Seismic Capability Research Articles

Cyclic Performance of Reinforced Concrete Columns Strengthened with Basalt-Fibre-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (BFRCM)

The purpose of this experimental investigation was to confirm whether the Basalt-Fibre-Reinforced Cement Matrix (BFRCM) effectively enhances the cyclic performance of columns made of reinforced concrete (RC). The BFRCM system, which comprises basalt fabric mesh reinforced with a cementitious matrix containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibre, has significant practical implications. In the testing phase, concrete and steel reinforcement were used to create RC column specimens, which were then strengthened with three, four, and five layers of BFRCM. The horizontal cyclic and constant axial loads were applied and tested to evaluate the performance of RC columns with and without strengthening. By improving the energy dissipation by approximately 9 to 32% and increasing stiffness by roughly 24 to 44%, the column specimen with three, four, and five layers of BFRCM performed better than the control specimen. Furthermore, incorporating short fibre into the matrix effectively improved the tensile properties of the FRCM systems and decreased the shrinkage-induced cracks. The increased stiffness indicates that the column with BFRCM has better structural strength because it can sustain higher loads with less deflection. The thorough comparative analyses examined the RC column specimens’ failure modes, hysteretic responses, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation, providing a reliable basis for the conclusions. The test results confirmed that the BFRCM effectively enhanced the seismic capabilities and has been promised a way to strengthen RC elements, providing valuable insights for civil engineering and materials science.

Offshore Tech Evolves for Deeper Waters, Deeper Reservoirs

_ Since the late 1930s, the offshore industry has moved from installing the first offshore platform in 14 ft of water to the ultradeepwater 20K era. Advances in seismic, drilling, and development technologies all helped move the industry from shallow waters to ultradeepwaters, from lower-pressure reservoirs to high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) reservoirs, and beyond known hydrocarbon areas like the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) into frontier regions, like Guyana. Brent Gros, vice president of Chevron’s GOM business unit, told JPT there is a stark difference between the GOM of today and how it was when he first started working in the area 26 years ago. Now, he said, operating further from land in water depths of 4,000 to 7,000 ft is the norm. “We’re not really taking crew boats to those platforms, given the distance from shore. We operate as well at much higher pressures,” he said. Jayme Meier, ExxonMobil’s vice president of deepwater project delivery, echoed that sentiment. At the dawn of the offshore era, “anything that was in any amount of water was, by definition, deep water, because it was as far as you could go,” she told JPT. “And we are now at the stage where we are routinely doing things that are in 2000 m (6,560 ft) of water or more, and we continue to press boundaries and technical limits to be able to move further out in water depth.” As such, she said, the fundamental definition of deep water has shifted in the past quarter century. Where To Drill? “To find oil and gas resources, we rely on seismic, and we’ve seen huge advancements in seismic over the past 25 years,” Gros said. 3D seismic technology, pioneered half a century ago, sharpened the view into the world’s reservoirs, and new seismic processing methods have helped identify new opportunities. “Now we have ocean-bottom node surveys, which essentially take a lot of the noise out of surveys, allowing us to image deeper with a clearer image. We also have four-dimensional seismic, which helps us understand the performance of reservoirs through time,” he said. “If you compare the seismic capability today to what we had in the past, it’s like seeing the world with a new pair of glasses, and it really helps us understand potential prospects in a more-complex geological setting and pursue those opportunities in deeper water and deeper horizons than we previously would have been able to.” Deepwater Challenges Moving into ever deeper waters requires more tech and more-capable drilling rigs. It also requires precision, Meier noted. “Technology allows us to position a floating rig on the surface of the ocean. It’s got to be able to drill at very precise angles and precise locations, and significant extensions of technology were needed to enable that to happen. We’re at the point now where we’re even doing multizone completions on our wells in deep water,” she said. point now where we’re even doing multizone completions on our wells in deep water,” she said. She called deepwater “by far the most exciting space” to work in. It requires planning and designing for facilities that must withstand intense, harsh, and constantly changing conditions throughout its lifetime.

