Sharif Digital Repository

The generalized nonstationary Kanai-Tajimi model is used to describe and simulate the ground motion time histories. Both amplitude and frequency nonstationarities are incorporated in the model. The moving time-window technique is used to evaluate the time varying parameters of the model using actual earthquake records. Application of the model for several Iranian earthquakes Naghan (1977), Tabas (1978) and Manjil (1990) are presented. It is shown that the model and identification algorithms are able to accurately capture the nonstationary features of these earthquake accelerograms. The statistical characteristics of the spectral response curves of the simulated accelerograms are compared... 

Steel silos are one of the main structures for bulk solids handling and storage in many industries and agricultural sectors. A growing body of research suggests the importance of including the vertical component of earthquake ground motion in seismic analysis and design of certain structures. In the case of steel silos, this may induce additional meridional compression to exacerbate buckling failures in such thin shells. Accordingly, this paper investigates the buckling behavior of three cylindrical steel silos (i.e., a squat, an intermediate slender and a slender silo) with stepped walls subjected to horizontal only (H) and horizontal and vertical (HV) ground accelerations to address this... 

A fully coupled numerical analysis using Biot's theory with u-p formulation considering variable permeability during liquefaction is used in this study to simulate liquefaction induced lateral spreading phenomenon. A centrifuge test performed on liquefiable soil at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is simulated using the developed model. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental observations. A number of numerical simulations under different geometric, site-specific, and ground acceleration parameters have been carried out in the course of this study. Based on the statistical analysis conducted on the results of 31 different models, a new relation is proposed for... 

Recorded ground accelerations at various locations of Karun III Dam during November 20, 2007, were recorded by an array of accelerometers located on the dam. In terms of amplitude and phase, these accelerations show non-uniformities in different elevations. In this paper, the effect of these non-uniform ground motions on the seismic response of the dam taking dam-reservoir-foundation interaction into account is investigated. The EACD-3D-2008 finite element program and ABAQUS Software are used for carrying out the seismic analyses. For this purpose, time histories of the earthquake accelerations are interpolated at nodal points located on the dam foundation interface. The analysis has been... 

This paper investigates the dynamic buckling behavior of steel silos subjected to horizontal base excitations. The elastic-plastic buckling resistance of three silos with different aspect ratios is estimated using Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDA). Accordingly, the critical base shear, base moment and the peak ground acceleration (PGA) at the buckling instant are calculated. Moreover, the additional normal pressures induced from bulk solids on silo walls are evaluated and compared with those of Eurocode 8. The results obtained suggest that slender silos are more vulnerable to buckling failure, while squatter silos represent a considerably higher resistance under same seismic conditions. ©... 

In the present paper, spatially variation input effects on seismic responses of arch dams have been studied. Recorded ground accelerations at the dam foundation interface of Pacoima dam during January 13, 2001 were used for the purpose of this investigation. A numerical finite element model was developed for dynamic analysis of the dam reservoir system. The modified version of NSAD-DRI finite element program was used for the analysis and the ground acceleration time histories were interpolated at all dam foundation interface nodal points. Total and pseudo static displacements as well as developed stresses due to uniform and non uniform excitations are obtained. The results reveal that... 

In the present paper, the seismic response of an arch dam subjected to spatial variation of ground motions along the interface with its foundations is investigated. Recorded ground accelerations at the dam foundation interface of an arch dam were used for the purpose of this investigation. Topographic amplification between various points of the interface was studied by obtaining ratios of the response spectral displacement and spectral pseudo acceleration. Time shift and amplification between stations show the nonuniform nature of ground motions for large structures like dams. Recorded ground accelerations were interpolated for different nodes of the finite element model. The seismic... 

Active control of multi-storey frame structures with nonlinear hysteretic response has been studied in this paper. A new nonlinear optimal control algorithm based on nonlinear Newmark integration method and distributed genetic algorithm (DGA) has been developed. The objective has been to reduce the response to below any desired level. In this study, DGA has been used to determine the weights in the control law corresponding to displacement, velocity and acceleration. The capabilities of the method has been assessed through simulation where an eight-storey frame with bilinear hysteretic behaviour has been subjected to a white noise ground acceleration and controlled by the controllers... 

In the endurance time (ET) method, structures are subjected to a specially designed intensifying ground acceleration function and their performance is judged based on their response at various excitation levels. A range of equivalent intensities can be covered in a single numerical or experimental simulation, thus significantly reducing the computational demand as compared to full nonlinear response-history analyses. The applied excitation intensity at various times has been correlated with those of the scaled ground motions. Response spectra of seven ground motions on stiff soil were used to produce intensifying acceleration functions that at each time window produce a response spectrum... 

In this paper, optimal design and assessment of the capability of Tuned Mass Dampers (TMDs) in improving the seismic behavior of Confined masonry walls, as the main element of historical buildings, has been studied. For this purpose, the design parameters of TMDs have been determined through minimization of wall response using Genetic Algorithms (GAs). To simulate the behavior of Confined masonry wall under earthquake, the triple linear shear beam model has been used. For illustration, the method has been tested on Confined masonry walls equipped with linear TMDs. To study the effects of frequency content and Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) of earthquake records on the performance of TMDs,... 

The optimal distribution of fluid viscous dampers (FVD) in controlling the seismic response of eccentric, single-storey, moment resisting concrete structures is investigated using the previously defined center of damping constant (CDC). For this purpose, a number of structural models with different one-way stiffness and strength eccentricities are considered. Extensive nonlinear time history analyses are carried out for various arrangements of FVDs. It is shown that the arrangement of FVDs for controlling the torsional behavior due to asymmetry in the concrete structures is very dependent on the intensity of the peak ground acceleration (PGA) and the extent of the structural stiffness and...