Slight Damage Research Articles

Encapsulated Copper-Based Phase-Change Materials for High-Temperature Heat Storage.

In this study, a copper-based capsule, encapsulated by a black alumina shell using a simple method, was developed for high-temperature heat storage over 1000 °C. The shell was filled with copper beads (diameter = ∼3 mm), the copper–aluminum (Cu–Al) atomized powder (particle size = 150 μm) was filled in the gap, and then it was heat-treated. This eventually formed a high-density, aluminum-rich network around the Cu beads in the shell. Morphological observations indicated that the corrosion of copper oxide (CuO) on the alumina shell was significantly reduced by mixing Al with Cu. When heat-treated in air at 1100 °C, Cu became CuO, which reacted with Al2O3 to form a new compound, CuAl2O4. Owing to this two-step reaction, the area around the hole provided at the top of the spherical shell gets sealed, thereby suppressing the flow of oxygen into the shell (self-sealing function). The mechanism of in situ sealing was detected using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses. The Cu–(5–10%) Al capsule could endure a 400 h air exposure test at 1100 °C without leakage or cracking. A low weight increase ratio of 3.5% after the exposure revealed good oxidation resistance of the capsule, whereas the slight damage load change of the capsule after the exposure showed good mechanical stability. The results concluded that a Cu–(5–10%) Al capsule for high-temperature heat storage applications above 1000 °C can be fabricated by a simple process, and it demonstrates excellent durability during the long-term air exposure test. The data obtained in this study can be used as a reference for the design of packed beds in the future.

Medicated Scaffolds Prepared with Hydroxyapatite/Streptomycin Nanoparticles Encapsulated into Polylactide Microfibers.

The preparation, characterization, and controlled release of hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles loaded with streptomycin (STR) was studied. These nanoparticles are highly appropriate for the treatment of bacterial infections and are also promising for the treatment of cancer cells. The analyses involved scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Z-potential measurements, as well as infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Both amorphous (ACP) and crystalline (cHAp) hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were considered since they differ in their release behavior (faster and slower for amorphous and crystalline particles, respectively). The encapsulated nanoparticles were finally incorporated into biodegradable and biocompatible polylactide (PLA) scaffolds. The STR load was carried out following different pathways during the synthesis/precipitation of the nanoparticles (i.e., nucleation steps) and also by simple adsorption once the nanoparticles were formed. The loaded nanoparticles were biocompatible according to the study of the cytotoxicity of extracts using different cell lines. FTIR microspectroscopy was also employed to evaluate the cytotoxic effect on cancer cell lines of nanoparticles internalized by endocytosis. The results were promising when amorphous nanoparticles were employed. The nanoparticles loaded with STR increased their size and changed their superficial negative charge to positive. The nanoparticles’ crystallinity decreased, with the consequence that their crystal sizes reduced, when STR was incorporated into their structure. STR maintained its antibacterial activity, although it was reduced during the adsorption into the nanoparticles formed. The STR release was faster from the amorphous ACP nanoparticles and slower from the crystalline cHAp nanoparticles. However, in both cases, the STR release was slower when incorporated in calcium and phosphate during the synthesis. The biocompatibility of these nanoparticles was assayed by two approximations. When extracts from the nanoparticles were evaluated in cultures of cell lines, no cytotoxic damage was observed at concentrations of less than 10 mg/mL. This demonstrated their biocompatibility. Another experiment using FTIR microspectroscopy evaluated the cytotoxic effect of nanoparticles internalized by endocytosis in cancer cells. The results demonstrated slight damage to the biomacromolecules when the cells were treated with ACP nanoparticles. Both ACP and cHAp nanoparticles were efficiently encapsulated in PLA electrospun matrices, providing functionality and bioactive properties.

The December 9, 2020, Mw 5.5 Kudara earthquake (Middle Baikal, Russia): internet questionnaire hard test and macroseismic data analysis.

