrated optics and on-chip photonics. Notably, we rigorously accounted for the influence of the side-wall angle θ and the corner rounding radius R of the LiNbO3 metasurface, which arises from fabrication tolerances. Considering those influences in the simulation, we achieved a quasi-BIC (q-BIC) with a quality factor (Q-factor) up to 1.44 × 105. Moreover, by considering the depleted pump model, the absolute efficiency of SHG reached 4.09% with a corresponding normalized efficiency of 8.19 × 10−10m2/W under a radiation intensity of 5 kW/cm2. Our research aims to establish a predictive framework through numerical simulations, specifically addressing realistic fabrication problems. This approach is intended to optimize the parameters for LiNbO3 metasurface fabrication, ensuring that the subsequent experiment efforts are efficient. Our findings provide an approach to predicting the optical response in actual structures and inspire new applications in photonics.

Attention-based hybrid network for structural nonlinear response prediction under long-period earthquake

To develop structures that can respond to severe seismic events, models and tools are essential for quickly and precisely assessing and controlling the structure's performance. Long-period ground motions may pose potentially significant hazards to the safety of high-rise buildings located in basins or alluvial plains. However, traditional regression-based methods and pure data-driven machine learning methods are insufficient to address this problem of response prediction, which is characterized by non-stationarity, nonlinearity, and scarcity of samples. To tackle this issue, we propose a novel semi-explicit physics-informed deep learning method. The method incorporates the physical information into the model, thereby achieving better prediction accuracy. Through numerical and experimental validations, including hysteresis experimental data, the actual seismic response record of a six-story hotel, as well as data from single-degree-of-freedom structures across various periods and multi-story buildings in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Boston, we verified the proposed method significantly outperforms traditional regression-based methods and data-driven machine learning methods in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and robustness.

A Study of Sliding Base Isolation System: A Review

Seismic isolation systems are crucial for protecting structures by minimizing the transmission of acceleration during seismic events, and among the various types, the resilient sliding system, which combines restoring springs and sliders, is highly effective in mitigating seismic impacts. This system controls structural responses by balancing stiffness and friction, ensuring safety while maintaining the functionality of buildings. However, optimizing the design of this system requires carefully selecting combinations of stiffness and the coefficient of friction to achieve low acceleration levels, while simultaneously managing the relative displacement within the isolation system to protect both the structure and its occupants. Excessive displacement may compromise the integrity of the isolation system or cause damage to the structure it is meant to protect. The challenge lies in finding the optimal friction and stiffness levels that provide sufficient energy dissipation and restore forces without allowing displacement to exceed acceptable thresholds. Studies show that restoring forces generated by springs help limit excessive displacements, while sliders dissipate seismic energy, and adjustments in these parameters must account for variations in ground motion intensity and frequency. Thus, a balance between flexibility and resistance is essential in sliding systems to ensure maximum structural safety and occupant protection during earthquakes. This paper reviews different sliding isolation systems which fulfils the requirements of controlling the earthquake and functioning accordingly. It include systems such as PF, FPS, VFPI , CFPI,VFPS,PFPE, VCFPS,VFFPI etc.

Seismic analysis and performance of semi-active spring for base-isolated structures

The present study investigates the performance of a semi-active spring (SAS) in the mitigation of the seismic response of base-isolated structures. Initially, under stationary filtered white-noise earthquake excitation, the response of the multi-floor flexible base-isolated structure with SAS is examined to observe the response control effects. The equivalent linearization technique is used to obtain the stochastic response, as the force-deformation behaviour of SAS is non-linear. The performance of SAS in terms of added stiffness, damping, and response mitigation to the isolated structure is also investigated. It is found that the SAS controls the isolator displacement effectively. Furthermore, it was noted that there is an optimum stiffness value for the SAS devices for a particular system and excitation, at which point the RMS top floor acceleration reaches a minimum value. Next, approximate formulas are proposed for the RMS isolator displacement, the top floor absolute acceleration, and the optimum stiffness of the SAS. It is observed that these formulas accurately predict the expected response and can be applied to the initial design of base-isolated structures using SAS. Finally, using the non-linear model of the SAS, the seismic response of flexible base-isolated structures is determined for actual near-fault earthquakes, considering different values of the isolation periods and stiffness of the SAS device. The SAS was effective in controlling the isolator displacement under near-fault motions. The trends of the results of isolated structures with SAS devices under near-fault earthquake motions were also in good agreement with those under stochastic excitation.