Experimental Study on Seismic Performance of CRTS II Slab-Type Ballastless Track Lateral Block of HSRs

ABSTRACT The seismic performance of the CRTS II slab ballastless track lateral block (TLB) for high-speed railways (HSRs) is revealed for the first time. Nine test models of the main beam-TLB are constructed with varying quantities and diameters of interface anchorage steel bars. The model scale is 1:2, and the steel scale is 1:4. The study examines the failure mechanism, failure pattern, hysteretic curve, skeleton curve, energy dissipation capacity, ductility, stiffness degradation, and strength degradation of the TLB under low cyclic load. The influence of the diameter and quantity of interface anchorage steel bars on the seismic performance of the TLB is analyzed. The results indicate that the failure pattern of the TLB under low cyclic load can be divided into three stages: (a) the interface of the TLB and main beam initially exhibits minor cracking, which enlarges during loading and closes during unloading; (b) the interface steel bars repeatedly compress the surrounding concrete of the TLB and main beam, and the cracks continue to expand until they penetrate the entire interface, while the interface steel bars undergo shear deformation; (c) the concrete in the interface area between the TLB and main beam is crushed and spalled, and the interface steel bar experiences bending shear deformation, leading to slippage and inclination of the TLB. Increasing the quantity and diameter of interface anchorage steel bars enhances the energy dissipation capacity and ductility of the TLB, reduces the degradation of its strength and stiffness, and improves its seismic capability. However, when the diameter of interface anchorage steel bars reaches 12 mm and the quantity of steel bars reaches 8, the increase rate in energy dissipation capacity and ductility of the TLB slows down while the deterioration rate of strength and stiffness accelerates.

Evaluation of seismic performance and damage characteristics of column-footing joints with shallow socket connection

In the background of the high demand for accelerated bridge construction (ABC), more detailed research is still needed on the connection method of prefabricated columns in high-intensity areas to facilitate on-site construction and reduce costs. Therefore, this study proposed a shallow socket connection method suitable for column-footing joints and the Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) is filled with the gap between the column and footing. A shallow socket connection column and a shallow socket-corrugated pipe hybrid connection column were constructed with a socket depth of 0.6 times the column diameter, and a quasi-static test was conducted to investigate their seismic capability. As a comparison specimen, a cast-in-place (CIP) specimen was also tested, and the scale ratio of all specimens is 1:2. Finally, to predict the damage mode and capacity of the shallow socket column, a simplified strut-and-tie model was developed through mechanical analysis. The proposed shallow socket-corrugated pipe hybrid connection column has the seismic performance not weaker than that of the CIP column and shallow socket connection column, and even performs slightly better in terms of energy dissipation capacity, making it more suitable for moderate and high-intensity areas based on experimental results. The established model of the socket joints could reflect the force characteristics of the shallow socket column and calculate the lateral forces of the column under different damage conditions to determine the modes of failure.

Failure modes-based seismic fragility analysis of concrete gravity dams considering concrete heterogeneity

The heterogeneity of mass concrete often leads to the initiation of micro-cracks in gravity dams, while the accumulation of damage of concrete on the meso-scale leads to the cracking behaviour on the macro-scale. To improve the seismic safety of the dam, a comprehensive study on the effect of heterogeneous properties is crucial in seismic fragility analysis. A novel methodology considering concrete heterogeneity for seismic fragility analysis was developed by combining damage element model for seismic failure analysis, a five-level standard for failure modes-based seismic damage state and a method to generate seismic fragility curves. Then, seismic failure analysis of the Koyna gravity dam was taken as an example to verify the correctness of the damage element model, the damage process of dam from micro-cracks to macro-cracks were simulated. Finally, the seismic fragility of a practical dam in China was studied to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The results showed that simulated failure modes-based fragility curves were suitable for the target dam and more capable of considering the uncertainty of concrete material parameters. The obtained fragility curve proved valuable in optimizing seismic design, reinforcement and maintenance measures and improve seismic capability of the dam.

Development and investigation of a novel precast beam-column friction hinge joint enhanced with Cu–Al–Mn SMA-plate-based self-centring buckling-restrained devices

