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From the experience gained from recent earthquakes, it has been recognized that the earthquake resisting capacity of so-called responsibility hospitals for acute services in Taiwan should be upgraded. These hospitals, which have been tasked with the provision of emergency services after major earthquakes, should remain functional with regard to their structures, medical facilities, electricity and water supply, and information services. In order to facilitate the issuing of governmental policies and practical engineering services regarding the seismic upgrading of hospitals, the objective of this paper is to determine the seismic rehabilitation objectives of essential medical equipment and non-structural components in responsibility hospitals, and further, to propose seismic evaluation and strengthening guidelines. Owing to the onerous work required to improve the seismic performance of various nonstructural components, a simplified programme is established using Microsoft Excel software to execute a preliminary seismic evaluation and retrofit design for individual pieces of medical equipment. Users are asked to fill in blanks with hospital information and the parameters of selected equipment and then the programme identifies the performance objective of each piece of equipment. It also determines whether the equipment should be retrofitted or not. In addition, preliminary designs of post-installation anchor bolts for seismic retrofitting against specified seismic demands can be checked automatically by the programme.
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Based on the issue of life safety and immediate needs of emergency medical services provided by hospitals after strong earthquakes, this paper aims to introduce a research programme on assessment and improvement strategies for a typical configuration of sprinkler piping systems in hospitals. The study involved component tests and subsystem tests. Cyclic loading tests were conducted to investigate the inelastic behaviour of components including concrete anchorages, screwed fittings of small-bore pipes and couplings. Parts of a horizontal piping system of a seismic damaged sprinkler piping system were tested using shaking table tests. Furthermore, horizontal piping subsystems with seismic resistant devices such as braces, flexible pipes and couplings were also tested.
The test results showed that the main cause of damage was the poor capacity of a screwed fitting of the small-bore tee branch. The optimum improvement strategy to achieve a higher nonstructural performance level for the horizontal piping subsystem is to strengthen the main pipe with braces and decrease moment demands on the tee branch by the use of flexible pipes. The hysteresis loops and failure modes of components were further discussed and will be used to conduct numerical analysis of sprinkler piping systems in future studies.
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Nepal is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, and at the same time is one of the most economically deprived. On 25 April 2015 mid-western Nepal was hit by the devastating Gorkha earthquake measuring Mw 7.8 with the epicentre located 76 km north-west of Kathmandu. The earthquake was followed by a series of aftershocks, with the most significant occurring on 12 May 2015 with Mw 7.3 and an epicentre located north-east of Kathmandu. The earthquake and the associated aftershocks resulted in the destruction of half a million buildings, leaving millions of people homeless and causing a loss of more than $3.5 billion (USD) to the housing sector alone. Approximately 9,000 people were killed and over 23,000 people were injured - mostly due to damaged or collapsed buildings.
A number of documents have been published pertaining to general observations following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake and aftershocks. Here the common building typologies and related failure modes observed during inspection surveys by the authors who were part of the various reconnaissance teams following the earthquakes are summarised. A brief background on the 2015 Gorkha earthquake is provided with an outline of the tectonic environment and seismological background of Nepal and a brief summary of previous earthquake activities in the region is presented. Common construction practices identified during the reconnaissance are illustrated and briefly explained to provide context to the observed earthquake damage, with an emphasis placed on unreinforced masonry (URM) building typologies and construction practices. Comparisons between URM building damage and published macro-element failure modes are provided using various photographic and schematic examples. Commonly observed failure modes and potential causes of failure are also highlighted for buildings constructed of reinforced concrete (RC) frames with masonry infill. A brief review of adopted temporary shoring techniques is also included.
