A Spectrum-to-Spectrum Method for Calculating Uniform Hazard Floor Response Spectra

Author(s):  
Andrea Lucchini ◽  
Paolo Franchin ◽  
Fabrizio Mollaioli

In codes’ provisions and design procedures for acceleration-sensitive nonstructural components, seismic demand is commonly defined by means of floor response spectra expressed in terms of pseudo-acceleration. Depending on the considered analysis method, floor response spectra may be derived from floors’ acceleration histories, based on structural response-history analysis, or calculated using a predictive equation from a given input ground motion spectrum. Methods for estimating floor response spectra that are based on the second alternative are commonly called spectrum-to-spectrum methods. The objective of this paper is to briefly review these methods, and to discuss the main assumptions they are based on. Both predictive equations from selected seismic codes and proposals from the literature are included in the review. A new probability-based method, recently developed by the Authors for generating uniform hazard floor response spectra, namely, floor response spectra whose ordinates are characterized by a given target value of the mean annual frequency of being exceeded, is also described. By using this method floor spectra are determined through closed-form equations, given the mean annual frequency of interest, the damping ratio of the spectra, the modal properties of the structure, and three uniform hazard ground spectra. The method is built on a proposal for a probabilistic seismic demand model that relates the ground spectral acceleration with the floor spectral acceleration, and is able to explicitly account for the ground motion variability of the nonstructural response. Results for a case study consisting of a service frame of a visbreaking unit in an oil refinery are presented to show the good predictive accuracy of the method with respect to exact uniform hazard floor response spectra obtained through a standard probabilistic analysis.

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 213-237
Author(s):  
Miguel A Jaimes ◽  
Adrián D García-Soto

This study presents an evaluation of floor acceleration demands for the design of rigid and flexible acceleration-sensitive nonstructural components in buildings, calculated using the most recent Mexico City seismic design provisions, released in 2017. This evaluation includes two approaches: (1) a simplified continuous elastic model and (2) using recordings from 10 instrumented buildings located in Mexico City. The study found that peak floor elastic acceleration demands imposed on rigid nonstructural components into buildings situated in Mexico City might reach values of 4.8 and 6.4 times the peak ground acceleration at rock and soft sites, respectively. The peak elastic acceleration demands imposed on flexible nonstructural components in all floors, estimated using floor response spectra, might be four times larger than the maximum acceleration of the floor at the point of support of the component for buildings located in rock and soft soil. Comparison of results from the two approaches with the current seismic design provisions revealed that the peak acceleration demands and floor response spectra computed with the current 2017 Mexico City seismic design provisions are, in general, adequate.


2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Javier Merino Vela ◽  
Emanuele Brunesi ◽  
Roberto Nascimbene

Nonstructural components play an important role in the correct functioning of industrial facilities, which may suffer greatly from earthquake-induced actions, as demonstrated by past seismic events. Therefore, the correct evaluation of seismic demands acting upon them is of utmost importance when assessing or designing an industrial complex exposed to seismic hazard. Among others, nonlinear time history analyses (NLTHA) of structural systems including nonstructural elements and floor response spectra are well-known methods for computing these actions, the former being more accurate and the latter being less onerous. This work focuses on deriving floor spectra for a steel special concentrically braced frame (SCBF), which is a common type of lateral-load resisting system for industrial frames. The results are used to compute the seismic actions on a small liquid storage tank mounted on the case study frame. Additionally, the results are compared to those obtained by modeling the structure and the tank together, that is, by modeling the tank explicitly and incorporating it within the model of the support structure. To this end, a simple model, consisting of two uncoupled single degree-of-freedom systems, is used for the tank. The floor spectra resulting from both approaches are compared to establish differences in the behavior of the structure and nonstructural element/component. Finally, the seismic demand on the tank—obtained by direct and indirect analyses—is compared to that obtained by applying ASCE 7-10 and Eurocode 8 prescriptions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 587-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karim Tarbali ◽  
Brendon A. Bradley ◽  
Jack W. Baker

This paper investigates various approaches to propagate the effect of epistemic uncertainty in seismic hazard and ground motion selection to seismic performance metrics. Specifically, three approaches with different levels of rigor are presented for establishing the conditional distribution of intensity measures considered for ground motion selection, selecting ground motion ensembles, and performing nonlinear response history analyses (RHAs) to probabilistically characterize seismic response. The mean and distribution of the seismic demand hazard is used as the principal means to compare the various results. An example application illustrates that, for seismic demand levels significantly below the collapse limit, epistemic uncertainty in seismic response resulting from ground motion selection can generally be considered as small relative to the uncertainty in the seismic hazard itself. In contrast, uncertainty resulting from ground motion selection appreciably increases the uncertainty in the seismic demand hazard for near-collapse demand levels.