To improve seismic capabilities and to reduce post-earthquake residual deformation of precast concrete frames, a novel self-centring hybrid connection (SCHC) composed of a rotational friction hinge device (RFHD) and four self-centring buckling-restrained dampers (SC-BRDs) was proposed and investigated for the dry type precast concrete beam-column joints in this study. The configuration and working principles of the SCHC were first illustrated. The effects of solution heat treatment procedures, strain amplitudes, and cycle numbers on the uniaxial cyclic behaviour of prepared Cu–Al–Mn SMA plates were also tested for the SCHC application. Finite element models of the RFHD, SC-BRD, and novel SCHC were subsequently established and preliminarily verified, followed by parametric analyses on several crucial design parameters of the SCHC to optimize its mechanical performance. Results shown that the self-centring ability and strength degradation resistance of the prepared Cu–Al–Mn SMA plates can be significantly improved by subjecting appropriate solution heat treatment procedures. The SMA core element thickness, initial post-tensioning force of high-strength bolt, and distance between SMA and rotation centre are suggested to be designed within the range of 8 mm–10 mm, 565 kN–705 kN, and 120 mm–130 mm, respectively, to achieve appropriate energy dissipation and self-centring performance of the proposed SCHC. The RFHD and SC-BRD can be conveniently replaced after damage in earthquake, which is conducive for rapid repair of the prefabricated concrete structures. Overall, the proposed SCHC shows excellent seismic mitigation ability, self-centring capability, and repairability. The proposed SCHC can provide a reference for the application of some important prefabricated concrete structures in requirement of uninterruptible or rapidly restorable building functions after high seismic effects.

Comparing Performance of Braced Circular Grid Panels and Braced Rectangular Thin Panels

Abstract: Now a days many industries have adopted metal shear panels (MSP’S) in steel structures. MSP’S are effective seismic force-resistant components that are widely used in seismic regions to resist lateral forces. Structural mitigation measures can be adopted to reduce structural damage through engineered actions to maintain structural stability and integrity. This study investigates seismic performance of a combined braced circular damped grid panels (BCDP) and comparing its performance with rectangular braced ductile thin shear panels (BDSP). BCDP specimens are made by replacing rectangular panels on BDSP specimens by concentric circular grids. The system consists of a wall panel, X braced system and to develop an efficient damping characteristics damped circular grid panels provided at crossing of X bracing. It is expected that when reverse cyclic load applied, whole load not transferred to the frame or bracing but to the circular grids. The result showed that when load applied, the frame will not fail instead the circular grid starts yielding and a greater number of cycles can be accommodated without failure and effectively increased seismic capabilities of the system. The specimens are designed and modelled under various parametric studies and investigated analytically. The study includes seismic analysis and push over analysis using ANSYS software.

Seismotectonics, Geomorphology and Paleoseismology of the Doroud Fault, a Source of Seismic Hazard in Zagros

In this study, the active tectonics, paleoseismicity, and seismic hazards of the Doroud Fault are examined through high-resolution satellite image interpretations, field investigations, outcrop and trench excavations, and the dating of geochronology samples. The Doroud Fault (DF), one of the essential segments of the Main Recent Fault in the northern margin of the Zagros mountain range, has a historical and instrumental background of high seismicity. We present the first constraints from tectonic geomorphology and paleoseismology along the Doroud Fault near the capital city of Dorud. Detailed observations from satellite imagery, field investigations, real-time kinematic (RTK) measurements, paleoseismological trenching, the radiocarbon (C14), and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) as ages allowed us to map the fault in detail, describe and characterize its kinematics, and document its recent activity and seismic behavior (cumulative displacements, paleoseismicity, and magnitude, as well as recurrence interval) relevant to the recent seismic activity of the Doroud Fault during the late Holocene as one of the most important seismogenic faults in Zagros. Modern alluvial terraces of gullies and loess accumulations are systematically deflected and/or offset with co-seismic rupture, landslides, and scarps, indicating that the Doroud Fault has been active in the late Quaternary and is characterized by dextral strike–slip movements with a normal component. In addition, our findings provide a comprehensive analysis of the fault displacement, the timing of paleoearthquakes, and the right-lateral slip rate of the Doroud Fault. The late Holocene slip rate of the Doroud Fault using the OSL dating the gully is as follows: the minimum and maximum horizontal slip rates are estimated to be 1.82 and 2.71 mm/yr, and vertical slip rates of 1.03 and 1.53 mm/yr are calculated for the past 4600 ± 900 years in the middle segment of the fault. This study focused on a paleoseismological trench within the archeological sites of Darbe-Astaneh. The central portion of the fault has historically hosted more than nine earthquakes in the last 66 ka years, according to the study’s findings. According to paleoseismology studies, the Doroud Fault has the seismic capability to cause earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 7.4 and a total slip rate of about 3.83 ± 0.1 m. The average recurrence interval for the identified paleoearthquakes is approximately 104 ± 7 years.