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This paper provides results from carrying out two-dimensional dynamic finite element analyses to determine the applicability of simple pseudo-static analyses for assessing seismic earth forces acting on embedded cantilever and propped retaining walls appropriate for New Zealand. In particular, this study seeks to determine if the free-field Peak Ground Acceleration (PGAff) commonly used in these pseudo-static analyses can be optimized. The dynamic finite element analyses considered embedded cantilever and propped walls in shallow (Class C) and deep (Class D) soils (NZS 1170.5:2004). Three geographical zones in New Zealand were considered. A total of 946 finite element runs confirmed that optimized seismic coefficients based on fractions of PGAff can be used in pseudo-static analyses to provide moderately conservative estimates of seismic earth forces acting on retaining walls. Seismic earth forces were found to be sensitive to and dependent on wall displacements, geographical zones and soil classes. A reclassification of wall displacement ranges associated with different geographical zones, soil classes and each of the three pseudo-static methods of calculations (Rigid, Stiff and Flexible wall pseudo-static solutions) is presented. The use of different ensembles of acceleration-time histories appropriate for the different geographic zones resulted in significantly different calculated seismic earth forces, confirming the importance of using geographic-specific motions. The recommended location of the total dynamic active force (comprising both static and dynamic forces) for all cases is 0.7H from the top of the wall (where H is the retained soil height).
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Following the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes the seismic design of buildings with precast concrete panels has received significant attention. Although this form of construction generally performed adequately in Christchurch, there were a considerable number of precast concrete panel connection failures. This observation prompted a review of more than 4700 panel details from 108 buildings to establish representative details used in both existing and new multi-storey and low rise industrial precast concrete buildings in three major New Zealand cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Details were collected from precast manufacturers and city councils and were categorised according to type. The detailing and quantity of each reviewed connection type in the sampled data is reported, and advantages and potential deficiencies of each connection type are discussed. The results of this survey provide a better understanding of the relative prevalence of common detailing used in precast concrete panels and guidance for the design of future experimental studies.
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The most important structural parameter in the estimation of the seismic demand on a building is the natural period of the building’s fundamental/first mode of vibration. There are several existing empirical, analytical, and experimental methods which can be used to estimate the fundamental period of a building. The empirical equations prescribed in the building codes are simple, but they do not consider actual building properties, and are very approximate. On the other hand, analytical methods like Eigenvalue analysis and Rayleigh method are able to consider most of the structural parameters that are known to affect the period of a building. Nevertheless, the analytical methods require considerable effort and expertise; often requiring structural analysis software’s to estimate the fundamental period of a building.
In this paper, a generic method is developed to estimate the fundamental period of regular frame buildings and a simple yet reliable equation is proposed. The equation is derived using the basic concept of MacLeod’s method for estimation of roof/top deflection of a frame building, which is modified to more accurately predict the lateral stiffness of moment resisting frames under triangular lateral force distribution typically used in seismic design and analysis of frame buildings. To verify the reliability and versatility of the developed equation, the fundamental periods predicted are compared with the periods obtained from Eigenvalue analysis for a large number of low to medium rise RC frame buildings. The fundamental period predicted using the proposed equation is also verified using the period obtained using the Rayleigh method and measured in experimental tests. Since the proposed equation was found to closely predict the fundamental period, the results are used to study the limitations of the empirical equations prescribed in building codes. The applicability of the proposed equation to predict the fundamental period of low to medium rise frame buildings with minor irregularity is also investigated, and it was found that the proposed equation can be used for slightly irregular frame buildings without inducing any additional error. The proposed equation is simple enough to be implemented into building design codes and can be readily used by practicing engineers in design of new buildings as well as assessment of existing buildings.
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Following the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes considerable effort was applied to the task of developing industry guidance for the seismic assessment, repair and strengthening of unreinforced masonry buildings. The recently updated “Section 10” of NZSEE 2006 is one of the primary outputs from these efforts, in which a minor amount of information is introduced regarding vintage stone unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. Further information is presented herein to extend the resources readily available to New Zealand practitioners regarding load-bearing stone URM buildings via a literature review of the traditional European approach to this topic and its applicability to the New Zealand stone URM building stock.
An informative background to typical stone URM construction is presented, including population, geometric, structural and material characteristics. The European seismic vulnerability assessment procedure is then reported, explaining each step in sequence of assessment by means of preliminary inspection (photographic, geometric, structural and crack pattern surveys) and investigation techniques, concluding with details of seismic improvement interventions. The challenge in selecting the appropriate intervention for each existing URM structure is associated with reconciling the differences between heritage conservation and engineering perspectives to reinstating the original structural strength. Traditional and modern techniques are discussed herein with the goal of preserving heritage values and ensuring occupant safety. A collection of Annexes are provided that summarise the presented information in terms of on-site testing, failure mechanisms and seismic improvement.
