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Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures

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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Structures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 12319

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Qin Zhang

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Guest Editor

College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China
Interests: seismic damage mechanism; durability of concrete structures; performance improvement of concrete structures; fiber-reinforced composite materials; corrosion mechanism; reliability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Weiqing Zhu

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Guest Editor

School of Highway, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China
Interests: engineering structure performance evaluation; computing in civil engineering and earthquake engineering; strengthening and retrofitting of structures; reinforced and prestressed concrete structure; smart and advanced materials

Dr. Yantai Zhang

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Guest Editor

College of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Interests: earthquake engineering; urban resilience; fragility analysis; performance-based design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Xiangyong Ni

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Guest Editor

Department of Structural Engineering and Disaster, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Interests: RC shear walls; seismic performance; application research of high-performance building materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Earthquakes are one of the most destructive natural disasters and can cause large-scale loss of life and property. The buildings in regions with high seismic activity require careful design as they are more susceptible to earthquakes. The performance-based seismic design could effectively control the seismic performance of structures during earthquakes and could limit the damage and loss of the structures. Therefore, great attention has been paid to studying the seismic performance of building structures. The main aim of this Special Issue is to expound some key problems regarding the main theories, research contents and differences in current performance-based seismic design.

We welcome contributions that advance the state of the art of the addressed topics, including but not limited to the following fields:

Seismic assessment of building structures;
Computing in earthquake engineering;
Methods of seismic analysis;
Seismic risk analysis;
Engineering structure performance evaluation;
Strengthening and retrofitting of structures;
Experimental studies;
Analysis of case studies.

Dr. Qin Zhang
Dr. Weiqing Zhu
Dr. Yantai Zhang
Dr. Xiangyong Ni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

earthquake engineering
seismic performance
seismic design
strengthening
retrofitting
computing

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Related Special Issue

Seismic Safety Assessment and Strengthening of Existing Constructions in Buildings (14 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 6080 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seismic Fragility Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Simply Supported Girder Bridges Resting on Double-Column Piers for High Speed Railway

by Yongzheng Zhou, Ce Gao, Sibo Yang, Wei Guo and Liqiang Jiang

Buildings 2024, 14(10), 3072; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14103072 - 26 Sep 2024

Viewed by 773

Abstract

This study investigates the probabilistic seismic damage characteristics of a five-span RC simply supported girder bridge with double-column piers designed for a high-speed railway (HSR). The objective is to assess the bridge’s fragility by developing a refined nonlinear numerical model using the OpenSEES (Version 3.3.0) platform. Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) was conducted with peak ground accelerations (PGA) ranging from 0.05 g to 0.5 g, and fragility curves for pier columns, tie beams, and bearings were developed. Additionally, a series–parallel relationship and a hierarchically iterated pair copula model were established to evaluate system fragility. The results indicate that as PGA increases, the damage probability of all bridge components rises, with bearings being the most vulnerable, followed by pier columns, and tie beams exhibiting the least damage. The models accurately simulate the correlations between members and system fragility, offering valuable insights into the bridge’s performance under seismic conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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19 pages, 25464 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Seismic Performance of Steel Frame Installed New-Type Lightweight Concrete Composite Exterior Wallboard

by Xiuli Wang, Hao Sun, Yongqi Hou and Yongqi Li

Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2224; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072224 - 19 Jul 2024

Viewed by 775

Abstract

Given the widespread use of lightweight composite wall panels in building structures, it is crucial to comprehend their seismic performance. This paper proposes a new lightweight concrete composite exterior wallboard (LCEW) featuring truss-type thermal barrier connectors (TBCs). Through the proposed static test, the damage morphology and hysteresis curve of the specimen are obtained; the hysteresis characteristics, skeleton curve, stiffness degradation, etc., are investigated; and the damage modes are summarized. The results demonstrate that the steel frame structure can effectively adapt to the use of LCEW, resulting in an approximately 20% increase in the frame structure’s bearing capacity. Second, the wall panels with a uniform transverse arrangement of TBCs could not perform as well, as they could only delay the crack opening. To give full play to its effect, it should be combined with the direction of the main tensile zone of the wall panels. Meanwhile, the sliding gusset connections effectively released the frame action at the system level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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25 pages, 10596 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Bidirectional Hysteretic Dampers on the Seismic Performance of Skewed Multi-Span Highway Bridges

by Sofía Aldea, Ramiro Bazáez, Pablo Heresi and Rodrigo Astroza

Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1778; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061778 - 13 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1054

