The main objective of this study is to develop a methodology to assess seismic vulnerability of concrete structures and to estimate direct losses related to structural damage due to future seismic events. This dissertation contains several important components including development of more detailed demand models to enhance accuracy of fragility relationships and development of a damage assessment framework to account for uncertainties. This study focuses on concrete structures in the Mid-America region where a substantial seismic risk exists with potential high intensity earthquakes in this geographic region. The most common types of concrete structures in this area are identified based on the building inventory data and reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings and tilt-up concrete buildings are selected as case study buildings for further analysis. Using synthetic ground motion records, the structural behavior of the representative case study buildings is analyzed through nonlinear time history analyses. The seismic performance of the case study buildings is evaluated to describe the structural behavior under ground motions. Using more detailed demand models and the corresponding capacity limits, analytical fragility curves are developed based on appropriate failure mechanisms for different structural parameters including different RC frame building heights and different aspect ratios for tilt-up concrete structures. A probabilistic methodology is used to estimate the seismic vulnerability of the case study buildings reflecting the uncertainties in the structural demand and capacity, analytical modeling, and the information used for structural loss estimation. To estimate structural losses, a set of damage states and the corresponding probabilistic framework to map the fragility and the damage state are proposed. Finally, scenario-based assessments are conducted to demonstrate the proposed methodology. Results show that the proposed methodology is successful to evaluate seismic vulnerability of concrete structures and effective in quantifying the uncertainties in the loss estimation process.

This thesis focuses on the seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete structures with masonry infills, with particular interest in the development of rational procedures for the design and analysis of this type of structure. The properties of masonry and its constitutive materials were reviewed, giving special emphasis to those aspects which contribute to a better understanding of the strength mechanism. Theoretical procedures were developed for the rational evaluation of the strength of masonry subjected to compressive and shear stresses. A large amount of experimental work related to the behaviour of infilled frames was also reviewed. The main characteristics of the response under lateral loading were discussed for different types of infilled frames and a comprehensive classification of the modes of failure, for both the masonry panel and the surrounding frame, was conducted. In addition, the influence of several parameters which can affect the structural response was evaluated. Two theoretical procedures, with different degree of refinement, are proposed in this study for the analysis of infilled frames. The first procedure is a simple approach, based on the equivalent truss mechanism, which allows the evaluation of the lateral resistance of the infilled frames, considering two different types of failure in the masonry panel, namely, shear-friction and diagonal tension failure. The compressive strength of the diagonal strut is assessed by transforming the shear failure envelope obtained from the modification of the Mann and Muller's theory. This transformation takes into account the inclination of the diagonal strut and neglects the effect of the tensile principal stresses acting on the masonry panel. The second procedure is a refined macroscopic model based on a multi-strut formulation, which is intended to represent more accurately the effect of the masonry panel on the surrounding frame. Since debonding of the mortar joints is the most common type of failure observed in the masonry panel, the formulation of the procedure is specifically developed to represent this situation. The model accounts separately for the compressive and shear behaviour of masonry using a double truss mechanism and a shear spring in each direction. Recommendations are also given for the analysis of infilled frames when a failure due to diagonal tension or crushing of the corners is expected in the panel. A test programme was implemented to investigate the seismic response of infilled frames. The main criterion followed for the design was that the reinforced concrete columns should yield in tension in order to obtain a reasonable ductile response under lateral loading. New reinforcing details were provided in one unit, aimed at enhancing the structural response. These details consisted in tapered beam-column joints with diagonal reinforcement, and additional longitudinal reinforcement in the frame members. The additional bars placed in the columns were not anchored to the foundation in order to produce a weak region at the base of the columns, where most of the plastic deformations were expected to occur. The most important conclusion of the experimental programme is that the response of reinforced concrete frames with masonry infills can be significantly improved by a rational design aimed at reducing the distortion of the masonry panels while plastic deformations arc concentrated in selected regions of the structure. A new design approach is proposed for infillcd frames, in which two cases are considered: cantilever and squat infillcd frames. In the first case, the ductile behaviour is achieved by yielding of the longitudinal reinforcement, which is limited to occur only at the base ofthe columns, and by avoiding large elongations of the remaining parts of the surrounding frame. A pre-cracked connection is induced between the infilled frame and the foundation, where plain round dowels can be placed to control shear sliding. In the second case, ductility is conferred to the structure by allowing controlled sliding of the infillcd frame over the foundation. The applicability of this approach is limited to those cases where the total shear force exceeds the frictional strength of the pre-cracked connection. The effectof pinching of the hysteresis loops in the response of infilled frames subjected to earthquakes was investigated. A parametrie study was conducted using a one-degree-of-freedom oscillator subjected to ground accelerations recorded in five different earthquakes. Results obtained from the dynamic nonlinear analyses indicated that the effect of pinching and the damping model used can significantly influence the response of infilled frames, which normally exhibit a short to medium initial period of free vibration. Therefore, the displacement demand imposed by the earthquake can be larger than that assumed by the seismic codes if they are based on the concept of equal displacement.