Use of steel wire mesh for compressive strength enhancement of AAC masonry wall

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is an alternate building block but possess a low compressive strength in comparison to the traditional burnt clay bricks. Past earthquakes have shown that the seismic capability of the masonry walls, particularly using low-strength blocks are very weak, and thus strengthening of this masonry is necessitated. Wire mesh is one of the most common and cost-effective strengthening materials. Wrapping the entire surface of the wall with wire mesh is the most adopted technique. However, in large-scale construction, it is un-economical. Thus, the present study investigates the behaviour of AAC masonry wall by embedding the steel wire mesh at the bed joint and bed-head joint of the masonry course. Two types of wire mesh, i.e., (a) chicken wire mesh (CWM) and (b) welded wire mesh (WWM) were employed for the strengthening. Wire mesh was alternately installed at the bed joint of the course of the masonry and subsequently installed at the bed-head joint of the course with proper anchorage using a U nail. The results show that strengthened wall specimens improve the compressive load capacity, energy dissipating capacity, ductility, and stiffness, as well as significantly improving the abrupt failure of the wall specimens. Bed-head joint strengthened specimens outperform the bed joint strengthened specimens in terms of capacities.

Seismic performance and material-level damage evolution of retrofitted RC framed structures by high-performance AVED under different shear-span ratio

To upgrade the seismic performance of reinforced concrete framed structures with insufficient seismic capability, the high-performance acrylate viscoelastic dampers (AVED) are developed. A series of dynamic mechanical performance tests are carried out on high-performance AVED. A new strategy for retrofitting RC framed structures using AVED is proposed. To systematically study this new retrofitting structural system, the seismic performance of seven RC frame specimens and seven AVED-added RC frame specimens with different shear-span ratios of 2.0–8.0 are compared. On this basis, the influence rule of shear-span ratio on structural damage evolution is qualitatively analyzed. The structural damage evolution at material-level under different shear-span ratios is qualitatively comparted and analyzed in the whole process. The research results show that the self-developed AVED has excellent energy-consumption capability, and dynamic mechanical properties and energy-consumption capability are strongly dependent on frequency and displacement amplitude. The added AVED greatly improves the seismic performance of the retrofitted RC frame structure. At the same time, AVED effectively improves the failure mode of the structure and avoids the brittle failure mode of the beam-column joints under low shear-span ratios.

Seismic Resilience Study of Piers Enhanced by Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete Jackets Based on Cyclic Loading Test and Static Push-Over Curves

The efficiency of novel retrofitting of constructed reinforced concrete piers with ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) jackets was investigated. Pier specimens were subjected to a series of cyclic quasi-static stress tests, whereby two tests employed UHPC jackets with a single width (UHPC-W), while the other two used UHPC jackets with several narrow widths (UHPC-N). The seismic responses were compared in terms of energy dissipation, ductility, hysteresis curves, and skeleton curves. The seismic capability of reinforced concrete piers is increased by both W-type and N-type UHPC jackets by reducing concrete damage. Reinforced concrete piers with a UHPC-W jacket offer greater lateral strength but are more vulnerable to plastic hinge movement. On the other hand, the UHPC-N jacket increases the ductility of concrete and conceals concrete damage. However, construction quality was critical to ensure tight contact between the multiple strips and the reinforced concrete shaft. Based on the implicit method, a 3D finite element model is recommended for nonlinear static elasticplastic analysis. The nonlinear reinforcement model, bond-slip behavior, and concrete damage plastic model are all included in the finite element model. In order to assess the seismic susceptibility of the retrofitted piers, various limit states were defined, and fragility curves unique to the particular structure were produced.

Dynamic performance and cross-level damage criteria of strengthened reinforced concrete frames with VE energy dissipation braces

Based on the low cost and superior damping performance of viscoelastic dampers, the new structural system strengthened with viscoelastic energy dissipation braces (VEDB) is proposed to upgrade the reinforced concrete frame structures with insufficient seismic capability. For the dynamic performance researches and damage evolution predictions of this structure system during earthquakes, the dynamic performance of six RCFs (reinforced concrete frames) and six VEFs (another six special reinforced concrete frames with VEDB) are studied under sinusoidal wide frequency range loading excitation horizontally. On this basis, the qualitative and quantitative relations on the damage growing at the material-level and the member-level performance deteriorating about the frame structures are conducted. Furthermore, the empirical calculation model on the cross-level damage evolution of VEFs are established and verified. Finally, a set of useful and robust cross-level judgment criteria for damage performance rates is proposed. The research found that, the installation of VEDB can significantly improve the load bearing capacity, the lateral stiffness and the energy dissipation capacity of the structures. The damage pattern of the structures is improved by VEDB, and it ensures the design criteria of “strong joints and weak members.” The empirical calculation model on the cross-level damage evolution and judgment criteria for damage performance rates proposed in this paper are useful and stable in practical engineering.