Abstract

Bridges are one of the most critical and costly structures on road networks. Thus, their integrity and operation must be preserved to prevent safety concerns and connectivity losses after seismic events. Recent large-magnitude earthquakes have revealed a series of vulnerabilities in multi-span highway bridges. In particular, skewed bridges have been severely damaged due to their susceptibility to developing excessive in-plane deck rotations and span unseating. Although seismic design codes have been updated to prescribe larger seating lengths and have incorporated unseating prevention devices, such as shear keys and cable restrainers, research on the seismic performance of skewed bridges with passive energy-dissipation devices is still limited. Therefore, this study focuses on assessing the effectiveness of implementing hysteretic dampers on skewed bridges. With that aim, dampers with and without recentering capabilities are designed and incorporated in representative Chilean skewed bridges to assess their contribution to seismic performance. Three-dimensional nonlinear finite element models, multiple-stripe analysis, and fragility curves are utilized to achieve this objective. The results show that incorporating bidirectional dampers can effectively improve the seismic performance of skewed bridges at different hazard levels by limiting in-plane deck rotations independently of their skew angle. Additionally, the influence of external shear keys and damper hysteretic behavior is analyzed, showing that these parameters have a low influence on bridge performance when bidirectional dampers are incorporated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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21 pages, 7857 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seismic Response Analysis and Damage Calculation of Long-Span Structures with a Novel Three-Dimensional Isolation System

by Zhenyuan Gu, Xiaolong Wu, Lu Feng, Ying Sun, Zhijun Cheng, Wangping Qian and Hai Gong

Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1715; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061715 - 7 Jun 2024

Viewed by 865

Abstract

A novel three-dimensional isolation system consisting of thick rubber bearing (TNRB), disc spring bearing (DSB), and laminated rubber bearing (LRB) in series combination was designed, and its composition, principle, and isolation effect were comprehensively analyzed. By combining numerical examples, the whole structure method is used to compare and analyze the dynamic characteristics, dynamic response, and structural damage of large-span isolation structures containing new three-dimensional systems, large-span horizontal isolation structures based on LRB, and corresponding non-isolation structures under multi-dimensional seismic excitation. The results show that compared with the horizontal isolation structure based on LRB, the structure of the new three-dimensional isolation system has a 33% longer vertical natural vibration period, a 17.85% attenuation in the overall damage index, and a 36.86% increase in vertical energy dissipation capacity. It can achieve good isolation effects in both horizontal and vertical directions, which can form a favorable complement to the horizontal isolation structure based on LRB in terms of vertical isolation and energy dissipation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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19 pages, 5611 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Simulation on Aftershock Fragility of Low-Ductility RC Frames under Different Mainshock-Induced Damage Conditions

by Bomin Qiu, Jianping Han and Jun Li

Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1519; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061519 - 24 May 2024

Viewed by 794

Abstract

Aftershocks typically occur multiple times following major earthquakes, potentially inflicting enhanced damage. It is crucial to quantify the impact of aftershocks on the seismic performance of low-ductility reinforced concrete (RC) frames with different mainshock-induced damage states. For this purpose, this study investigated the aftershock fragility of low-ductility RC frames with different damage states induced by mainshocks via the case study of a six-story RC frame without a seismic design. The models of the low-ductility RC frames with different damage states were established via OpenSees software 2.5.0. Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) was carried out to establish damage states induced by a mainshock. Then sixty-five real aftershocks were inputted to analyze the structures with different main-induced damage states. Aftershock fragility curves of low-ductility RC frame structures with different damage states were obtained. The results show that the exceedance probability of the low-ductility RC frame with mainshock-induced damage is higher than that of the intact low-ductility structure, corresponding to each limit state. The severity of the mainshock-induced damage directly amplifies the demand for a low-ductility RC frame in the subsequent aftershocks. As the mainshock-induced damage increases, the exceedance probability of the low-ductility RC frame undergoing more severe damage under aftershocks significantly increases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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26 pages, 7148 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seismic Performance of Full-Scale Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Panel-Assembled Walls: Experimental Study and Numerical Modeling

by Xiaowei Li, Dongwen Ma, Qidi Zhang, Zhaoqiang Zhang, Han Bao and Yong Yao

Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1333; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051333 - 8 May 2024