The article discusses the macroseismic data on the December 9, 2020, Mw 5.5 Kudara earthquake which occurred in the Selenga River delta (Middle Baikal, Eastern Siberia, Russia). This is the strongest seismic event in the study area over a 50-year period. The bulk of macroseismic data was obtained with internet questionnaire posted on the website of the Baikal Branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In total, 1433 responses were received from 120 places (villages, towns and cities) in Eastern Siberia, with most of them was obtained from large cities. In addition, a field survey was carried out in the near-field, which revealed slight non-structural damage to buildings in several settlements. The maximum intensity assessed VI–VII MSK-64 or VI EMS-98 was observed in the Kudara village. Taking into account the macroseismic data obtained, we have prepared a map of intensity data points. The largely observed shakings (intensity IV MSK-64/EMS-98) were noted at epicentral distances of over 500 km; intensity II MSK-64/EMS-98 was noted at a distance of up to 980 km. The Kudara earthquake allowed us to test the internet questionnaire in real conditions of strong seismic impact. The results obtained confirm the rather high efficiency of the internet questionnaire in the conditions of the Baikal region, however, some limitations associated with the responses spatial distribution are exist. A detailed study of the Kudara earthquake allowed us to gain new experience useful for the further development of macroseismology in Eastern Siberia.

Irradiation tolerance of an optically transparent polyimide film under 1 MeV electron beam

As ideal encapsulation materials for thin-film space solar cells, optically transparent polyimide (PI) films are required to withstand harsh space environments. Herein, we investigate the irradiation tolerance of an optically transparent polyimide film with tert-butyl, cyclohexyl and trifluoromethyl groups under 1 MeV energy electron beam. After irradiation, the PI film still not only maintains excellent optical transparency (the average transmittance decreased negligibly only from 87% to 86% in the visible light region (400–760 nm)) , but also keeps good thermal stability (the temperature at 5% weight loss in N2 atmosphere (T5%) was 442 °C), high glass transition temperature (340 °C, by DMA), and good mechanical properties (tensile strength: 71.3 MPa, Young’s modulus: 1.13 GPa, elongation at break: 7.7%). To understand the mechanism of irradiation damage, the bulk and surface performances of the PI film before and after irradiation were systematically investigated by various characterization methods. The results indicate that the surface of the PI film had a slight damage by 1 MeV electron irradiation, but its structure was nearly kept intact. Such a PI film has super irradiation resistance and is a potential candidate as encapsulating materials for space solar cells.

The Development of Boron Analysis and Imaging in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT).

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a selective biological targeted nuclide technique for cancer therapy. It has the following attractive features: good targeting, high effectiveness, and causes slight damage to surrounding healthy tissue compared with other traditional methods. It has been considered as one of the promising methods for the treatment of various cancers. Measuring 10B concentrations is vital for BNCT. However, the existing technology and equipment cannot satisfy the real-time and accurate measurement requirements, and more efficient methods are in demand. The development of methods and imaging applied in BNCT to help measure boron concentration is described in this review.

Connexin30-Deficiency Causes Mild Hearing Loss With the Reduction of Endocochlear Potential and ATP Release.

GJB2 and GJB6 are adjacent genes encoding connexin 26 (Cx26) and connexin 30 (Cx30), respectively, with overlapping expressions in the inner ear. Both genes are associated with the commonest monogenic hearing disorder, recessive isolated deafness DFNB1. Cx26 plays an important role in auditory development, while the role of Cx30 in hearing remains controversial. Previous studies found that Cx30 knockout mice had severe hearing loss along with a 90% reduction in Cx26, while another Cx30 knockout mouse model showed normal hearing with nearly half of Cx26 preserved. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to establish a new Cx30 knockout mouse model (Cx30−/−), which preserves approximately 70% of Cx26. We found that the 1, 3, and 6-month-old Cx30−/− mice showed mild hearing loss at full frequency. Immunofluorescence and HE staining suggested no significant differences in microstructure of the cochlea between Cx30−/− mice and wild-type mice. However, transmission electron microscopy showed slight cavity-like damage in the stria vascularis of Cx30−/− mice. And Cx30 deficiency reduced the production of endocochlear potential (EP) and the release of ATP, which may have induced hearing loss. Taken together, this study showed that lack of Cx30 can lead to hearing loss with an approximately 30% reduction of Cx26 in the present Cx30 knockout model. Hence, Cx30 may play an important rather than redundant role in hearing development.