Investigation on Seismic Performance of Outrigger Structure For High Rise Building

As of today's growing population, tall buildings are now being built, with various sorts of high-rise buildings in terms of lateral resisting systems. Outriggers are one of the most effective lateral load resisting techniques for increasing the stiffness and seismic capabilities of a building. Shake table tests are effective ways of determining a building's seismic capacity in seismic engineering. Due to the limited size and capacity of existing shake tables, scale structural models will be required. However, to know the real effect of a building and because of the limited capacity of shake table, we can use software to analyze building's seismic performance. In this paper, an investigation of the seismic performance of past experimental work has been performed in the software Etab, and to validate the result same method has been applied. A software tool was used to do modal analysis on the prototype structure, and the experimental data was compared with the software results to acquire a better understanding of the building's seismic performance. In past experimental study, free vibration test was carried out to know the time period of the structure. In order to observe the same result, modal analysis is performed in software to find out modal period and the damping ratio was calculated manually. After comparing the software result and experimental values of time period and damping, it was clear that the software application and the experimental findings were in good concordance.

Seismic Performance of New Fabricated Lightweight Herringbone Support Seismic Wall Based on ZigBee Sensor Technology

Reinforced concrete antiseismic wall structure has great load-bearing capacity and resistance to lateral displacement and is widely used as high-rise and super high-rise buildings. At present, in the seismic testing of buildings, the vibration signals that simulate earthquakes are transmitted through a wired transmission system for analysis after a certain amount of processing, and the seismic performance of the building is tested. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and study the seismic resistance of a newly fabricated lightweight herringbone braced seismic wall based on ZigBee sensor technology. In this paper, firstly, the research and exploration of the building seismic capability detection system using ZigBee technology wireless sensor are carried out, and the building seismic capability detection system is a wireless sensor network using ZigBee technology; it measures the seismic performance of the building by detecting the acceleration values of key parts in the building model. Then, the seismic design response spectrum is proposed, and the modal analysis is carried out at the same time, and the mode decomposition response spectrum method is given. Then, the seismic performance of the reasonable RC support lightweight herringbone support seismic wall was analyzed, and the seismic performance of the lightweight herringbone support structure was studied at the same time. The experimental results show that with the increase in the size of the RC support section, the bearing capacity and seismic performance of the lightweight herringbone support seismic wall are improved. The displacement ductility coefficient obtained is greater than 4, and the energy dissipation coefficient is 1.56, which meets the seismic requirements of the structure.

Hysteresis Behavior and Design of the New Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete (ALC) External Panel Connector with the Steel Frame

This paper proposes a new flexible connector for the autoclaved lightweight concrete (ALC) panel with the steel beam. It is a universal upper and lower crossing connector, with load-bearing and limitation holes; then, the seismic capacity of this connector is investigated in the simulations and full-scale tests. Firstly, the finite element simulations of the new connector and traditional connector (L-hooked bolt) were made by ABAQUS, which proved the reliability of the new connector by comparing them in low-cyclic loading. Secondly, in order to analyze the phenomenon and data of the two connectors which are in the same test conditions of simulation, the full-scale tests of the steel frame were conducted. The damage of the ALC panel at different connectors and at different test load displacements is described in detail. The contribution of the connectors to the steel frame and the ALC panel is investigated in depth during the elastic, elastoplastic, and plastic stages of the steel frames. The test result is similar to the simulation result roughly, in which the new connector has better seismic capability. In minor earthquakes, the ALC panel frame with the new connector has better synergistic capacity of panels, while in large earthquakes, it can provide certain stiffness to the structure. Compared with the L-hooked bolt, the maximum bearing capacity of the structure with the new connector increases by 5.2%, and the yield displacement delays by 27.5%, which results in the increase of ductility by 9.8%. In terms of energy consumption capacity, the equivalent damping factor of the new connector increases by 10.2% and 35.3% at the yield and ultimate state, respectively. The FEM simulation results can represent the actual test results well. To summarize, the new ALC panel connector in this paper has excellent seismic capacity and good synergistic, which can provide a reference for the development and application of new types of the ALC connector.