Dynamic Response Prediction Model for Jack-Up Platform Pile Legs Based on Random Forest Algorithm

Jack-up offshore platforms are widely used in many fields, and it is of great importance to quickly and accurately predict the dynamic response of platform pile leg structures in real time. The current analytical techniques are founded upon numerical modelling of the platform structure. Although these methods can be used to accurately analyze the dynamic response of the platform, they require a large quantity of computational resources and cannot meet the requirements of real-time prediction. A predictive model for the dynamic response of the pile leg of a jack-up platform based on the random forest algorithm is proposed. Firstly, a pile leg dynamic response database is established based on high-fidelity numerical model simulation calculations. The data are subjected to cleaning and dimensional reduction in order to facilitate the training of the random forest model. Cross-checking and Bayesian optimization algorithms are used for the selection of random forest parameters. The results show that the prediction model is capable of outputting response results for new environmental load inputs within a few milliseconds, and the prediction results remain highly accurate and perform well at extreme values.

Real collapse responses of an RC flat plate structure under extreme overloading condition: Reversing load redistribution

Progressive collapse research of concrete flat plate structures, typically investigated through the alternate path (AP) method with a focus on column failure (removal), has often neglected the facts of real-life collapse events which are caused by slab overloading, leading to initial punching shear failure at slab-column joints. Progressive collapse of the structural systems triggered by slab-column joint failures exhibits distinct failure modes and resistance mechanisms from those triggered by column failures. Building upon our initial tests on the overloaded slab specimen under quasi-static loading regimes, this paper presents an innovative experimental study that closely mirrors the load-resistant mechanisms of the most common collapse incidents in flat plate structure systems in the real world. By successively stacking up gravity loads without additional interventions, the test accurately simulates the spontaneous failure conditions typical of flat plate structures. A key discovery of this research is the identification of a unique reversing load redistribution mechanism, a phenomenon not previously observed in our slab overloading tests or in studies focused on column removal scenarios. This discovery highlights the necessity of enhancing the post-punching capacity at the slab-column joints as a critical factor in preventing collapses due to slab overloading. In addition, this study provides an in-depth examination of the dynamic effects inherent in the progressive collapse of flat plate structures. Evaluating the dynamic increase factor and load amplification factor offers supplementary data pertinent to real-world collapses, providing essential insights for improving the resilience of flat plate structures against initial joint failure due to slab overloading.

Optimization of Connection Parameters of Self-Adaptive Modular Floating Wind Farms

Connection parameters are the key factors influencing the responses of modular floating structures; due to the complexity of structural response properties, the assessment and optimization of connection parameters are still vital issues in designing modular floating structures. In the present work, for a novel structural configuration of self-adaptive modular floating wind farms based on existing works from the case of a mobile offshore base, a quantified approach for the assessment of connection parameters is established based on frequency domain numerical analysis taking into account both the economic effects and generalized performance. Based on the quantified assessment, an optimization process is carried out, to obtain a connection parameter combination. From the optimized connection parameters, it can be found that the most appropriate tri-axial stiffness according to present studies is in the magnitude from 1 × 106 to 7 × 107 N/m, and the damping ratio is close to 1.0 for most connection structures. By contrast with feasible uniform connection parameters, the optimization methodology is confirmed to be able to reduce both connection parameters and responses. Then, a time domain approach for the calculation of motions of interconnected modular floating structures taking into account geometry nonlinearity is proposed and obtained in good accordance with the frequency domain results, and the effectiveness of both the frequency domain and time domain is validated.

Dynamic response of hemispherical-shell sandwich structures subjected to underwater impulsive loading

In this study, experiments and numerical simulations are designed on aluminum sandwich structures with a hemispherical-shell core layer under underwater impact loading to investigate the dynamic response and energy absorption mechanisms. After the hemispherical-shell sandwich panels are designed and fabricated, they are loaded using an experimental apparatus incorporating fluid–structure interactions. The dynamic response of the sandwich panels is captured using the three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC) method of high-speed photography, and the energy-absorption mechanisms are analyzed via numerical simulation. This study primarily considers the effects of installation orientation, shock wave impulse and adhesive film on the sandwich panels. The results indicate that the deformation mode and impact resistance of the sandwich panels vary depending on the installation orientation. The displacement at the midpoint of the dry facesheet is linearly related to the shock wave impulse. At non-dimensional impulses exceeding 0.0085, the impact resistance of the forward installation target plate is higher. Additionally, the adhesive film significantly affects the deformation mode of the hemispherical-shell core layer. Its removal slightly increases the proportion of energy absorbed at the core. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the structure-response-energy relationship are performed on the hemispherical-shell sandwich panels, thus providing guidance for investigations pertaining to the underwater impact resistance of future metal sandwich structures.