Robust multifunctional superhydrophobic, photocatalytic and conductive fabrics with electro-/photo-thermal self-healing ability

The fabrication of superhydrophobic and conductive fabrics that can conveniently and repeatedly restore the lost superhydrophobicity, caused by either the surface accumulation of trace organic contaminants or the chemical damage to surface components, remains challenging. Herein, we report a multifunctional superhydrophobic and conductive cotton fabric that integrates not only the photocatalytic activity for cleaning organic contaminants, but also the self-healing ability enabled by either electro-thermal or photo-thermal heating besides convection oven heating. The fabric was fabricated through the polydopamine (PDA)-assisted deposition of photocatalyst Ag/CdS and the subsequent thiol-Ag self-assembly. Either UV or visible light irradiation is able to decompose the surface organic contaminants, and the photocatalysis-induced slight damage on super water-repellency is curable by heating. The Ag layer endows the fabric with antibacterial property and conductivity along with the electro-/photo-thermal conversion ability, which offers relatively convenient ways of heating for curing the surface chemical damages caused by O2 plasma etching or accelerated washing. Of particular importance is that the fabric still shows super water-repellency even after 18 cycles of accelerated washing, which equals to 90 normal home laundering cycles. The combination of these multiple functions makes this fabric very promising for a wide range of wearable applications.

Dynamic Responses of Blast-Loaded Shallow Buried Concrete Arches Strengthened with BFRP Bars.

This paper proposes a prefabricated basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars reinforcement of a concrete arch structure with superior performance in the field of protection engineering. To study the anti-blast performance of the shallow-buried BFRP bars concrete arch (BBCA), a multi-parameter comparative analysis was conducted employing the LS-DYNA numerical method, which was verified by the results of the field explosion experiments. By analyzing the pressure, displacement, acceleration of the arch, and the strain of the BFRP bars, the dynamic response of the arch was obtained. This study showed that BFRP bars could significantly optimize the dynamic responses of blast-loaded concrete arches. The damage of exploded BBCA was divided into five levels: no damage, slight damage, obvious damage, severe damage, and collapse. BFRP bars could effectively mitigate the degree of damage of shallow-buried underground protective arch structures under the explosive loads. According to the research results, it was feasible for BFRP bars to be used in the construction of shallow buried concrete protective arch structures, especially in the coastal environments.

Shaking Table Test Study on the Earthquake Behavior of High‐Speed Railway Bridge Pier with Rounded Rectangular Cross Section

Rounded rectangular cross section piers were widely used for high‐speed railway (HSR) bridges in China. However, the performance of such piers under seismic scenarios has not been well studied. To study the earthquake behavior and damage of rounded rectangular cross section piers under different intensities of earthquake excitation, nine scaled pier specimens were constructed and tested on the shaking table. Experimental results show that the specimen remains elastic (no or slight damaged) for all experimental earthquake scenarios (from 0.45 g to 0.96 g). Finite element (FE) models were developed and validated by the experimental results. Using this FE model, the damage levels of these specimens under severe earthquake excitations (from 1.05 g to 1.95 g) were quantified. Numerical results show that the specimen in transverse direction shows no or slight damage, while repairable damage can be seen in longitudinal direction as the earthquake intensity increases from 1.05 g to 1.65 g. Repairable and unrepairable damage can be seen in transverse and longitudinal direction, respectively, as the earthquake intensity increases to 1.95 g. Researchers can make good use of these findings for better earthquake design or protection of this type of HSR piers in the future.

Vulnerability study of a two-story reinforced concrete school building structure in Banda Aceh toward earthquakes and tsunami hazards

Banda Aceh city is an earthquake-prone area. One is the phenomenon that a magnitude 9,3 Mw and subsequent tsunami wave occurred in 2004. The incident caused casualties and damage to facilities including educational facilities such as school buildings. After the 2004 Tsunami, affected school was rebuilt in same location as before, therefore necessary to conduct an assessment of school building to ensure safety and comfort of learning process in affected area. The purpose of this study was to determine structure capacity of reinforced concrete school building structure toward earthquake and Tsunami in Banda Aceh, so it can see contruction vulnerability based on table of damage state. Objects in this study was a typical two-story reinforced concrete school buildings in Banda Aceh. The chosen building were SDN 48 and SDN 8. Structures were modelled by using SAP2000 software. Earthquake load data using the 2004 Sumatera-Andaman earthquake and Puskim earthquake-predictions which were analyzed using pushover method, and tsunami loads based on the height of inundation at location of school building. As a results, it has been developed capacity curve and spectrum capacity curve to determine damage limit and probability due to earthquake and tsunami hazards. It was found that based on spectrum capacity curve both school buildings in slight damage, while based on fragility curve it was found that both school building have a risk of light damage and moderate damage. Based on tsunami load, it has been found that both school building has inter-story drift that exceeds allowable limit, and based on tsunami fragility curve both school building were predicted complete damage.