Seismic performance of a continuous bridge with winding rope device activated by a fluid viscous damper

The seismic requirements of piers with fixed bearings (the fixed pier) for continuous girder bridges are relatively high, while the potential seismic capabilities of piers with sliding bearings (the sliding piers) are not fully utilized. To solve this contradiction, a new type of winding rope shock absorption device activated by a fluid viscous damper (WRD-D) was proposed. The WRD-D was installed on the top of the sliding piers, and the both ends of a fluid viscous damper were connected to the superstructure by winding ropes. During an earthquake, the damping force rises with the increase of relative speed between the sliding piers and the superstructure, activating the WRD-D and producing large frictional resistance, subsequently causing the sliding piers and the fixed pier to bear the seismic load cooperatively. In this study, the working mechanism of the WRD-D was researched. The shaking table test of a scaled continuous girder bridge model employing the WRD-D was conducted. The test results reveal that the WRD-D can effectively reduce the seismic requirements of the fixed pier and the superstructure displacements.

Seismic Behaviour of Rc Building Located in Erbil, Iraq and Strengthening by Using Steel Frame Sections Precast Bolt-Connected Steel-Plate Reinforced Concrete

This paper present outside strengthening with precast substructures, is a relatively new retrofitting approach that has recently attracted the attention of researchers. Outside strengthening with precast substructure, in contrast to member-level strengthening technologies (e.g., FRP strengthening, enlarging member section areas, and replacing rebars), is a structure-system reinforcement method that integrates the substructure and the original structure, improves overall seismic performance, and changes the deformation mode of the entire structure. The seismic capability of the exterior strengthening with precast bolt-connected steel-plate reinforced concrete is critically evaluated in this paper (PBSPC) Case studies are used to demonstrate the working principles, numerical methodologies, and design approaches. The simulation results were similar with prior studies, demonstrating that the numerical model was effective. The use of building steel representations reduces construction time, increases efficiency, and lowers costs. The goal of this technology is to lower the seismic displacement demand of nonductile. Current RC structures have steel frames connecting to the building floors. These frameworks run parallel to the structure of the building. Ganjan Life City, a building in Erbil, Iraq, is being used as a case study. The ISC 2017 and ASCE 7-10 earthquake codes were used to evaluate the building’s seismic performance before and after the reinforcement. The analysis’ findings suggest that the recommended technique is correct.

Non-Linear Time History Analysis of an Elevated Water Tank

It was discovered that reinforced concrete elevated water tanks with frame staging outperformed reinforced concrete elevated water tanks with shaft staging in terms of seismic resistance. These can be due to the frame staging's seismic energy absorption capability. As a result, the primary goal of this research is to better understand the seismic behavior and performance characteristics of elevated water tanks with frame staging. Furthermore, when compared to other shapes, circular tanks have the smallest surface area for a given tank size. As a result, the amount of material needed for a circular water tank is less than for other shapes. As a result, a circular water tank was chosen, and seismic analysis of elevated RC circular water tanks was carried out according to IITK-GSDMA guidelines, with the behavior of the water tank analysed for various parameters such as zone factor, soil condition, and different staging heights. SAP 2000 was used to determine the structure's modal characteristics (mode shapes and modal participation mass ratio).

Building Information Modeling Methods for Post-Earthquake Retrofitting Visualization of Buildings Using Augmented Reality

The post-earthquake retrofitting and repair process of a building is a key factor in improving its seismic capability. A thorough understanding of retrofitting methods and processes will aid in repairing post-earthquake buildings and improving seismic resilience. This study aims to develop a visualization framework for the post-earthquake retrofitting of buildings which builds models based on building information modeling (BIM) and realizes visualization using augmented reality (AR). First, multi-level representation methods and coding criteria are used to process the models for a damaged member. Then, an information collection template is designed for integrating multi-dimensional information, such as damage information, retrofitting methods, technical solutions, and construction measures. Subsequently, a BIM model is presented in three dimensions (3D) using AR. Finally, the visualization process is tested through experiments, which demonstrate the feasibility of using the framework to visualize the post-earthquake retrofitting of a building.

Experimental Research on the Seismic Capability of new green building materials

It is the development trend of China’s housing industry to actively research and develop new green building materials and promote renewable energy. Glass fiber gypsum board concrete frame is green building material, and it has many advantages in building structure, including load-bearing, thermal insulation and so on. Based on the experiments of structure underhorizontal low cyclic loading, the aseismatic capacity of the connecting structure of the fiber-reinforced plasterboard and concrete frame is studied in this paper. Excellent aseismatic reliability of the two types connection had been showned in this experiment. So the scientific references to the designing and constructing of connection between fiber-reinforced plasterboard and concrete frame were offered.