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Ground deformation can contribute significantly to losses in major earthquakes. Areas that suffer permanent ground deformation in addition to strong ground shaking typically sustain greater levels of damage and loss than areas suffering strong ground-shaking alone. The lower Hutt Valley of the Wellington region, New Zealand, is adjacent to the active Wellington Fault. The long-term signal of vertical deformation there is subsidence, and the most likely driver of this is rupture of the Wellington Fault.
In 1855 the Mw ~8.2 Wairarapa Earthquake resulted in uplift of the lower Hutt Valley area and created an expectation that future earthquakes would do the same. However, sediments beneath the lower Hutt Valley floor up to c. 220 thousand years old provide data that when combined with the international sea level curve demonstrate cumulative net subsidence of up to c. 155 m during that period. Recent refinement of rupture parameters for the Wellington Fault (and other faults in the region), based on new field data, has spurred us to reassess estimates of vertical deformation in the Hutt Valley that would result from rupture of the Wellington Fault. Using a logic tree framework, we calculate subsidence for an “average” Wellington Fault event of ~1.9 m near Petone, ~1.7m near Lower Hutt City, ~1.4 m near Seaview, and ~0 m in the Taita area. Such a distribution of vertical deformation would result in large areas of Alicetown-Petone and Moera-Seaview subsiding below sea level. We also calculate and present “minimum” and “maximum” credible subsidence values, which are approximately half and twice the mean values, respectively. This ground deformation hazard certainly has societal implications, and we are working with local and regional councils to develop a range of mitigation strategies.
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This paper presents findings from the first phase of testing at the University of Canterbury on seismic performance of emulative connections for Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) in regions of moderate to high seismicity. Emulative connections between precast concrete elements aim to target similar seismic behaviour as traditional ductile monolithic construction. The emulative solution in this research is called “High Damage Connection” (HDC).
HDCs intend to achieve similar levels of seismic performance and ductility in a precast column as that can be expected of a monolithic one. HDC relies on formation of plastic hinges in the precast column during a design level earthquake to emulate monolithic ductile behaviour.
Two types of HDCs, the grouted duct connection and member socket connection, were investigated in this research. Four half-scale precast segmental columns were constructed. Two columns featured grouted duct connections as the primary connection type. The other two columns used member socket connections. For a better understanding of the connection response under severe lateral loading, both uniaxial and biaxial testing of the columns was carried out.
In this paper, an introduction to each connection type followed by design procedure, detailing considerations and construction methodology are explained in detail. Testing results and observations of seismic performance for each connection are thoroughly presented. The research concludes that High Damage Connections have good potential for ABC in regions of moderate to high seismicity. The connections that were tested achieved good levels of energy dissipation and ductility with similar performance to conventional monolithic connections.
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A number of studies on using friction based energy dissipation system for seismic protection of the building have been published in the recent past. The studies show that numerical approximation of the effectiveness of the friction based energy dissipation system depends on the accurate solution of the relevant nonlinear equations of motion. The available numerical models to idealize the behaviour of friction dampers can be categorized into equivalent linearization method, approximation by rigid-perfectly plastic hysteric model and stick-slide condition model. However, it has been observed that the minimum difference in relative velocity or non-identification of exact time of phase transition from stick to slide condition results in a noticeably high fluctuation of relative velocity in the stick-slide model.
To identify the exact time for phase transition, this paper presents a numerical methodology for dynamic analysis of buildings with friction damper, leading to improved accuracy of solutions of equations of motion. The mathematical formulation and solution procedure of the proposed methodology has been presented in detail in this paper. The results obtained have been validated with examples from published literature. The response of single degree of freedom (SDOF) system with friction device when subjected to nine different ground motions are presented. The selected ground motion encompasses three ground motions each from soft soil, medium soil and hard soil to evaluate the likely response of the structure under the likely range of expected ground motion characteristics. The spectral variation with reference to pretension force has been investigated and presented. The results indicate that for a particular range of pretension force, beyond a particular stiffness ratio, the reduction in spectral response of the damper added system is independent of frequency of the SDOF system, which shows the robustness of friction devices.
