Seismic Tests Research Articles

Seismic source of rock drill and its application in in-situ vibration monitoring of rock mass

This study suggests the use of a seismic source of a rock drill as a new excitation method for real-time monitoring of the vibration frequency of rock masses in tunnel engineering. In this study, a laboratory rock drill seismic source test system was developed. The rock mass excitation and vibration response under real in situ stress were simulated, and a natural frequency test of different lithologic materials under various in situ stresses was carried out based on the developed system. Empirical equations for estimating natural frequency were established using regression analysis. The test results show that (1) the laboratory rock drill seismic source test system exhibits good performance and can simulate the horizontal excitation process of the tunnel rock drill. Rock drill excitation may be used as the seismic source to continuously measure the in-situ vibration information of the rock mass. (2) The natural frequency of rock is positively correlated with rock elastic modulus and geostress and negatively correlated with rock density. This is not directly related to the seismic source.

Seismic Performance Tests of Prefabricated Concrete Frames with Embedded Composite Lightweight Aggregate Partition Wall Panels

Seismic Performance Tests of Prefabricated Concrete Frames with Embedded Composite Lightweight Aggregate Partition Wall Panels

A hybrid model based on unsupervised learning for seismic response feature extraction and gas-bearing reservoir prediction using longitudinal and transverse waves seismic data in low-degree exploration areas: A case study

Predicting gas-bearing reservoirs from seismic data is a major field of research. Recently, deep learning has been applied to achieve better results; however, challenges such as high sample demand remain. Drilling data are often insufficient, and gas-bearing sample data are difficult to acquire in large quantities, particularly for low-level (new) exploration areas, which limits gas-bearing reservoir prediction by supervised learning. Therefore, this study proposes a hybrid model using unsupervised learning to extract seismic response features and predict gas-bearing reservoir distribution. First, seismic attribute analysis was used to extract as many longitudinal and transverse waves seismic attributes as possible to provide richer information about gas-bearing reservoirs. However, abundant seismic attributes contain a large amount of redundant information, thereby increasing computation time. Thus, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensions of the extracted multi-component seismic attributes, remove redundant information, and obtain the most important characteristics that are sensitive to gas-bearing reservoirs. The sensitive seismic attributes obtained after the PCA were fed into a self-organizing neural network (SOM) for unsupervised learning. Neurons in the SOM compete with each other to optimize their own features and extract reservoir-sensitive seismic response features for prediction. To evaluate the proposed method, it was applied to part of the Marmousi2 model and real seismic data for validation. The following results were obtained: (1)The results of the synthetic data test results not only proved the effectiveness of the proposed method, but also showed that the method has strong noise resistance capability and is suitable for predicting gas-bearing reservoirs with low signal-to-noise ratio seismic data; (2) Based on the drilling data and sedimentary facies characteristics in the test area, the actual 3D seismic data test results showed that there are four wells that match the predicted results, and the distribution boundaries of the gas-bearing reservoirs they depict are relatively clear; (3) In low exploration areas (areas with few or no wells), this method is important as a guide to hydrocarbon exploration.

Nonlinear model for assessing seismic resilience in nuclear fuel assemblies

Seismic events may lead to vibrations of fuel assemblies in the nuclear reactor cores, thus the dynamic analysis of such vibration of fuel assemblies is essential for the safety design of nuclear reactor plant. In this paper, by considering the friction between fuel pins, we proposed a nonlinear mechanical model for both static and dynamic analysis of fuel assemblies for pressurized water reactor (PWR). The proposed model used a two-beam structure with frictional units to mimic friction and possible contacts in the pin bundle during the static and dynamic loading in the air. By using this approach, we could characterize not only the hysteresis loop during the static bending test (the static slingshot experiment), but also the decrease of resonance frequency with increase of seismic load. Further, maximum contact forces during the seismic test are compared with experiment at various impact locations, and the predictions closely match the experimental findings, affirming the scientific validity and accuracy of the proposed model. The proposed model can be further used to analyzing seismic behavior of the entire reactor core structure, providing valuable insights for assessing reactor structural safety and predictive hazard assessments.

