Massimiliano Ferraioli

Assessment of Progressive Collapse Capacity of Earthquake-ResistantSteel Moment Frames Using Pushdown Analysis

The study investigates the progressive collapse resisting capacity of earthquake-resistant steel moment-resisting frames subjected to column failure. The aim is to investigate whether these structures are able to resist progressive collapse after column removal, that may represent a situation where an extreme event may cause a critical column to suddenly lose its load bearing capacity. Since the response to this abnormal loading condition is most likely to be dynamic and nonlinear, both nonlinear static and nonlinear dynamic analyses are carried out. The vertical pushover analysis (also called pushdown) is applied with two different procedures. The first one is the traditional procedure generally accepted in current guidelines that increases the load incrementally to a specified level after column has been removed. The second procedure tries to reproduce the timing of progressive collapse and, for this reason, gravity loads are applied to the undamaged structure before column removal. The load-displacement relationships obtained from pushdown analyses are compared with the results of incremental nonlinear dynamic analyses. The effect of various design variables, such as number of stories, number of bays, level of seismic design load, is investigated. The results are eventually used to evaluate the dynamic amplification factor to be applied in pushdown analysis for a more accurate estimation of the collapse

Accuracy of Advanced Methods for Nonlinear Static Analysis of Steel Moment-Resisting Frames

The reliability of advanced nonlinear static procedures to estimate deformation demands of steel moment- resisting frames under seismic loads is investigated. The advantages of refined adaptive and multimodal pushover proce- dures over conventional methods based on invariant lateral load patterns are evaluated. In particular, their computational attractiveness and capability of providing satisfactory predictions of seismic demands in comparison with those obtained by conventional force-based methods are examined. The results obtained by the static advanced methods, used in the form of different variants of the original Capacity Spectrum Method and Modal Pushover Analysis, are compared with the re- sults of nonlinear response history analysis. Both effectiveness and accuracy of these approximated methods are verified through an extensive comparative study involving both regular and irregular steel moment resisting frames subjected to different acceleration records.

Case study of seismic performance assessment of irregular RC buildings: hospital structure of Avezzano (L’Aquila, Italy)

Most published studies on inelastic earthquake response of non-symmetric buildings are based on simplified inelastic, highly idealized models, while general conclusions regarding the inelastic torsional response of multistory building are still lacking. This paper aims to provide a useful contribution in the study of the torsional response of real irregular buildings. To this aim, the manuscript reports the comprehensive study on the seismic vulnerability of an irregular RC building: the hospital building of Avezzano (L’Aquila Italy). For this multi-story building, which is irregular in both plan and elevation, the application of nonlinear static evaluation procedures is by no means straightforward. The study proposes a nonlinear static procedure based on pushover analysis under the multimodal distribution of lateral loads and a capacity spectrum method. This pushover procedure accounts for mass distribution, higher modes contribution and mode-shapes correlation. Furthermore, due to its non-iterative feature, it avoids problems of non-convergence and multiple solutions of the conventional capacity spectrum method. Applied to a real case study, the procedure is used to investigate, in a 3D plan irregular building, the sensitivity of torsional inelastic response to lateral force distribution, higher modes contribution, accidental eccentricity and controlled point for monitoring the target displacement.

Dynamic characterisation and seismic assessment of medieval masonry towers

The paper investigates the dynamic characterisation, the numerical model tuning and the seismic risk assessment of two monumental masonry towers located in Italy: the Capua Cathedral bell tower and the Aversa Cathedral bell tower. Full-scale ambient vibration tests under environmental loads are performed. The modal identification is carried out using techniques of modal extraction in the frequency domain. The refined 3D finite element model (FEM) is calibrated using the in situ investigation survey. The FEM tuning is carried out by varying the mechanical parameters and accounting for the restraint offered by the neighbouring buildings and the role of soil–structure interaction. The assessment of the seismic performance of the bell towers is carried out through a nonlinear static procedure based on the multi-modal pushover analysis and the capacity spectrum method. Through the discussion of the case studies, the paper shows that the modal identification is a reliable technique that can be used in situ for assessing the dynamic behaviour of monumental buildings. By utilising the tuned FEM of the towers, the theoretical fundamental frequencies are determined, which coincide with the previously determined experimental frequencies. The results from seismic performance assessment through a pushover analysis confirm that the masonry towers in this study are particularly vulnerable to strong damage even when subjected to seismic events of moderate intensity.

