Engineering Commons^™

Guidelines For The Eeri Seismic Design Competition, Kate Robinson

Architectural Engineering

The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) has been dedicated to exposing undergraduate students to the wide range of interdisciplinary subjects related to earthquake engineering through the Seismic Design Competition. In 2022, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) sent 14 students to Salt Lake City, Utah for the competition – to compete with 31 other teams who all tackled the competition problem statement uniquely. The 2022 team was tasked with the research, design, analysis, and construction of a new structure to be built in downtown Salt Lake City, with the goal of replicating the design sequence of real-world …

A Review Of Current Construction Guidelines To Inform The Design Of Rammed Earth Houses In Seismically Active Zones, David Thompson, Charles Augarde, Juan Pablo Osorio

Articles

Sustainability in the materials we use for construction is a prime concern, focusing on reducing the embodied energy and carbon footprints of the materials used. The cement used in concrete products is responsible for a significant proportion of Man's CO2 emissions and its production requires substantial energy input, as do fired clay products. For this reason, products formed from unfired earthen materials are of increasing interest and the current challenges include devising means of robust design for strength and to address durability concerns. One form of earthen construction that employs an in-situ method is rammed earth, and it is a …

Review Of Innovative Rehabilitation Techniques For Reinforced Concrete Buildings, Demetrius Karoubas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Building rehabilitation encompasses the act of repairing damaged structural elements, as well as the upgrading of older buildings to bring them up to modern standards. In recent years, due to the extreme economic and environmental cost of new construction, building rehabilitation is gaining ground as the most viable solution to the problem posed by damaged or substandard buildings. With the constant development of new materials with favorable properties and the improvement of our understanding of earthquakes, new rehabilitation techniques are being developed, improving on the efficiency and effectiveness of older ones. Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings are a type of building …

Design And Experimental Evaluation Of A Small-Scale Buckling Restrained Brace Analog, Lindsay K. Helferich

Masters Theses

In the event of an earthquake, structures experience large lateral loads that can lead to weak story mechanisms and result in premature building collapse. Strongback braced frames (SBF) are a type of seismic force resisting system that aim to evenly distribute horizontal loads up the height of the building to mitigate this failure mechanism. Previous research shows that SBFs are a promising way to better design for seismic demands, but these systems have not been fully explored to best exploit the design space. This work is a part of a project that aims to provide both numeric and experimental verification …

Probabilistic Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Of Freestanding Historic Monuments, Marie E. Wagner

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Seismic events can cause significant damage to structures, especially to freestanding structures which are not fixed to the ground and are free to rock independently. This thesis will study the response of freestanding statues and monuments to ground motions and develop probabilistic models for overturning, in order to assist in retrofitting and repair efforts. To do this, single and dual block system models were created with a variety of sizes, aspect ratios, and asymmetries, then subjected to several historic ground motions to determine whether they overturn using three-dimensional distinct element analysis as a result of rocking, sliding or twisting in …

Analysis Of The Implementation Of Fluid Viscous Dampers In A Steel Special Moment Frame, Brad D. Weber

Architectural Engineering

This report examines the effects of adding fluid viscous dampers to a steel special moment frame through a series of analysis methods. Simple analysis procedures are first carried out and described, including a linear static procedure and a linear dynamic procedure. Then further analysis is carried out using a nonlinear dynamic analysis procedure. Multiple parameters are modified throughout the analysis processes to determine the impact on results and the data from all the analysis methods are compiled and used to demonstrate the overall impact of the use of fluid viscous dampers in a steel special moment frame.

A Comparative Study On Seismic Analysis Methods And The Response Of Systems With Classical And Nonclassical Damping, Noah G. Bleichner

Master's Theses

This thesis investigated the application of seismic analysis methods and the response of idealized shear frames subjected to seismic loading. To complete this research, a Design Basis Earthquake (DBE) for a project site in San Luis Obispo, CA, and five past earthquake records were considered. The DBE was produced per the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-10) and used for application of the Equivalent Lateral Force Procedure (ELFP) and Response Spectrum Analysis (RSA). When applying RSA, the modal peak responses were combined using the Absolute Sum (ABS), Square-Root-of-the-Sum-of-Squares (SRSS), and Complete …

Use Of Uhpc Stay-In-Place Shells In Bridge Column Construction For Accelerated Bridge Construction, Nerma Caluk

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research utilizes Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), durable material that can be used to construct unique structural elements, to construct prefabricated shells that act as stay-in-place forms for circular bridge columns. These innovative structural elements are intended to (1) eliminate conventional formworks, (2) reduce the on-site construction time, (3) reduce life cycle costs by providing maintenance-free columns, and (4) improve the structural performance of bridge columns. The UHPC shell is placed around the column reinforcement that has been assembled using conventional methods, after which a UHPC step portion is cast at the column-to-footing interface to connect the UHPC shell with …