3D Full-Waveform Tomography of Standard Penetration Test-Seismic Wavefields in Karst Florida Limestone

The shallow subsurface across large parts of Florida consists of weathered karst limestone, a spatially variable porous stratigraphy with significant influence in the design and load capacity of deep foundations. For reliable load transfer of the super structure into the bearing soil/rock, detection of voids and weak zones is crucial. This study investigated the capabilities of a recently developed standard penetration test (SPT)-seismic testing method for characterizing a large volume of soil/rock properties with a single SPT. The method utilizes a three-dimensional full-waveform inversion (3D FWI) of wavefields induced by SPT blows at depths (in-depth source) to characterize the subsurface around the SPT borehole. A site in Florida that presents shallow, surface karst limestone, was the location of a field experiment that consisted of two 36- × 18-m areas, each with an SPT at the area center. Seismic wavefields induced by SPT blows at depth were recorded by 72 vertical geophones on the ground surface and analyzed by the 3D FWI. The results revealed that subsurface soil/rock properties were characterized in submeter pixels over a large 3D domain of 24 × 36 × 18 m (depth × length × width). Multiple voids at various depths from 5 to 17 m were successfully detected at the site and confirmed by SPT data. The results suggested that the SPT-seismic method is an efficient tool for site investigation, as a bridge pier or pile group could be designed with only one SPT.

The Using of Container For Earthquake Mitigation Shelter In West Jawa

Bandung is a city in West Java. Bandung has unique topography because it is surrounded by volcanoes. This condition causes Bandung to become an earthquake prone area. It is necessary to plan the disaster mitigation if an earthquake occurs. One thing that needs to be planned is a refugee shelter. The shelter must be strong enough to resist the aftershocks and quick to install.and disassemble. Container can be one of the best option for the shelter. This research uses container material as the existing structure that will be tested for resistance to seismic loads (Bandung). Seismic load testing is carried out using the ETABS software following the design requirements according to SNI 1726:2019. There are six variations of the containers arrangement tested for stiffness and strength. All variations of the modified container arrangement meet the requirements for stiffness and strength against earthquake forces according to SNI 1726:2019 regulations.

Full-Scale Seismic Performance Testing of a Predamaged Two-Story Traditional Timber Frame on a Slope Reinforced Using Viscoelastic Dampers

Full-Scale Seismic Performance Testing of a Predamaged Two-Story Traditional Timber Frame on a Slope Reinforced Using Viscoelastic Dampers

Effects of differential tectonic activities on overpressure evolution in the deep-water area of the Qiongdongnan Basin: implications for gas hydrate accumulation

The lack of data on the complex tectonics of the Qiongdongnan Basin has thus far restricted our understanding of the overpressure, deep hydrocarbon and shallow gas hydrate distribution. We therefore combined integrated seismic, well and borehole test data with basin models to clarify the relationship between tectonic activity and overpressure evolution, as well as the potential effects of the subsurface pressure on gas hydrate accumulation. The results show differences in tectonic activity and pressure characteristics between the eastern and western basins. Large numbers of faults and magmatic intrusions have developed in the post-rift layer of the eastern basin (the Baodao to Changchang sub-basins) since the Late Miocene ( c. 10.5 Ma), although they seldom formed in the western basin (the Lengdong to Lingshui sub-basins). Correspondingly, the eastern basin was characterized by lower overpressures (up to 40 MPa) and the western basin displayed higher overpressures (up to 110 MPa). The results indicate that tectonic activity since c. 10.5 Ma caused the relief of overpressure in the eastern basin. In stark contrast, the overpressure in the western basin increased significantly due to the lack of structural conduits and rapid sedimentation of the thick Pliocene and Quaternary deposits. Numerical models reveal that the faults and gas chimneys associated with the intrusions constituted shallow plumbing systems through which deep natural gas was able to migrate upwards. The formation of gas hydrates relied on the migration of deep gas to the hydrate stability zone below the seafloor. The relatively lower overpressured zones due to pressure relief in the eastern basin are therefore considered the next areas potentially favourable for the formation of gas hydrates. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Emerging knowledge on the tectonics of the South China Sea collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/south-china-sea

Seismic behavior test and plastic hinge theory for HRB500 prefabricated steel reinforcement cage-cast-in-situ concrete columns

