No description available.

This study presents information on the design procedure of seismic base isolation systems. Analysis of the seismic responses of isolated structures, which is oriented to give a clear understanding of the effect of base isolation on the nature of the structure / and discussion of various isolator types are involved in this work. Seismic isolation consists essentially of the installation of mechanisms, which decouple the structure, and its contents, from potentially damaging earthquake induced ground motions. This decoupling is achieved by increasing the horizontal flexibility of the system, together with providing appropriate damping. The isolator increases the natural period of the overall structure and hence decreases its acceleration response to earthquake-generated vibrations. This increase in period,together with damping, can reduce the effect of the earthquakes, so that smaller loads and deformations are imposed on the structure and its components. The key references that are used in this study are the related chapters of FEMA and IBC2000 codes for seismic isolated structures. In this work, these codes are used for the design examples of elastomeric bearings. Furthermore, the internal forces develop in the superstructure during a ground motion is determined / and the different approaches defined by the codes towards the &lsquo / scaling factor&rsquo / concept is compared in this perspective.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering; and, (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: p. 175-178. / by Joseph Gilmary Burns. / M.S.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the seismic risk to highway bridges is crucial in pre-earthquake planning, and post-earthquake response of transportation systems. Such assessments provide valuable knowledge about a number of principal effects of earthquakes such as traffic disruption of the overall highway system, impact on the regions' economy and post-earthquake response and recovery, and more recently serve as measures to quantify resilience. Unlike previous work, this study captures unique bridge design attributes specific to California bridge classes along with their evolution over three significant design eras, separated by the historic 1971 San Fernando and 1989 Loma Prieta earthquakes (these events affected changes in bridge seismic design philosophy). This research developed next-generation fragility curves for four multispan concrete bridge classes by synthesizing new knowledge and emerging modeling capabilities, and by closely coordinating new and ongoing national research initiatives with expertise from bridge designers. A multi-phase framework was developed for generating fragility curves, which provides decision makers with essential tools for emergency response, design, planning, policy support, and maximizing investments in bridge retrofit. This framework encompasses generational changes in bridge design and construction details. Parameterized high-fidelity three-dimensional nonlinear analytical models are developed for the portfolios of bridge classes within different design eras. These models incorporate a wide range of geometric and material uncertainties, and their responses are characterized under seismic loadings. Fragility curves were then developed considering the vulnerability of multiple components and thereby help to quantify the performance of highway bridge networks and to study the impact of seismic design principles on the performance within a bridge class. This not only leads to the development of fragility relations that are unique and better suited for bridges in California, but also leads to the creation of better bridge classes and sub-bins that have more consistent performance characteristics than those currently provided by the National Bridge Inventory. Another important feature of this research is associated with the development of damage state definitions and grouping of bridge components in a way that they have similar consequences in terms of repair and traffic implications following a seismic event. These definitions are in alignment with the California Department of Transportation's design and operational experience, thereby enabling better performance assessment, emergency response, and management in the aftermath of a seismic event. The fragility curves developed as a part of this research will be employed in ShakeCast, a web-based post-earthquake situational awareness application that automatically retrieves earthquake shaking data and generates potential damage assessment notifications for emergency managers and responders. / Errata added at request of advisor and approved by Graduate Office, March 15 2016.

Thesis (MScEng (Civil Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In regions of moderate seismicity it has been shown that a suitable structural system is created when designing the shear wall with a plastic hinge zone at the lower part of the wall, with the shear walls resisting lateral loads and all other structural elements designed to resist gravity loads. A suitably stiff foundation is required for the assumption of plastic hinge zones to hold true. This foundation should have limited rotation and should remain elastic when lateral loads are applied to the structure. Ensuring a foundation with a greater capacity than the shear wall results in excessively large shear wall foundations being required in areas of moderate seismicity for buildings with no basement level. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of reducing the size of shear wall foundations in areas of moderate seismicity for buildings with no basement level. The investigation is aimed at allowing shear wall foundation rocking and taking into account the contribution of structural frames to the lateral stiffness of the structure. An example building was chosen to investigate this possibility. Firstly, lateral force-displacement capacities were determined for a shear wall and an internal reinforced concrete frame of this investigated building. Nonlinear momentrotation behaviour was determined for the wall foundation size that would traditionally be required as well as for six other smaller foundations. The above capacity curves against lateral loads were then used to compile a simplified model of the structural systems assumed to contribute to the lateral stiffness of the building. This simplified model therefore combined the effect of the shear wall, internal frame and wall foundation. Nonlinear time-history analyses were performed on this simplified model to investigate the dynamic response of the structure with different wall foundation sizes. By assessing response results on a global and local scale, it was observed that significantly smaller shear wall foundations are possible when allowing foundation rocking and taking into account the contribution of other structural elements to the lateral stiffness of the building. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is reeds getoon dat ʼn voldoende strukturele sisteem verkry word in gebiede van gematigde seismiese risiko indien ʼn skuifmuur ontwerp word met ʼn plastiese skarnier sone naby die ondersteuning van die muur. Skuifmure word dan ontwerp om weerstand te bied teen laterale kragte met alle ander strukturele elemente ontwerp om gravitasie kragte te weerstaan. Vir die aanname van plastiese skarnier sones om geldig te wees word ʼn fondasie met voldoende styfheid benodig. Só ʼn fondasie moet beperkte rotasie toelaat en moet elasties bly wanneer laterale kragte aan die struktuur aangewend word. ʼn Fondasie met ʼn groter kapasiteit as dié van die skuifmuur lei daartoe dat uitermate groot fondasies benodig word in gebiede van gematigde seismiese risiko vir geboue met geen kelder vlak. Hierdie studie is daarop gemik om die moontlikheid van kleiner skuifmuur fondasies te ondersoek vir geboue met geen kelder vlak in gebiede van gematigde seismiese risiko. Die ondersoek het ten doel om skuifmuur fondasie wieg aksie toe te laat en die bydrae van strukturele rame tot die laterale styfheid van die struktuur in ag te neem. Eerstens is die laterale krag-verplasing kapasiteit van ʼn skuifmuur en ʼn interne gewapende beton raam van die gekose gebou bepaal. Nie-lineêre moment-rotasie gedrag is bepaal vir die skuifmuur fondasie grootte wat tradisioneel benodig sou word asook vir ses ander kleiner fondasie grotes. Die bogenoemde kapasiteit kurwes is gebruik om ʼn vereenvoudigde model van die strukturele sisteme wat aanvaar word om laterale styfheid tot die gebou te verleen, op te stel. Hierdie vereenvoudigde model kombineer gevolglik die effek van die skuifmuur, interne raam en skuifmuur fondasie. Nie-lineêre tydgeskiedenis analises is uitgevoer op die vereenvoudigde model ten einde die dinamiese reaksie van die struktuur te ondersoek vir verskillende fondasie grotes. Resultate is beoordeel op ʼn globale en lokale vlak. Daar is waargeneem dat aansienlik kleiner skuifmuur fondasies moontlik is deur wieg aksie van die fondasie toe te laat en die bydrae van ander strukturele elemente tot die laterale styfheid van die gebou in ag te neem.