Liquefaction-Induced Dragload And/Or Downdrag On Deep Foundations Within The New Madrid Seismic Zone, Ishimwe Elvis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deep foundation elements are typically used to transfer structural loads for multi-story buildings and large-span bridges to a competent soil layer when 1) the soil close to the ground surface has no sufficient bearing capacity, and when 2) liquefiable soils are encountered. The majority of the bridges constructed within seismic zones rely upon the stability of earthen embankments and deep foundation that are installed above or within liquefiable soil deposits. Despite large factor of safety values or different load and resistance factors being used to adequately design deep foundations within seismic areas, soil liquefaction may cause extensive damage to the …

Design And Probabilistic Analysis Of Mid- And High-Rise Wood Buildings Subjected To Earthquake Excitations, Shucheng Yang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mass timber products, such as the glulam or cross laminated timber (CLT), are less frequently used construction materials at present for mid-rise and high-rise buildings. The feasibility and possible advantages of applying timber materials for constructing mid- and high-rise buildings are under investigation. One of the issues that needs to be addressed for the use of heavy timber materials is the safety of such constructions under seismic excitations. To address this issue, the nonlinear inelastic seismic responses and capacity curves of a wood buildings must be assessed. For this, the 10-, 15- and 20-storey buildings are designed using heavy timber …

Seismic Performance Of Steel Helical Piles, Moustafa K. El-Sawy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Recent earthquakes have highlighted the need for safe and efficient construction of earthquake resilient structures. Meanwhile, helical piles are gaining popularity as a foundation for new structures and retrofitting solution for existing deficient foundations due to their immense advantages over conventional driven pile alternatives. In addition, helical pile foundations performed well in recent earthquakes, proving they can be a suitable foundation option in seismic regions. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the seismic performance of helical piles by conducting full-scale shaking table tests and nonlinear three-dimensional numerical modeling using the computer program ABAQUS/Standard. The experimental setup involved installing …

Post-Earthquake Fire Assessment Of Steel Buildings, Yi Li, Rachel Chicchi, Amit H. Varma

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Resilience of structural systems after hazardous events is a crucial concern of building design. An abundance of research has focused on hazards such as seismic and fire separately. This project conducted a multi-hazard study on steel buildings considering both seismic and fire damage. A literature review of the behavior of steel-framed buildings due to fires after earthquakes, known as post-earthquake fires (PEF), is offered. The new PEF methodology, delivered in this study, starts with creating a three dimensional (3D) model of the examined steel building using the finite element method software, ABAQUS. Next, varying intensities of seismic and fire hazards …

Seismic Behavior Of Concrete Frames With Jacketed Columns, Jose Alvarez

Doctoral Dissertations

Research on jacketed reinforced concrete (RC) columns is well established and growing. The existing studies describe the ability of jackets to rehabilitate RC columns for seismic demands. The system in the studies has proven to upgrade both strength and ductility of their unretrofitted counterparts, concentrated on repairs of deficiencies, currently in columns designed with old code provisions. These deficiencies include: low shear strength, insufficient core confinement, and short lap-splices, in particular within the plastic hinge zone. Columns with these deficiencies usually have brittle failures and cannot develop displacement ductility ( ) greater than 2. Research results on columns retrofitted with …

Seismic Design Of A Prestressed Concrete Bridge, Alperen Ozel

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Latest advancements in software have become an indispensable tool in structural analysis. The main goal of this thesis is to examine dynamic responses of bridges in seismic activity with the help of such tool as CSi Bridge. Therefore, throughout this study, a prestressed concrete bridge model will be thoroughly designed. In the first section, the required materials and structural components will be introduced. The following section will cover calculations required for modeling. The actual modeling of the structure will be carried out in Section 3. In Section 4, the set of required analysis for seismic design such as modal, pushover …

Analysis And Design Procedure For Liquid-Filled Conical Tanks Under Seismic Loading, Ahmed Musa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Steel conical tanks are widely used for liquid storage in North America and elsewhere. A number of those tanks collapsed in the last decades as a result of instability of the steel shells. Despite being widely used, no specific design procedure is available for conical tanks under dynamic conditions. The research conducted in the current thesis presents a simplified approach for the design of steel conical tanks when subjected to ground excitations in the form of horizontal and vertical excitations.