An innovative method for constructing concrete columns has been proposed, namely utilizing the hot-forged double-lock mother combined mechanical sleeve connection for the HRB500 prefabricated steel reinforcement cage－cast-in-situ concrete (PRC-CISC) columns. The purpose of this method is to promote the industrialization of steel reinforcement projects and enhance the quality of structural construction. Two traditional reinforced concrete (RC) columns and four PRC-CISC columns were designed for quasi-static tests with design axial compression ratio (ACR) and reinforcement connection methods as parameters. Firstly, the results of the study showed that all specimens exhibited typical flexural failures, with well-rounded hysteresis curves, gradual stiffness degradation in the later stages, good ductility, and energy dissipation. Mechanical sleeve connections had a minor impact on the failure mode of PRC-CISC columns. Increasing the ACR improved the carrying capacity but reduced ductility, narrowed the hinge zone, and increased longitudinal bar stress. The effect of sleeve connection on energy dissipation, stiffness, ductility, and carrying capacity of the specimens was limited, and the overall behavior was stable and controllable. Furthermore, the carrying capacity and stress distribution of core area steel bars in traditional RC columns and PRC-CISC columns were further calculated to assess the differences. Finally, a two-stage plastic hinge calculation theory was formulated, which takes into account the influence of axial pressure, and construction recommendations for two types of PRC-CISC columns were provided.

Experimental study on the effects of hydrodynamic loads on the seismic response of end-anchored floating bridges

This study focuses on seismic hydrodynamic testing and presents a 1:100-scaled experiment conducted on an end-anchored floating bridge. A series of underwater experiments with varying wave heights and wave periods were conducted to evaluate the effects of hydrodynamic properties on the dynamic behavior of floating bridges under the combined action of earthquakes and waves. The experimental results showed that sway motion resonance occurred when the wave period increased under a multihazard effect. The lateral motion of the pontoon is generated by the earthquake-induced lateral seismic radiation waves on both sides of the pontoon. However, as the wave height increased, the laterally expanding radiation waves on both sides of the pontoon were diminished by the incident waves, resulting in the fragmentation of the seismic radiation waves. Furthermore, independent of the wave height or earthquake, the roll motion of the pontoons induced by the earthquake steadily stabilized as the wave period increased. The effect of wave loads on the translational and rotational responses of floating structures under multihazard effects depends on the hydrodynamic properties of the input sea state.

A Study on Seismic Dynamic Response of Pile-Supported Tunnels in Deep Backfill Area of Soil–Rock Mixture Based on a Model Test

Aiming to address the problem of construction and environmental risks in tunnel construction through the soil–rock mixture backfill area, this paper carried out a seismic dynamic response model test of a pile-supported tunnel based on practical projects. Firstly, the stress–strain curves and failure characteristics of the soil–rock mixture in the study area were obtained through triaxial tests, and based on this, similar materials for the model test were developed. Then, a vibration table model test was devised to investigate the seismic dynamic response of the pile–tunnel structure. The findings revealed the following: when subjected to seismic waves, the soil–rock mixture stratum displayed a “skin effect” in its acceleration response, indicating that closer proximity to the surface led to heightened horizontal acceleration responses; the horizontal peak acceleration of the grouting mixture stratum in the vertical direction exhibited a “Zigzag” pattern; the peak values of strain response and bending moment in the tunnel lining cross-section exhibited an “X” shape and inverted “V” shape, respectively. The bending moment at the pile crown increased alongside the peak value of the input seismic wave acceleration. The maximum surface settlement in the model ranged from 0.5 to 1 cm, with the tunnel–pile structure effectively mitigating surface settlement.

In vitro and in vivo study of antibacterial and anti-encrustation coating on ureteric stents.

To investigate the ability of propolis-coated ureteric stents to solve complications, especially urinary tract infections (UTIs) and crusting, in patients with long-term indwelling ureteric stents through antimicrobial and anti-calculus activities. Polyurethane (PU) ureteric stents were immersed in the ethanol extract of propolis (EEP), a well-known antimicrobial honeybee product, and subjected to chemical, hydrophilic, and seismic tests. The antimicrobial activity of the EEP coating was then examined by in vitro investigation. Proteus mirabilis infection was induced in rats within uncoated and EEP-coated groups, and the infection, stone formation, and inflammation were monitored at various time points. The characterisation results showed that the hydrophilicity and stability of the EEP surface improved. In vitro tests revealed that the EEP coating was biocompatible, could eliminate >90% of bacteria biofilms attached to the stent and could maintain bacteriostatic properties for up to 3 months. The in vivo experiment revealed that the EEP-coating significantly reduced the amount of bacteria, stones, and salt deposits on the surface of the ureteric stents and decreased inflammation in the host tissue. Compared with clinically used PU stents, EEP-coated ureteric stents could better mitigate infections and prevent encrustation. Thus, this study demonstrated that propolis is a promising natural dressing material for ureteric stents.

