Two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic surveys were conducted across the Oquirrh fault, Utah with the purpose of imaging the fault structure to a depth of about 15 m. Results show that the 3-D tomogram clearly delineates the fault zone and a colluvial wedge, both of which correlate extremely well with the geologic cross-section interpreted from an adjacent trench. The thickness of the co...

PARTIAL-MOMENT-CONNECTION TO THE DECK IN MARINE OIL TERMINALS By Rakesh K. Goel, F.ASCE ABSTRACT This paper presents development of a simplified procedure for seismic evaluation of piles with partial-moment-connection typically used in marine oil terminals. The current seismic evaluation procedure of the piles in marine oil terminals includes monitoring material strains specified in the Marine ...

A rupture model with varying rupture front expansion velocity for the March 11, 2011, Tohoku-Oki earthquake was obtained by the joint inversion of high-rate Global Positioning System (GPS) data and ocean bottom GPS/acoustic (OB-GPS) data. The inverted rupture velocity with a complex distribution gradually increases near the hypocenter and shows rapid rupture expansion at the shallowest part of ...

setback in elevation of a structure is a special irregularity with considerable effect on its seismic performance. this paper addresses multistory reinforced concrete (rc) frame buildings, regular and irregular in elevation. several multistory reinforced concrete moment resisting frames (rcmrfs) with different types of setbacks, as well as the regular frames in elevation, are designed according...

This paper reports the findings of research examining the blast resistance of bridge piers that are designed in accordance with current knowledge and specifications to ensure ductile seismic performance. Blast testing was conducted on 1/4 scale ductile RC columns, and nonductile RC columns retrofitted with steel jacketing. The seismically designed RC and steel jacketed RC columns did not exhibi...

Current seismic design philosophy is based on dissipative structural response, which implicitly accepts damage to the main structure and significant economic losses. Repair of the structure is often impeded by the permanent (residual) drifts of the structure. The proposed research aims at reducing the repair costs and downtime of a structure hit by an earthquake, and consequently more rational ...

Depending on the tectonic activities, most buildings subject to multiple earthquakes, while a single design earthquake is suggested in most seismic design codes. Perhaps, the lack of easy assessment to second shock information and sometimes use of inappropriate methods in estimating these features cause successive earthquakes mainly were ignored in the analysis procedure. In order to overcome t...

This study investigates the sensitivity of design variables such as ultimate strength of concrete, yield stress of reinforcing steel and damping ratio to the seismic response of staggered wall structures. Two different methods for sensitivity analysis, the tornado diagram method and the first-order second-moment method, are applied to two types of model structures. Non-linear dynamic analyses a...

We analyzed four pairs of a large (Mw "'6) and a small (Mw "' 3.5 to 4) shallow strike-slip earthquakes to investigate the scale-dependence. of the seismic energy-tomoment ratio, an important macroscopic parameter which reflects the basic physical process of seismic slip. These earthquakes occurred in the south-western part of Japan, and high-quality close-in records (epicentral distance< 50 km...

The design and behavior of a ductile structural system called a knee-braced moment frame are presented in this paper. The design of this structural system is based on a capacity-design concept that results in ductile behavior. The knee part is a fuse-like component that dissipates energy by the formation of plastic flexural and/or shear hinges at its ends and mid-span, when the building is subj...