Structure and optical properties of alkali rare-earth double phosphates of M3RE(PO4)2 (M = K, Rb; RE = Y, La, and Lu)

Designing and synthesizing phosphate nonlinear optical materials with novel structures and excellent properties remains challenging. In this work, the electronic structure and optical properties (second harmonic generation (SHG) response or birefringence) of alkali rare-earth double phosphates M3RE(PO4)2 (M = K, Rb; RE = Y, La, and Lu) are systematically investigated. It is worth mentioning that P31m-Rb3Lu(PO4)2 was successfully synthesized by a flux-method, and the UV–vis–NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy showed that Rb3Lu(PO4)2 exhibits a short absorption edge at 207 nm and a high transmittance of 77.9 %. Based on first-principles calculations, the results show that the birefringence of the M3RE(PO4)2 series of crystals exhibits significant differences (0.009-0.028@1064 nm). Subsequently, analysis of the electronic structure and the real-space atom cutting method reveals that rare-earth polyhedra play a major role in enhanced birefringence. Overall, this work enriches the study of nonlinear optical crystals of rare earth phosphates and provides a case for further exploration.

Correlation analysis of long-span cable-stayed bridge strain response with environmental and operational variations based on feature selection

The structural response of large-span bridges is significantly influenced by environmental and operational conditions. This study employs a data-driven approach, which utilizes various techniques such as multiple linear regression, best subset regression, stepwise regression, Lasso regression, Ridge regression, and ElasticNet regression to analyze in detail the effects of environmental variables (temperature variables including temperature principal components, lateral temperature gradients, and vertical temperature gradients), and traffic loading on bridge strain response. Based on the analysis of 21 months of health monitoring data from a newly constructed cable-stayed bridge, Lasso regression is shown to perform best in predicting strains on the bridge deck and bottom slab. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis identifies several key influencing factors and quantifies their relative contributions to the strain. Although the 10-min average of the strain due to traffic loading has a minimal impact, the root mean square of the strain shows a significant correlation with the cumulative gross vehicle weight during busy traffic periods. The methodology proposed in this study helps to understand the strain response patterns of large-span bridges from a data perspective, and provides an effective approach to establishing a strain baseline model that eliminates environmental and operational variations.

Image-Based Peridynamic Modeling-Based Micro-CT for Failure Simulation of Composites

By utilizing computed tomography (CT) technology, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of the specific details within the material. When combined with computational mechanics, this approach allows us to predict the structural response through numerical simulation, thereby avoiding the high experimental costs. In this study, the tensile cracking behavior of carbon–silicon carbide (C/SiC) composites is numerically simulated using the bond-based peridynamics model (BB-PD), which is based on geometric models derived from segmented images of three-dimensional (3D) CT data. To obtain results efficiently and accurately, we adopted a deep learning-based image recognition model to identify the kinds of material and then the pixel type that corresponds to the material point, which can be modeled by BB-PD for failure simulation. The numerical simulations of the composites indicate that the proposed image-based peridynamics (IB-PD) model can accurately reconstruct the actual composite microstructure. It can effectively simulate various fracture phenomena such as interfacial debonding, crack propagation affected by defects, and damage to the matrix.

Evaluation of wind-induced response of high-rise structure with TMD system by real-time hybrid simulation test with motor-driven shaking table

Due to the difficulty in constructing the small-scaled model of tuned mass damper (TMD) system to meet the requirement of dynamic similarity law, it is hard to evaluate the vibration control effect of passive TMD system on the wind-induced response of high-rise structure by wind tunnel test. The Real-Time Hybrid Simulation (RTHS) test could provide a suitable solution to this problem by increasing the size of the scaled TMD model to overcome the limitation in dynamic similarity law. A RTHS test system with a linear electric motor-driven shaking table was developed by the interface with model interface toolkit in general real time system operating environment. Taking the Guangzhou New TV Tower with a passive TMD system as an example, the Finite Element (FE) model of Guangzhou New TV Tower was selected as the numerical substructure and TMD system was selected as the experimental substructure, the RTHS test was conducted at a sampling frequency of 250 Hz to estimate the wind-induced response of this high-rise structure with a TMD system in various dynamic wind loading cases. To reduce the time delay effect generated by the nonlinear interaction between motion control system and experimental substructure, the adaptive time series (ATS) compensator for time delay compensation was proposed in the RTHS test. The RTHS results were also compared with the numerical simulation results using the FE model of the investigated object. The RTHS test with additional ATS time delay compensator can obtain more accurate experimental results. The effectiveness of the proposed RTHS test system was testified to be powerful test system to evaluate the wind-induced response of high-rise structures with complex passive TMD system.

Influence of Impact Factor with Speed of Vehicle Under IRC Class AA and 70R Loading

The impact factor is a critical parameter in bridge design, representing the additional dynamic forces that moving vehicles impose on the structure. This paper explores the influence of vehicle speed on the impact factor under two important loading conditions as per the Indian Road Congress (IRC) guidelines: IRC Class AA and 70R loading. Using theoretical approaches and Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations, we analyze how vehicle speed modifies the impact factor, leading to variations in structural response. The results highlight the relationship between vehicle speed, loading class, and impact factor, emphasizing the need for accurate dynamic modeling in bridge design.