Base Isolation for Seismic Retrofitting of a Multiple Building Structure: Evaluation of Equivalent Linearization Method

Although the most commonly used isolation systems exhibit nonlinear inelastic behaviour, the equivalent linear elastic analysis is commonly used in the design and assessment of seismic-isolated structures. The paper investigates if the linear elastic model is suitable for the analysis of a seismically isolated multiple building structure. To this aim, its computed responses were compared with those calculated by nonlinear dynamic analysis. A common base isolation plane connects the isolation bearings supporting the adjacent structures. In this situation, the conventional equivalent linear elastic analysis may have some problems of accuracy because this method is calibrated on single base-isolated structures. Moreover, the torsional characteristics of the combined system are significantly different from those of separate isolated buildings. A number of numerical simulations and parametric studies under earthquake excitations were performed. The accuracy of the dynamic response obtained by the equivalent linear elastic model was calculated by the magnitude of the error with respect to the corresponding response considering the nonlinear behaviour of the isolation system. The maximum displacements at the isolation level, the maximum interstorey drifts, and the peak absolute acceleration were selected as the most important response measures. The influence of mass eccentricity, torsion, and high-modes effects was finally investigated.

Base Isolation for Seismic Retrofitting of a Multiple Building Structure: Design, Construction, and Assessment

The paper deals with the seismic retrofit of a multiple building structure belonging to the Hospital Centre of Avellino (Italy). At first, the paper presents the preliminary investigations, the in situ measurements and laboratory tests, and the seismic assessment of the existing fixed-base structures. Having studied different strategies, base isolation proved to be the more appropriate, also for the possibility offered by the geometry of the building to easily create an isolation interface at the ground level. The paper presents the design project, the construction process, and the details of the isolation intervention. Some specific issues of base isolation for seismic retrofitting of multiple building structures were lightened. Finally, the seismic assessment of the base-isolated building was carried out. The seismic response was evaluated through nonlinear time-history analysis, using the well-known Bouc-Wen model as the constitutive law of the isolation bearings. For reliable dynamic analyses, a suite of natural accelerograms compatible with acceleration spectra of Italian Code was first selected and then applied along both horizontal directions. The results were finally used to address some of the critical issues of the seismic response of the base-isolated multiple building structure: accidental torsional effects and potential poundings during strong earthquakes.

Base Isolation Seismic Retrofit of a Hospital Building in Italy

The paper deals on a significant retrofit project currently under construction of an existing hospital building in Avellino (Italy). The seismic retrofit was realized by connecting together the first floors of the three existing structures and by creating a unique isolation system composed of high damping rubber bearings and sliding devices. The base isolation is achieved by gradually cutting the building from foundation and installing the isolators at the level of upper edge of the columns. The study allows the verification of the adequacy of the isolation system, showing the benefits of the application of the isolation devices, the limitations and the characteristics of their performance.

Multi-Mode Pushover Procedure to Estimate Higher Modes Effects on Seismic Inelastic Response of Steel Moment-Resisting Frames

The paper deals with a multi-mode pushover procedure that considers higher mode effects, frequency content of response spectra as well as nonlinear interaction between modes. Pushover analyses are conducted with story-specific generalized force vectors. Each force vector is calculated through modal analysis and builds up the instantaneous distribution of forces acting on the structure when the interstory drift at each story attains its maximum value during the seismic motion. In order to improve the computational cost effectiveness, both mode truncation and limitation in the number of generalized pushovers are used by checking, however, the accuracy in the evaluation of the interstory drifts at all levels. The target interstory drift is calculated through three different modal combination procedures.

Seismic and Robustness Design of Steel Frame Buildings

In this paper, a design procedure that combines both progressive collapse design under column removal scenario and capacity design to produce a hierarchy of design strengths is presented. The procedure develops in the context of the European Standards, using the classification of European steel sections and considering the seismic design features. Three-dimensional models of typical multi-storey steel frame buildings are employed in numerical analysis. The design for progressive collapse is carried out with three types of analysis, namely linear static, nonlinear static and nonlinear dynamic. Since the behaviour following sudden column loss is likely to be inelastic and possibly implicate catenary effects, both geometric and material nonlinearities are considered. The influence of the fundamental parameters involved in seismic and robustness design is finally investigated.

Metal Shear Panels for Seismic Upgrading of RC Buildings: A Case Study

In order to prove the possibility to adopt effectively metal shear panels for practical applications and to define specific design methodology, a case study, related to the retrofitting of the hospital building of Scafati in Campania, is presented in this paper. Based on the results of previous full-scale tests on a real r.c. frame reinforced with pure aluminium shear panels, a design procedure has been implemented in order to define the optimal configuration of shear panels to be applied to improve the seismic performance of the building under consideration. Then, a parametrical study by means of dynamic analyses under different historical records has been developed taking into account different hypotheses of modeling for the RC structure. The obtained results allows to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed system, which is able to increase significantly the seismic performance of existing structure. In addition, the outcomes of the study provide interesting indications for design applications.