Working mechanism evaluations of full-scale joints with bolted-cover plate connection for modular steel buildings

The force-reliability of the modular structural joints is crucial for ensuring the structural integrity of modular steel buildings. However, the welds connecting the beam and column within the module are susceptible to tear during seismic events. This mode of failure greatly undermines the ability of these joints to withstand seismic forces. Four full-scale modular structural joints with bolted-cover plate connection were designed and conducted for seismic performance testing, emphasizing the significance of methods such as reinforcing diagonal braces and strengthening flanges on the protective effect of beam–column welds in the module. The simplified modular structural joint and frame finite element model were proposed based on experimental data, refined finite element modeling, and theoretical analysis. The findings suggest that the seismic behavior of the modular structural joint remains unaffected by variations in axial compression ratio within the designed range of parameters. The beam–column weld of the module in the reinforced joint exhibits almost no weld tearing, and both strengthening methods demonstrate exceptional capacity for energy dissipation. The proposed simplified modeling method facilitates the efficient determination of the modular structural joint bearing capacity and the lateral stiffness of the modular frame. The research findings presented in this paper can serve as a valuable reference point for the engineering design of modular steel structures.

Field testing of shear strength of granite residual soils

The characteristics of residual soils are very different from those of sedimentary soils. Although the strength characteristics of sedimentary soils have been studied extensively, the shear strength characteristics of granitic residual soils (GRS) subjected to the weathering of parent rocks have rarely been investigated. In this study, the shear strength characteristics of GRS in the Taishan area of southeast China (TSGRS) were studied by field and laboratory tests. The field tests consisted of a cone penetration test (CPT), borehole shear test (BST), self-boring pressuremeter test (SBPT), and seismic dilatometer Marchetti test (SDMT). The shortcomings of laboratory testing are obvious, with potential disturbances arising through the sampling, transportation, and preparation of soil samples. Due to the special structure of GRS samples and the ease of disturbance, the results obtained from laboratory tests were generally lower than those obtained from situ tests. The CPT and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated significant weathering and crustal hardening in the shallow TSGRS. This resulted in significant differences in the strength and strength parameters of shallow soil obtained by the BST. Based on the SDMT and SBPT results, a comprehensive evaluation method of shear strength for TSGRS was proposed. The SBPT was suitable for evaluating the strength of shallow GRS. The material index (ID) and horizontal stress index (KD) values obtained by the SDMT satisfied the empirical relationship proposed by Marchetti based on the ID index, and were therefore considered suitable for the evaluation of the shear strength of deep GRS.

Seismic tension testing of cast-in specialty inserts under different cyclic loading protocols

The seismic performance of an anchor is primarily evaluated through cyclic loading tests following current qualification testing guidelines such as ACI 355.2 and ETAG 001 Annex E. However, recent reports suggest that these guidelines are insufficient in assessing the ultimate performance of anchors, particularly in the post-peak region. Hence, additional qualification tests are required to supplement these guidelines. Although the testing protocol of FEMA 461 could be considered a promising alternative, there is currently no concrete research related to its application. Herein, we performed cyclic tension loading tests on recently developed headed cast-in specialty inserts using both the existing anchor qualification testing guidelines and the FEMA 461 protocol and compared their behavior in terms of strength, displacement, stiffness, and strain. The new insert anchors exhibited only negligible differences in their performance, depending on the applied loading protocols. We also discuss a more efficient cyclic loading method for evaluating the seismic performance of the anchors and subsequently propose the application of the FEMA 461 testing protocol for anchor qualification tests.

Implementation of real-time hybrid simulation using a large shake table with onboard actuators

In recent decades, shake table real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) has emerged as a promising seismic testing approach for complex engineering structures. However, the current shake table RTHS systems with actuators typically install the dynamic actuators on a reaction wall outside the table, which introduce interaction issues between the dynamic actuators and the shake table. This study proposes a potential improvement by developing a shake table RTHS platform with onboard actuators. The platform incorporates a 6 m × 9 m large-scale shake table where the physical substructure, two dynamic actuators, and the reaction frame are all positioned. To validate the effectiveness of the developed platform, a two-story steel frame is tested by both full structure shake table test and substructure shake table RTHS. In the shake table RTHS, the lower part of the frame serves as the physical substructure and is simultaneously loaded by the shake table and dynamic actuators, while the upper part is numerically analyzed in OpenSees, using OpenFresco and Simulink as intermediate softwares. The test results demonstrate that the developed shake table RTHS platform provides reasonable predictions to the structural seismic responses. In addition, time delay is optimized using both inner and outer loop compensators, highlighting the effectiveness of inverse compensation and adaptive time series (ATS) compensation schemes. This paper successfully develops a shake table RTHS platform using a large shake table with onboard dynamic actuators, providing a valuable seismic testing platform for RTHS of large-scale complex engineering structures.