Viewed by 904

Abstract

Prefabricated panel-assembled wall systems, comprising a confining frame and infill lightweight panels of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), are widely employed in framed structures. Different from studies on a main frame with infill walls, this study aimed to explore the seismic performance of partition walls, which were fabricated with AAC panel-assembled walls and located outside of the main frames. Two full-scale specimens, one with a door opening and the other without, were constructed and cyclic loading tests were executed to examine the failure modes, hysteresis characteristics, envelope curves, ductility, strength and stiffness degradation, as well as energy dissipation capacity of the AAC panel-assembled walls. Additionally, a restoring-force model for the panel-assembled walls was developed and a method for predicting the lateral load-bearing capacity of the AAC panel-assembled walls was proposed. The findings indicated that the panels enhanced the system’s lateral resistance, energy dissipation capacity, and deformation capability. The door frame increased the initial stiffness, peak lateral load and energy dissipation capacity of the AAC panel-assembled wall compared to the wall without a door frame. Compared to the specimen without a door frame, the peak lateral load of the specimen with a door frame increased by 19.7–30.1%. The deformation capacity of the panel-assembled walls aligned with the requirements for concrete framed structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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17 pages, 4509 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Three-Dimensional Seismic Damage Assessment Method for RC Structures Based on Multi-Mode Damage Model

by Xiang Guo, Shuo Liu, Xiang Wang, Fujian Yang and Yantai Zhang

Buildings 2024, 14(3), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030739 - 9 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1109

Abstract

To rationally evaluate the seismic damage of RC structures comprehensively and multi-dimensionally, a damage index calculation method is proposed. This is a macroscopic global seismic damage model that considers torsional damage, damage in two perpendicular horizontal directions, as well as the overall damage, based on the modal characteristics of the three-dimensional structure and the multi-mode damage model. Formulas are derived, and the steps for damage evaluation are summarized. To better illustrate the results of the proposed method, an example of an asymmetric 6-story frame-shear wall structure is built using the OpenSees program. Thirteen ground motions are selected for incremental dynamic analysis. The structure’s damage indexes are evaluated according to the proposed method and compared with the corresponding structural responses, He et al.’s index, and the Final Softening index. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can fully reflect the macroscopic damage state of the structure from different perspectives. Additionally, the results show that, despite the ground motion only acting in the y-direction, the structure exhibits responses and damage in both the x-direction and the torsional direction. The overall damage to the structure is primarily controlled by the torsional damage, attributed to the asymmetric arrangement of shear walls. The torsional effect is the key factor leading to the failure of asymmetric structures during earthquakes. Therefore, ensuring the torsional strength of the structure is crucial during the structural design process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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17 pages, 15154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hysteretic Behavior of Full-Scale Precast U-Shaped Composite Beam–Column Connections with Large-Diameter Reinforcements under High Axial Compression

by Weichen Xue, Jie Lei, Bin Zhang and Qian Huang

Buildings 2024, 14(2), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14020317 - 23 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1135

Abstract

This study introduces precast concrete beam–column connections comprised of composite beams, precast columns, and a monolithic joint core. The composite beams consist of U-shaped beams and floor slabs, leveraging the U-shaped beams for their lightweight nature, acceptable stiffness, and reduced demand for on-site support systems. To mitigate reinforcement congestion in the joint core, the precast connections incorporate large-diameter rebars (greater than 25 mm). This study conducted cyclic loading tests on four full-scale beam–column connections under 0.3 normalized compression, encompassing precast interior and exterior connections, along with two monolithic reference specimens, to investigate their behavior under seismic actions. The results revealed that all specimens exhibited bending failure at the beam ends, with minimal concrete deterioration observed in the joint core areas and columns. The hysteresis curves of the precast specimens and the monolithic connections exhibited a slight pinching effect. The strengths of the interior and exterior precast specimens were 13.3% and 7.8% lower than those of the reference monolithic connections, respectively. The ductility of interior precast connections and monolithic specimens stood at 2.36 and 2.23, respectively, indicating a negligible difference of less than 5%. Meanwhile, the positive and negative ductility of exterior precast connections were 3.06 and 2.34, which was approximately 8% lower than that of the reference connections. Furthermore, the stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity of the precast specimens aligned closely with the performance of the reference monolithic ones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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17 pages, 4940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parametric Investigation of Self-Centering Prestressed Concrete Frame Structures with Variable Friction Dampers

by Linjie Huang, Zhendong Qian, Yuan Meng, Kaixi Jiang, Jingru Zhang and Chenxu Sang