2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 879-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin K. McGuire ◽  
C. Allin Cornell ◽  
Gabriel R. Toro

Complete probabilistic seismic hazard analyses incorporate epistemic uncertainties in assumptions, models, and parameters, and lead to a distribution of annual frequency of exceedance versus ground motion amplitude (the “seismic hazard”). For decision making, if a single representation of the seismic hazard is required, it is always preferable to use the mean of this distribution, rather than some other representation, such as a particular fractile. Use of the mean is consistent with modern interpretations of probability and with precedents of safety goals and cost-benefit analysis.


Author(s):  
Kieran Haymes ◽  
Timothy Sullivan ◽  
Reagan Chandramohan

A practice-oriented modal superposition method for setting elastic floor acceleration response spectra is proposed in this paper. The approach builds on previous contributions in the literature, making specific recommendations to explicitly consider floor displacement response spectra and accounts for uncertainty in modal characteristics. The method aims to provide reliable predictions which improve on existing code methods but maintain simplicity to enable adoption in practical design. This work is motivated by recent seismic events which have illustrated the significant costs that can be incurred following damage to secondary and nonstructural components within buildings, even where the structural system has performed well. This has prompted increased attention to the seismic performance of nonstructural components with questions being raised about the accuracy of design floor acceleration response spectra used in practice. By comparing floor acceleration response spectra predicted by the proposed method with those recorded from instrumented buildings in New Zealand, it is shown that the proposed approach performs well, particularly if a good estimate of the building’s fundamental period of vibration is available.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Anajafi ◽  
Ricardo A. Medina

Floor spectra of many instrumented buildings are evaluated to identify and quantify influential parameters on the horizontal seismic responses of acceleration-sensitive nonstructural components (NSCs). It is shown that many of these parameters are not explicitly incorporated into the American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 7-16 design equations and are challenging to capture through numerical building models. Significant torsional responses are identified, even for nominally regular buildings, which can increase seismic demands on NSCs located at a floor periphery. For many instrumented buildings, especially single-story ones, floor diaphragms behave as flexible in their plane. This behavior, while mitigating torsional responses, can increase demands on NSCs located away from elements of the lateral-force resisting systems. An evaluation of floor acceleration responses of instrumented buildings with basements reveals that in many cases, even with the presence of perimeter concrete basement walls, accelerations at grade level could be significantly larger than those at lower basement levels. Consideration should be given to establishing the seismic base at the lowermost basement elevation.


Geosciences ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayaprakash Vemuri ◽  
Subramaniam Kolluru ◽  
Sumer Chopra

The 2001 Gujarat earthquake was one of the most destructive intraplate earthquakes ever recorded. It had a moment magnitude of M w 7.6 and had a maximum felt intensity of X on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. No strong ground motion records are available for this earthquake, barring PGA values recorded on structural response recorders at thirteen sites. In this paper, synthetic ground motions are generated at surface level using the stochastic finite-fault method. Available PGA data from thirteen stations are used to validate the synthetic ground motions. The validated methodology is extended to various sites in Gujarat. Response spectra of synthetic ground motions are compared with the prescribed spectra based on the seismic zonation given in the Indian seismic code of practice. Ground motion characteristics such as peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, frequency content, significant duration, and energy content of the ground motions are analyzed. Response spectra of ground motions for towns situated in the highest zone, seismic zone 5, exceeded the prescribed spectral acceleration of 0.9 g for the maximum considered earthquake. The response spectra for towns in seismic zone 5 exhibit peaks in the low period ranges, indicating high vulnerability of low rise structures designed as per the provisions of the Indian seismic code of practice. The response spectra for towns situated in seismic zone 3 were considerably lower than the prescribed maximum spectral acceleration of 0.4 g. The substantial damage reported in towns situated in seismic zone 3 is due to poor construction practices and non-compliance with provisions of seismic design standards.


2017 ◽  
Vol 323 ◽  
pp. 259-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somnath Jha ◽  
A.D. Roshan ◽  
L.R. Bishnoi

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