The velocity structures of southern and central part of Sweden have been derived with the local tomography (LET) method. The region has been divided into two study areas and the datasets come from the P- and S-wave traveltimes recorded by the Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN). Man-made explosions and earthquakes occurring over the period of 5 years and 10 years, respectively, within the study areas have been used. One-dimensional starting models were derived based on an a priori model obtained from the SNSN, that were later used for starting models in the inversion for the 3-D crustal structures of the study areas. Attempts were also made to invert for Moho topography in the areas. The study areas are found to have an upper-crustal thickness of approximately 20 to 25 km and the Moho boundaries vary from 42 to 46 km in depth. The Vp/Vs ratios varies from about 1.68 to 1.78. The LET method appear to resolve the different between the Sveconorgwegian and Svecofennian orogen regions, but the stations and sources are too sparsely distributed for higher resolution models. The seismicity in the study areas are distributed in two distinctive depth ranges. The focal depth of the SNSN catalogued earthquakes concentrated in approximately 5 km and 15 - 20 km depth. Relocations of the earthquakes using a global search method reduced this tendency. The results also show that using 3-D models produces less biased results than using 1-D models with the same relocation method.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-97).

Thesis (M.Sc.) -- Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, 1979.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Sc.) -- Memorial University of Newfoundland. / Typescript. Bibliography : leaves 108-112. Also available online.

Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-119). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (doctoral)--Freie Universität Berlin, 2005. / "Febuar 2006"--P. [2] of cover. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. [99]-111). Also available via the World Wide Web.

The ability to synthesize recordings from surface data as if they had come from subsurface sources has allowed geophysicists to estimate subsurface properties. Either in the form of classical seismic migration which creates structural maps of the subsurface, to the more recent seismic interferometry which turns seismic sources into receivers and vice-versa, this ability has provided a rich trove of methods with which to probe the Earth's interior. While powerful, both of these techniques suffer from well-known issues. Standard migration requires data without multiply-scattered waves (multiples). Seismic interferometry, on the other hand, can be applied to full recorded data (containing multiples and other wave types), but requires sources (receivers) to be physically placed at the location from (to) one wishes to estimate responses. The Marchenko method, developed recently for the seismic setting, circumvents both of these restrictions: it creates responses from virtual subsurface sources as if measured at the surface. It requires only single-sided surface data, and a smooth estimate of the subsurface velocities. Initially developed for acoustic media, this thesis contributes the first elastic formulation of the Marchenko method, providing a more suitable setting for applications for the solid Earth. In another development, this thesis shows how the obtained virtual recordings may be used for migration. With these two contributions, this thesis shows that for elastic surface seismic data, the main drawbacks of migration and interferometry can be overcome using the Marchenko method: multiples do not harm migrated images, and sources (receivers) need not be physically placed in the medium for their responses to be accessible. In addition to the above methods, generating images devoid of multiple-related artifacts can be achieved in several other different ways. Two approaches to this are the use of a post-imaging filter, and attenuation of internal multiples in the data itself. This thesis contributes one new method using each of these approaches. First, a form of Marchenko imaging is known to create spurious reflectors, as also occurs in standard reverse-time migration (RTM). However, these artifacts usually appear at different locations in RTM and this form of Marchenko imaging. Using this insight, this thesis presents a way to combine pairs of seismic images in such a way that their differences (e.g. artifacts) are attenuated, while similarities (e.g. true reflectors) are preserved. Applying this to RTM and Marchenko-derived images markedly improves image quality. Second, this thesis presents a method to estimate multiples in the data. Multiples can either be migrated on their own to aid in interpretation, or be adaptatively removed from the data to improve image quality. However, because of the nature of adaptive subtraction, this second method may harm primary energy. To avoid this problem, this thesis develops a final method to directly image using only primary energy in the recorded data using only a small number of virtual points. This method bypasses the need for multiple removal and the estimation of subsurface responses at every depth location. In addition, primaries from particular reflectors may be particularly selected such that they can be imaged individually. Overall this thesis provides several new ways to use surface seismic data in such a way that multiples do not hamper the end product of seismic data processing: the seismic image. It demonstrates this use on synthetic and real data, proving their effectiveness.