A Gaussian Multi-Scale Space Difference Method to Multiple Slight Damage Localization Based on Strain Modes

A Gaussian Multi-Scale Space Difference Method to Multiple Slight Damage Localization Based on Strain Modes

Uncoupled multivariate power models for estimating performance-based seismic damage states of column curvature ductility

The assessment for the thresholds of different damage state plays a vital role in the performance-based seismic design of earthquake-resistant structures. Although fast evaluation for limit curvature of slight damage (DS1) is presented in specifications and literature, quantitative models for other damage states, i.e. moderate damage (DS2), extensive damage (DS3), and collapse damage (DS4) curvature are not clearly illustrated. Therefore, an uncoupled multivariate power model (UCMV-PM), i.e., multivariate logarithm linearity models is proposed to estimate the curvature ductility of four damage states of column sections by considering the effects of four factors (section dimensional (L): 1 to 3 m, volumetric percentage of the reinforcement (ρl): (0.01 to 0.03), transverse volumetric steel ratio(ρs): (0.01 to 0.03), axial compression ratio (Rac): 0.1 to 0.3). To obtain large sample data, a simplified parametric calculation procedure for moment–curvature (M-φ) curves and each damage state is proposed. Based on the efficient procedure, a sample space of 214 data with four factors and 21 levels is quickly established on a common desktop computer. Finally, verification, comparison, and application of UCMV-PM indicate its characteristics of high accuracy, strong practicability, and wide coverage.

2021 US National Seismic Hazard Model for the State of Hawaii

The 2021 US National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for the State of Hawaii updates the previous two-decade-old assessment by incorporating new data and modeling techniques to improve the underlying ground shaking forecasts of tectonic-fault, tectonic-flexure, volcanic, and caldera collapse earthquakes. Two earthquake ground shaking hazard forecasts (public policy and research) are produced that differ in how they account for declustered catalogs. The earthquake source model is based on (1) declustered earthquake catalogs smoothed with adaptive methods, (2) earthquake rate forecasts based on three temporally varying 60-year time periods, (3) maximum magnitude criteria that extend to larger earthquakes than previously considered, (4) a separate Kīlauea-specific seismogenic caldera collapse model that accounts for clustered event behavior observed during the 2018 eruption, and (5) fault ruptures that consider historical seismicity, GPS-based strain rates, and a new Quaternary fault database. Two new Hawaii-specific ground motion models (GMMs) and five additional global models consistent with Hawaii shaking data are used to forecast ground shaking at 23 spectral periods and peak parameters. Site effects are calculated using western US and Hawaii specific empirical equations and provide shaking forecasts for 8 site classes. For most sites the new analysis results in similar spectral accelerations as those in the 2001 NSHM, with a few exceptions caused mostly by GMM changes. Ground motions are the highest in the southern portion of the Island of Hawai’i due to high rates of forecasted earthquakes on décollement faults. Shaking decays to the northwest where lower earthquake rates result from flexure of the tectonic plate. Large epistemic uncertainties in source characterizations and GMMs lead to an overall high uncertainty (more than a factor of 3) in ground shaking at Honolulu and Hilo. The new shaking model indicates significant chances of slight or greater damaging ground motions across most of the island chain.

