Shake table testing of a rocking podium: Results of a blind prediction contest

This study focuses on structural systems, which are particularly attractive for bridge design. Specifically, it investigates the seismic performance of single-column bridges, which are either conventionally designed, with the column monolithically connected with the ground (i.e. fixed-base), or designed with the column-footing system able to uplift and exhibit planar rocking motion during an earthquake. Although various researchers have studied the examined structures in terms of their seismic fragility, their seismic losses, post-earthquake functionality and resilience have received less attention. This paper redirects our attention to the main benefits of rocking design over the conventional (fixed-base) design in the aftermath of severe seismic hazard scenarios. The analysis reveals the considerably mitigated (short-term and long-term) seismic losses of the rocking structure compared to the pertinent losses of the fixed-base structure. In addition, the results show the remarkable functionality and resilience of the rocking structure after all the examined seismic hazard scenarios. Importantly, this work unveils that the post-earthquake financial benefits of the rocking structure can be further increased when the structure is carefully designed. In particular, even a small modification of its slenderness can lead to a substantial enhancement of its post-earthquake performance. The above findings illustrate the potential of the rocking structural system as an alternative seismic design paradigm for bridges and serve as the basis for a more rational and holistic seismic assessment framework of single-column rocking bridges.

Seismic loss and resilience assessment of single-column rocking bridges

Seismic damage assessment of unanchored nonstructural components taking into account the building response

The seismic performance of unanchored slender contents at various floor levels within a building has received little attention in the literature, despite earthquake reconnaissance reports r...

Rocking Response of Unanchored Building Contents Considering Horizontal and Vertical Excitation

/pdf/displacement-based-analysis-and-design-of-rocking-structures-4xsz0ni6yu.pdf

Displacement‐based analysis and design of rocking structures

Experimental assessment of the seismic performance of hospital cabinets using shake table testing

Towards a reliable seismic assessment of rocking components

The seismic response of freestanding elements is typically extremely critical, and this is associated with a high seismic risk in the case of museum objects and artefacts. This paper reports the preliminary results of an experimental testing campaign aimed at assessing the dynamic properties and the seismic performance of museum objects and artefacts. Shake table tests of a typical museum display case containing a representative art object (vase) are performed. Both dynamic properties and seismic behavior of the specimens were assessed. Tentative damage assessment correlations are developed. The study sheds light on the critical behavior of the tested specimens, stressing the need for further studies towards a more comprehensive assessment of freestanding museum objects and artefacts.

/pdf/preliminary-results-of-shake-table-tests-of-a-typical-museum-roxq8z9x.pdf

Preliminary Results of Shake Table Tests of a Typical Museum Display Case Containing an Art Object

The damaging micromechanisms in a pearlitic (EN-GJS700-2) Ductile Cast Iron (DCI) are investigated by means of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis and Acoustic Emission (AE) testing. Monotonic uniaxial tensile tests are performed on microtensile specimens under strain control. SEM analysis is applied under in-situ conditions by means of a tensile holder. The multiple damaging micromechanisms are identified, and their evolution along with the mechanical response is characterised. The traditional AE features are found to be qualitatively correlated to the onset of the fracture damage over the elastic behaviour. The Information Entropy of the AEs evaluated according to both Shannon and Kullback-Leibler formulations is proven to be well correlated to the ongoing damage, and the incipient failure. Tentative failure criteria are finally proposed. The assessment approach is found to be promising for structural health monitoring purposes.

/pdf/characterisation-of-the-damaging-micromechanisms-in-a-zexeczru4j.pdf

Danilo D'Angela

Papers

Experimental assessment of the seismic performance of hospital cabinets using shake table testing

Seismic damage assessment of unanchored nonstructural components taking into account the building response

Towards a reliable seismic assessment of rocking components

Preliminary Results of Shake Table Tests of a Typical Museum Display Case Containing an Art Object

Characterisation of the damaging micromechanisms in a pearlitic ductile cast iron and damage assessment by acoustic emission testing