Buildings 2023, 13(12), 3029; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13123029 - 5 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1198

Abstract

To enhance the structural stiffness and energy-dissipating capacity after the decompression of beam-to-column connections for self-centering prestressed concrete (SCPC) frames, this study presents the seismic performance of a new type of SCPC frame with variable friction dampers (VFDs). The structure is characterized by a third stiffness and a variable energy-dissipating capacity. A 5-story and an 8-story VFD-SCPC frame were selected as the analytical cases, and their numerical models were built based on OpenSees 3.3.0 finite-element software. Sixteen ground-motion records were selected as excitations for the analyses, and the influence of the second stiffness and the third stiffness for the VFD-SCPC connections, as well as the second activation for VFD, on the seismic performance of the structures, was studied. The results showed that increasing the stiffness (number) of prestressed strands and their distance to the center of the beam section can obviously increase the second stiffness of the structures, thus decreasing their displacement, while the distribution mode of inter-story drift along the building’s height cannot be changed. Increasing the third stiffness of the connections (the angle of slope sliding parts and the stiffness for the combination of disc springs) can effectively reduce the deformation of the structures under MCE (maximum-considered earthquakes) seismic levels and improve the energy-dissipation capacity of structures significantly. The premature secondary activation of VFD can enhance the loading capacity and energy-dissipation capacity of structures under both DBE (design-basis earthquakes) and MCE seismic levels, and reduce the inter-story drift of structures effectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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16 pages, 5425 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing and Applying a Double Triangular Damping Device with Equivalent Negative Stiffness for Base-Isolated Buildings

by Tianwei Sun, Lingyun Peng, Xiaojun Li and Yaxi Guan

Buildings 2023, 13(12), 3008; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13123008 - 1 Dec 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1104

Abstract

A passive double triangular damping (DTD) device with equivalent negative stiffness is proposed in this study. The DTD device consists of transmission systems and triangular damping systems. A mechanical model was developed to describe the force–displacement relationship of a triangular damping system, while the feasibility of both the system and model was evaluated using experimental tests. The theoretical analysis demonstrated that DTD was a form of damping with equivalent negative stiffness, and the equivalent expressions were generated. Finally, the prospect of application in the DTD-controlled isolation system was explored using numerical simulation. The results revealed that DTD was more effective than a lead–rubber bearing in reducing isolator displacement and rooftop acceleration when subjected to ground motions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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15 pages, 4609 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimum Arrangement of TADAS Dampers for Seismic Drift Control of Buildings Using Accelerated Iterative Methods

by Zongjing Li, Junle Wang, Chen Li and Jing Cao

Buildings 2023, 13(11), 2720; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112720 - 28 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1225

Abstract

Triangular added-damping-and-stiffness (TADAS) dampers are reliable passive control devices for earthquake-excited buildings. The arrangement of TADAS dampers in buildings is essentially the allocation of triangular energy dissipation plates (TEDPs) among different stories, which directly influence the passive control effect and the construction cost. This paper proposes four iterated methods to achieve the optimum arrangement of TADAS dampers for seismic drift control of buildings, including the regular iterative method (RIM), the accelerated iterative method (AIM), and two modified accelerated iterative methods (MAIM-I and MAIM-II). Typical high-rise and low-rise buildings are used as application examples to evaluate their performance. Results of the study indicate that the two modified accelerated iterative methods are the most cost-efficient methods for achieving the optimum arrangement of TADAS dampers. This may be attributed to their two-stage implementation mechanism, which combines the set-by-set strategy and the one-by-one strategy in a reasonable way. Additionally, the modified accelerated iterative methods can be especially advantageous for high-rise buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Study on Seismic Performance of Building Structures)

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