Theodore L. Karavasilis

A comparison of viscous damper placement methods for improving seismic building design

This article compares the effectiveness of five viscous damper placement techniques, two standard and three advanced, for reducing seismic performance objectives, including peak interstory drifts, absolute accelerations, and residual drifts. The techniques are evaluated statistically for two steel moment-resisting frames under varying seismic hazard levels, employing linear viscous dampers and nonlinear time history analyses. Usability of the methods is also assessed. All the placement methods meet the desired drift limit but advanced techniques achieve additional improvement in drift reduction and distribution. Performance differences between the advanced techniques are minor, making usability a significant selection factor amongst the methods.

Drift and Ductility Estimates in Regular Steel MRF Subjected to Ordinary Ground Motions: A Design-Oriented Approach

A simple procedure to estimate drift and ductility demands of regular steel frame buildings subjected to ordinary (i.e., without near fault effects) ground motions is described. Given the strength reduction (or behavior) factor, the procedure provides reliable estimates of the maximum roof displacement, the maximum interstorey drift ratio and the maximum rotation ductility along the height of the structure. The strength reduction factor refers to the point of the development of the first plastic hinge in the building and thus, pushover analysis and estimation of the overstrength factor are not required. This important feature enables both the rapid seismic assessment of existing structures and the direct deformation-controlled seismic design of new ones. The derivation of the proposed relations is based on regression analysis of the results of thousands of nonlinear time history analyses of steel frames. A comparison of the proposed method with the procedures adopted in current seismic design codes reveals the efficiency of the former.

Large-Scale Experimental Validation of Steel Posttensioned Connections with Web Hourglass Pins

A new self-centering beam-to-column connection is proposed. The connection uses posttensioned high-strength steel bars to provide self-centering capability and carefully designed energy-dissipation (ED) elements that consist of steel cylindrical pins with an hourglass shape. The proposed ED elements have superior ED and fracture capacity, and are placed between the upper and the bottom flanges of the beam such that they do not interfere with the composite slab. A simplified performance-based procedure was used to design the proposed connection. The connection performance was experimentally validated under quasi-static cyclic loading. The specimens were imposed to drift levels beyond the expected design ones to identify all possible failure modes. The experimental results show that the proposed connection eliminates residual drifts and beam damage for drifts lower than or equal to 6%. A simplified analytical procedure using plastic analysis and simple mechanics was found to accurately predict the connection behavior. Repeated tests on a connection specimen were conducted, along with replacing damaged ED elements. These tests showed that the proposed ED elements can be easily replaced without welding or bolting, and hence the proposed connection can be repaired with minimal disturbance to building use or occupation in the aftermath of a major earthquake.

Dimensional Response Analysis of Multistory Regular Steel MRF Subjected to Pulselike Earthquake Ground Motions

An alternative and efficient procedure to estimate the maximum inelastic roof displacement and the maximum inelastic interstorey drift ratio along the height of regular multi-storey steel MRF subjected to pulse-like ground motions is proposed. The method and the normalized response quantities emerge from formal dimensional analysis which makes use of the distinct time scale and length scale that characterize the most energetic component of the ground shaking. Such time and length scales emerge naturally from the distinguishable pulses which dominate a wide class of strong earthquake records and can be formally extracted with validated mathematical models published in literature. The proposed method is liberated from the maximum displacement of the elastic single-degree-of-freedom structure since the self similar master curve which results from dimensional analysis involves solely the shear strength and yield roof displacement of the inelastic multi-degree-of-freedom system in association with the duration and acceleration amplitude of the dominant pulse. The estimated inelastic response quantities are in superior agreement with the results from nonlinear time history analysis than any inelastic response estimation published previously.

Behavior Factor for Performance-Based Seismic Design of Plane Steel Moment Resisting Frames

Simplified expressions to estimate the behavior factor of plane steel moment resisting frames are proposed, based on statistical analysis of the results of thousands of nonlinear dynamic analyses. The influence on this factor of specific structural parameters, such as the number of stories, the number of bays, and the capacity design factor of a steel frame, is studied in detail. The proposed factor describes the seismic strength requirements in order to restrict maximum storey ductility to a predefined value. Interrelation studies between maximum storey ductility and the Park-Ang damage index are also provided for the damage-based interpretation of the performance levels under consideration. Realistic design examples serve to demonstrate the ability of the proposed factor to convert conventional force-based design to a direct performance-based seismic design procedure.

Seismic design, modelling and assessment of self-centering steel frames using post-tensioned connections with web hourglass shape pins

A new self-centering steel post-tensioned connection using web hourglass shape pins (WHPs) has been recently developed and experimentally validated. The connection isolates inelastic deformations in WHPs, avoids damage in other connection parts as well as in beams and columns, and eliminates residual drifts. WHPs do not interfere with the composite slab and can be very easily replaced without bolting or welding, and so, the connection enables non-disruptive repair and rapid return to building occupancy in the aftermath of a strong earthquake. This paper presents a simplified nonlinear model for the connection and the associated beams and columns that consists of nonlinear beam-column elements, and hysteretic and contact zero-length spring elements appropriately placed in the beam-column interface. The model was calibrated against experimental results and found to accurately simulate the connection behaviour. A prototype building was selected and designed as a conventional steel moment-resisting frame (MRF) according to Eurocode 8 or as a self-centering steel MRF (SC-MRF) using the connection with WHPs. Seismic analyses results show that the conventional MRF and the SC-MRF have comparable peak storey drifts, and highlight the inherent potential of the SC-MRF to eliminate damage in beams and residual drifts. The paper also shows that repair of damage in the conventional MRF will be costly and disruptive after the design basis earthquake, and, not financially viable after the maximum considered earthquake due to large residual drifts.