SEISMIC PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN OF PRECAST CONCRETE SHEAR WALL STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS

Our understanding of the seismic behavior and constraints of reinforced concrete shear walls was to be improved by this work. The Alto Rio building's collapse as a consequence of an earthquake was evaluated in the first section. The second section made use of information from a three-dimensional seismic simulation test on a four-story, precast post-tensioned concrete shear wall structure that was built to scale. The aim was to create useful structural engineering models, perform analytical simulations to verify the structural models' capacity to mimic behaviors that are significant to structural engineers, and determine whether the analysis tools now available are enough to represent dynamic behavior.

Seismic performance of a frame‐supported shear wall over‐track building through shaking table test

SummaryThis research deals with a frame‐supported shear wall for urban over‐track building of vehicle depot in Chisha, Guangzhou, China, which is characterized by its remarkable height of 160.8 m. Technical issues are commonly encountered in these kinds of buildings due to discontinuous vertical structural rigidity, large podium, and structural transition. These challenges significantly impact the engineering process, especially when the rigidity difference between transfer story exceeding the threefold, as well as the building height exceeds limit as in code. In this paper, a shaking table test was developed based on a 1:10 scaled model of the structure. Using similarity theory, the dynamic similarity relationship was established for the design of the model. Subsequently, the experimental model was constructed with the configuration of critical parameters such as mass design, sensor placement, and seismic test conditions. This was followed by in‐depth analysis, recording component failures and investigating key aspects such as dynamic characteristics, that is, acceleration and displacement responses and shear force distribution under different earthquake intensities. A theoretical seismic response of the prototype structure was derived from the test results. The shaking table tests confirmed that the structure met the stringent seismic design requirements as prescribed in the Chinese standards, with no damage under minor earthquakes, repairability under moderate earthquakes, and collapse prevention under rare earthquakes. The results of the study provide valuable insights along with improvement measures for the design and development of similar urban over‐track buildings, potentially contributing to more efficient land use in urban China.

OBC shallow water de-multiple based on the principle of Fresnel diffraction

Abstract In shallow-water ocean-bottom cable (OBC) seismic data, the ineffectiveness of conventional surface-related multiple elimination (SRME) methods due to poor seabed records is addressed. This research utilizes the seismic wavefield received by multiple cables from a single shot gather to predict shallow water multiple models for that shot gather. Initially, the seismic data within a finite aperture around a seismic trace in the time domain shot gather is treated as the known seismic wavefield. This seismic wavefield is then extrapolated along the water layer to this seismic trace, following the Fresnel diffraction principle. The extrapolated data becomes the shallow water multiple model for this seismic trace. This process is repeated for each trace in the shot gather to obtain the shallow water multiple model of the entire shot gather. Forward modeling tests have shown that smaller data apertures can effectively avoid the impact of spatial aliasing on multiple model prediction. To address the overlap of primary waves and shallow water multiples in deep seismic data, which have lower dominant frequencies, the multiple model data is used as a known seismic wavefield and extrapolated along the water layer again. This produces second-order and higher-order multiple models. Applying this model to suppress multiple waves can minimize primary waves loss. This entirely data-driven approach necessitates solely water depth information, imposing no additional conditions. Both forward modeling and real seismic data testing validate the efficacy of this method in shallow water.

Seismic reinforcement effect and vibration test of externally attached substructures in a selected Japan school building

In the long-term seismic work in Japan, an effective seismic reinforcement design system and reasonable seismic reinforcement technology have been developed, which is worth learning from. In this paper, the seismic reinforcement of a school building in Japan is taken as an example. Firstly, an overall reinforcement scheme of external prestressed precast concrete (PC) frame and steel brace is proposed. Then, based on the calculation results of seismic reinforcement and the ambient measurement before and after seismic reinforcement, the effectiveness and rationality of the seismic reinforcement method are analyzed. The results show that the seismic reinforcement method of attached substructures changes the original structural system, and solves the problems of excessive deformation and insufficient seismic performance. The reinforcement method improves the story stiffness of the structure, and the vibration period of simple harmonic motion after the implementation of seismic reinforcement is reduced by 0.845 times at most. The research results can provide reference for seismic reinforcement design and performance evaluation of existing school buildings.