Near-Field Ground Motion Modal versus Wave Propagation Analysis

The response spectrum generally provides a good estimate of the global displacement and acceleration demand of far-field ground motion on a structure. However, it does not provide accurate information on the local shape or internal deformation of the response of the structure. Near-field pulse-like ground motion will propagate through the structure as waves, causing large, localized deformation. Therefore, the response spectrum alone is not a sufficient representation of near-field ground motion features. Results show that the drift-response technique based on a continuous shear-beam model has to be employed here to estimate structure-demand parameters when structure is exposed to the pulse like ground motion. Conduced modeling shows limited applicability of the drift spectrum based on the SDOF approximation. The SDOF drift spectrum approximation can only be applied to structures with smaller natural periods than the dominant period of the ground motion. For periods larger than the dominant period of ground motion the SDOF drift spectra model significantly underestimates maximum deformation. Strong pulse-type motions are observed in the near-source region of large earthquakes; however, there is a lack of waveforms collected from small earthquakes at very close distances that were recorded underground in mines. The results presented in this paper are relevant for structures with a height of a few meters, placed in an underground excavation. The strong ground motion sensors recorded mine-induced earthquakes in a deep gold mine, South Africa. The strongest monitored horizontal ground motion was caused by an event of magnitude 2 at a distance of 90 m with PGA 123 m/s2, causing drifts of 0.25%–0.35%. The weak underground motion has spectral characteristics similar to the strong ground motion observed on the earth's surface; the drift spectrum has a maximum value less than 0.02%.

Drift Spectrum vs. Modal Analysis of Structural Response to Near-Fault Ground Motions

A new measure of earthquake demand, the drift spectrum has been developed as an adjunct to the response spectrum, a central concept in earthquake engineering, in calculating the internal deformations of a structure due to near-fault ground motions with pronounced coherent pulses in the velocity and displacement histories. Compared in this paper are certain aspects of the elastic structural response to near-fault and far-fault ground motions. It is demonstrated that (1) the difference between drift and response spectra are not unique to near-fault ground motions; these differences simply reflect higher-mode response, which is larger due to near-fault ground motions; (2) response spectrum analysis (RSA) using existing modal combination rules can provide an estimate of structural response that is accurate to a useful degree; (3) these modal combination rules are similarly accurate for near-fault and far-fault ground motions although the underlying assumptions are not satisfied by near-fault excitations; and (4) RSA is preferable over the drift spectrum in computing structural response because it represents standard engineering practice and is applicable to a wide variety of structures.

Aerodynamic Design of Cooling Tower Drift Eliminators

The characteristics of inertial drift eliminators of wet cooling towers are studied parametrically for their blade shapes, orientation with respect to gravity, solidity ratios, blade sizes, approaching air speed, and drift spectrum. The fundamental behavior of drift eliminators is revealed by nondimensional parameters. A method for the optimum design of an eliminator considering minimum cost versus performance is developed. This methodology can be integrated into the optimum design of the whole cooling system. An example is shown for this design approach. Suggestions on the design to improve the drainage of the collected water are given.