Design rules, experimental evaluation, and fracture models for high-strength and stainless steel hourglass shape energy dissipation devices

Steel yielding hysteretic devices provide a reliable way to increase the energy dissipation capacity of structures under seismic loading. Steel cylindrical pins with hourglass shape bending parts (called web hourglass shape pins—WHPs) have been recently used as the energy dissipation system of posttensioned connections for self-centering steel moment-resisting frames. This work evaluates the cyclic behavior of WHPs made of high-strength steel and two grades of stainless steel, i.e., austenitic grade 304 and duplex. Design rules for WHPs are established using principles of mechanics. Twenty-six tests using different cyclic loading protocols and different WHP geometries were conducted. The tests showed that the WHPs have stable hysteretic behavior and high fracture capacity. WHPs made of duplex stainless steel have the most favorable and predictable performance for seismic applications. Two micromechanics-based fracture models, i.e., the void growth model and the stress-modified critical strain model, were calibrated and their parameters are provided for high-strength steel and the two types of stainless steel. The ability of the cyclic void growth model to predict fracture in WHPs under cyclic loading is also evaluated.

Dimensional Response Analysis of Bilinear Systems Subjected to Non-pulselike Earthquake Ground Motions

The maximum inelastic response of bilinear single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems when subjected to ground motions without distinguishable pulses is revisited with dimensional analysis by identifying timescales and length scales in the time histories of recorded ground motions. The characteristic length scale is used to normalize the peak inelastic displacement of the bilinear system. The paper adopts the mean period of the Fourier transform of the ground motion as an appropriate timescale and examines two different length scales that result from the peak ground acceleration and the peak ground velocity. When the normalized peak inelastic displacement is presented as a function of the normalized strength and normalized yield displacement, the response becomes self-similar, and a clear pattern emerges. Accordingly, the paper proposes two alternative predictive master curves for the response that solely involve the strength and yield displacement of the bilinear SDOF system in association with either the peak ground acceleration or the peak ground velocity, together with the mean period of the Fourier transform of the ground motion. The regression coefficients that control the shape of the predictive master curves are based on 484 ground motions recorded at rock and stiff soil sites and are applicable to bilinear SDOF systems with a postyield stiffness ratio equal to 2% and an inherent viscous damping ratio equal to 5%.

Collapse risk and residual drift performance of steel buildings using post-tensioned MRFs and viscous dampers in near-fault regions

The potential of post-tensioned self-centering moment-resisting frames (SC-MRFs) and viscous dampers to reduce the collapse risk and improve the residual drift performance of steel buildings in near-fault regions is evaluated. For this purpose, a prototype steel building is designed using different seismic-resistant frames, i.e.: moment-resisting frames (MRFs); MRFs with viscous dampers; SC-MRFs; and SC-MRFs with viscous dampers. The frames are modeled in OpenSees where material and geometrical nonlinearities are taken into account as well as stiffness and strength deterioration. A database of 91 near-fault, pulse-like ground motions with varying pulse periods is used to conduct incremental dynamic analysis (IDA), in which each ground motion is scaled until collapse occurs. The probability of collapse and the probability of exceeding different residual story drift threshold values are calculated as a function of the ground motion intensity and the period of the velocity pulse. The results of IDA are then combined with probabilistic seismic hazard analysis models that account for near-fault directivity to assess and compare the collapse risk and the residual drift performance of the frames. The paper highlights the benefit of combining the post-tensioning and supplemental viscous damping technologies in the near-source. In particular, the SC-MRF with viscous dampers is found to achieve significant reductions in collapse risk and probability of exceedance of residual story drift threshold values compared to the MRF.

Modified capacity design rule for columns in tall steel MRFs with linear viscous dampers within the framework of Eurocode 8

Seismic design codes enforce a set of capacity design rules for steel moment-resisting frames (MRFs) to promote a ductile sway plastic mechanism that involves plastic hinges in beams and column bases. Previous research showed that these capacity design rules may not be effective for tall steel MRFs with viscous dampers under strong earthquakes due to high axial forces in columns. To address this issue, steel MRFs with linear viscous dampers of different stories are designed according to Eurocode 8 along with using a slightly modified conservative capacity design rule. According to this rule, the axial force for the capacity design of a column in the force path of viscous dampers is calculated as the envelope of the axial force from the peak drift state, and, the axial force from the peak velocity state times a scale factor. This envelope axial force value along with the bending moment and shear force from the peak drift state are used to carry out the capacity design of the column by using the formulae of Eurocode 8, i.e. in the same way with a column of a steel MRF without dampers. Incremental dynamic analyses for 44 earthquake ground motions show that the modified conservative capacity design rule results in steel MRFs with viscous dampers that have plastic mechanisms similar to those of steel MRFs without dampers. Moreover, the proposed capacity design rule becomes stricter for buildings with more than 10 stories to address that available analysis methods for structures with dampers underestimate the peak damper forces in the lower stories of yielding tall steel MRFs. More work is needed to extend the findings of this work to the case of steel MRFs with nonlinear viscous dampers.