First, the capacity of steel conical tanks to avoid yielding and buckling of the tank vessel under hydrodynamic pressure resulting …

Behaviour Of Reinforced Concrete And Composite Conical Tanks Under Hydrostatic And Seismic Loadings, Ahmed Elansary

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Conical liquid storage tanks are widely used to store different liquids and to provide water supply at cities and municipalities. However, no comprehensive guidelines currently exist in the codes of practice for the structural analysis and design of such tanks. The walls of a conical tank can be made of steel, reinforced concrete, or a combination of the two materials in a composite type of construction in which steel and concrete walls are connected using steel studs. The research conducted in this thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of the structural behaviour of reinforced concrete and composite conical tanks under hydrostatic …

Seismic Capacity Of Reinforced Concrete Interior Flat Plate Connections, Maged A. Youssef, A O. Chowdhury, Mohamed E. Meshaly

Civil and Environmental Engineering Publications

The demand for modular steel buildings (MSBs) has increased because of the improved quality, fast on-site installation, and lower cost of construction. Steel braced frames are usually utilized to form the lateral load resisting system of MSBs. During earthquakes, the seismic energy is dissipated through yielding of the components of the braced frames, which results in residual drifts. Excessive residual drifts complicate the repair of damaged structures or render them irreparable. Researchers have investigated the use of superelastic shape memory alloys (SMAs) in steel structures to reduce the seismic residual deformations. This study explores the potential of using SMA braces …

Weighing The Financial And Sustainable Benefits Of High Performance Structures In Seismically Active Regions, Alia Talina Barajas

Master's Theses

This thesis investigated the potential advantages and disadvantages of high performance structures by comparing the financial and environmental impacts of a performance based four-story office building to one designed to meet minimum code-level requirements.

To generate a comparison, the lateral system of a four-story structure utilizing buckling restrained braced frames was designed to meet code-level requirements per the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-05) and again to meet the immediate occupancy criteria defined by ASCE 41-06 Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings. The following was then performed:

• Test the structural performance of …

Application Of Principal Component Proximity Transform And Geostatistics Methods For Volume Shale Distribution As Reservoir Characreristic Imaging In Seismic 3d, Nur Islami

Makara Journal of Technology

Application of Principal Component Proximity Transform and Geostatistics Methods for Volume Shale Distribution as Reservoir Characreristic Imaging in Seismic 3D. Principal component proximity transform (PCPT) technique was used to predict the content of volume shale into seismic data in reservoir modeling framework. The goal in this research is to get the volume shale imaging in three dimensions and allow for reservoir modelling. The reservoir modelling requires an integrated quantitative and qualitative data sources collected separately, such as well and seismic data. Integrating PCPT and Geostatistic methods can generate the detail information for characterization of reservoir’s properties. Finally, it shows that …

Investigation Of The Behavior Of Free-Standing Gabions In Seismic Regions, Amy Ransom

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the behavior of free-standing gabion walls in areas of mild seismicity. To investigate this behavior, three walls of varying internal cable patterns were constructed at a quarter-scale. These walls were tested with a mass shaker, and mode shapes, tone extractions, and damping ratios were calculated. A modal analysis was conducted using design spectra created from a suite of seven earthquakes from countries bordering Kenya. The corresponding lateral forces to these spectral displacements were found, and the restoring eccentricities from the soil restoring force were backed out through a summation of moments. All analysis was experimentally done due …

Predicting The Seismic Behavior Of The Dywidag Ductile Connector (Ddc) Precast Concrete System, Elizabeth Mary Kenyon

Master's Theses

Structural engineering is heavily dependent on the use of computers. When creating a building model using structural analysis software, it is required that the designer have an understanding of the system behavior and the modeling program capabilities.

Some engineers in the Southern California region are taking steps towards incorporating the Dywidag ductile connector (DDC) and super hybrid systems into building practice due to the advantages found in these systems’ construction methods and seismic performance.

As the DDC and super hybrid systems reach industry, the design engineer will need to model these systems using structural analysis programs. This report describes two …

Vertical Shear Wave Velocity Profiles Generated From Spectral Analysis Of Surface Waves: Field Examples, Neil Lennart Anderson, Genda Chen, Siasi Kociu, Ronaldo Luna, Thanop Thitimakorn, Alexi A. Malovichko, D. Malovichko, D. Shylakov

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Surface wave (Rayleigh wave) seismic data were acquired at six separate bridge sites in southeast Missouri. Each acquired surface wave data set was processed (spectral analysis of surface waves; SASW) and transformed into a site-specific vertical shear-wave velocity profile (SASW shear-wave velocity profile). The SASW shear-wave velocity profiles generated for each bridge site were compared to other geotechnical data including seismic cone penetrometer shear-wave velocity profiles, cross-borehole shear-wave velocity profiles, and borehole lithology logs. The geotechnical data presented herein indicate the SASW shear-wave velocity profiles correlate well with subsurface lithology logs and available cross-borehole shear-wave velocity control. More specifically, clays, …