Biological responses to heavy metal stress in the moss Leptodictyum riparium (Hedw.) Warnst

Leptodictyum riparium, a widely distributed aquatic moss, can both tolerate and accumulate very high concentrations of toxic heavy metals, with only slight apparent damage. Here we report the effects on photosynthetic yield, glutathione (GSH), phytochelatin (PCn) synthesis, nitrogen metabolism and cellular localization of molecules rich in SH groups in L. riparium exposed in vitro to heavy metals. We simulated the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb detected in Regi Lagni, Italy, one of the most contaminated freshwater sites in Southern Europe, in the laboratory to test how the moss responds to heavy metal contamination. There was a steady decrease of photosynthetic efficiency correlated with the heavy metal concentrations and ultrastructural organization. All PCn levels increased significantly as the concentration of heavy metals increased, while the GSH levels did not appear to be particularly affected. A significant increase of GDH and NADH-GOGAT activities increased with increasing heavy metal concentration. Immunoblotting analysis revealed an increase of the chl-GS2 while no significant increase was detected in the cyt-GS1. These results give insight into the molecular events underlying the metal-tolerance of the aquatic moss L. riparium exposed to environmental heavy metal concentrations.

Anti-NOGO Antibody Neuroprotection in a Rat Model of NAION.

PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of anti-NOGO receptor monoclonal antibody 11C7mAb in a rat model of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (rNAION).MethodsThe rNAION was induced in one eye of 20 Long-Evans rats, which were studied in 10 groups of two rats, each group containing a sham rat receiving intravitreal injections of vehicle and a treatment rat receiving intravitreal injections of 11C7mAb. Fellow eyes served as naïve controls. The rats were tested using flash electroretinograms (ERGs), flash visual evoked potentials (VEPs), and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Thirty days after induction, they were euthanized, and the eyes were prepared for immunohistochemistry (two groups), hematoxylin and eosin staining (two groups) or transmission electron microscopy (TEM; six groups).ResultsNinety-five percent of the VEP amplitude was preserved in eyes treated with 11C7mAb, versus 69% in the control eyes. Immunohistochemistry revealed a large reduction in microglia and extrinsic macrophages with axon sparing. In addition to axon preservation, TEM also showed reduced extracellular debris and only slight myelin damage compared with the vehicle-treated animals. There were no significant differences in retinal ganglion cell counts, nor was there a difference in optic nerve swelling as measured by OCT. ERGs were used to exclude eyes with retinal vascular occlusions, an occasional complication of the induction technique.ConclusionsThe 11C7mAb preserves optic nerve integrity and reduces inflammation in rNAION.Translational RelevanceThis study evaluates the efficacy of an anti-NOGO receptor antibody in a rat model of NAION, a disorder that currently has no universally-acknowledged treatment.

Evaluation method on seismic risk of substation in strong earthquake area

Frequent earthquakes in strong earthquake areas pose a great threat to the safety operation of electric power facilities. There exists a pressing research need to develop an assessment method for the seismic risk of substations, i.e., the hubs of power system networks. In this study, based on Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA), Probabilistic Seismic Demand Model (PSDM) and reliability theory, a vulnerability model for a substation is obtained, based on considering the relationships between Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) and four seismic damage states (complete, extensive, moderate, and slight.) via a probabilistic approach. After an earthquake, the scope of influence and PGA distribution are evaluated using information recorded by the seismic observation stations, based on using interpolation or an empirical formula for the PGA attenuation. Therefore, the seismic risk can be evaluated by combining ground motion evaluation and the pre-built vulnerability model. The Wuqia- Kashgar area of Xinjiang was selected as the study area; it is an Earthquake-prone area, and one of the starting points for new energy transmission projects in China. Under a hypothetical earthquake (MS 7.9), the seismic risk of the substations was evaluated. The results show that: this method is able to give the probabilities of the four damage states of the substations, four substations close to the epicenter only have a probability of slight damage (45%-88%) and other substations are safer.

Study on construction of red carbon nanodots from O-phenylenediamine

Red emission carbon nanodots (CNDs) have a promising prospect in bioimaging field because of their low-toxicity, good compatibility, slight photo damage and low interference. However, it is hard to prepare red photoluminescence (PL) CNDs. The CNDs prepared from o-phenylenediamine (oPD) by solvothermal usually emit green fluorescence (FL). The emission wavelength only turned 32 nm red-shift after oxidative polymerization by introducing FeCl3 as catalyst. While, as terephthalic acid (TA) was introduced into the reaction, the red-shift exceeded 100 nm and the red emission was successfully achieved. Thus, according to the special structure of precursors, a donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) structure strategy was proposed to synthesize red emission CNDs.

Study on the Development of Seismic Fragility of Steel SMRF

Abstract: Vulnerability assessment of the structure is the most important and wide area of research which requires more input from the engineers and seismologist. The seismic vulnerability assessment of the structure can be evaluated by developing Fragility curves. Fragility curves shows the conditional probability of the structure exceeding the particular performance limit of the given damage state during strong ground motions. Fragility curves can be developed for different parameters like spectral displacement (Sd), spectral acceleration (Sa) Peak ground acceleration (PGA) , Inter storey drift ratio (IDR) etc. This paper describes about the different methods used in deriving the Fragility curves like conventional methods, Nonlinear Dynamic analysis methods and Nonlinear Static analysis methods. Also the fragility analysis of 5 Storied Steel Moment Resisting Frame (SMRF) has been carried out based on the parameters suggested by HAZUS M.H 2.1. Nonlinear static pushover analysis of the frame has been carried out in ETABS2016. Fragility curves are developed based on the pushover analysis results. The damage states defined as per HAZUS are Slight damage (SD), Moderate damage (MD) Extensive damage (ED) and Complete damage (CD). After carrying out the fragility analysis for the steel SMRF, it has been found out that, as the spectral displacement increases probability of failure for the slight damage of the structure is very high and the probability of failure for the complete damage is very low. Hence the probability of failure of the structure reduces from slight damage to complete damage. Keywords: Fragility curves, vulnerability assessment, Nonlinear static pushover analysis, HAZUS M.H 2.1.

Seismic performance of suspended‐floor structures with viscous dampers considering acceptable interstory drift

SummaryNumerical studies of suspended‐floor structures were conducted, and viscous dampers were applied to improve their seismic performances. The following issues were analyzed under 20 earthquake records: seismic responses of the primary structure and suspended floors, the distributions of the damping coefficient c0, and the interstory stiffness of the suspended floors. There was a significant reduction in the roof drift and the base shear force of the cores after replacing the steel bars with viscous dampers. The suspended‐floor structures with viscous dampers exhibited an optimal c0. The suspended‐floor structure with a triangular distribution of c0 showed a smaller seismic response than the one with a uniform distribution of c0. Under the design‐based earthquake, there was complete damage of nonstructural components in the y‐direction. Hence, applications of diagonal steel braces within the 1st to 10th floors were suggested to increase the lateral stiffness of the suspended floors in the y‐direction. The application of diagonal steel braces reduced the story drift Sd of the suspended floors, resulting in slight damage to nonstructural components under the design basis earthquake (DBE) hazard level. However, the roof floor, which contains electrical and mechanical components, exhibited an increase in Sd after the application of the diagonal steel braces. With increasing stiffness of the diagonal brace, the story drift profile of the suspended floors tended to be uniform, and the suspended‐floor structures with the uniform distribution of c0 exhibited seismic performances closer to those of the suspended‐floor structures with the triangular distribution of c0.

Probabilistic Seismic Capacity Analysis of a Novel Mid-rise Large-span Cassette Structure Using Multidirectional Pushover Method

ABSTRACT This paper investigates a novel mid-rise large-span cassette structure. The unique limit state divisions of the cassette structure are studied by following the probabilistic seismic capacity analysis (PSCA) method. A numerical model is established and verified through the use of shake table test results. Multidirectional pushover analyses is performed, and the directional effect of the 3D cassette structure is considered. The uncertainty present in fourteen major structural parameters is also considered in the modelling by using Latin hypercube sampling (LHS). The probability density function (PDF), cumulative distribution function (CDF), coefficient of variability (COV) and PSCA curves are obtained. The probabilistic distributions of the PSCA curves suggest that the threshold values of the maximum storey drift ratios of the large-span cassette are 1/550, 1/200, 1/60, and 1/25 for the slight damage (SD), moderate damage (MD), extensive damage (ED) and complete damage (CD) limit states, respectively. Furthermore, the average median values and logarithmic standard deviations are also given for the further probabilistic seismic fragility analysis and structural assessment performed. Finally, sensitivity analyses are conducted to examine the effects of critical structural parameters on structural damage measures. The results show that the structural performance is more sensitive to material parameters than load parameters.