Dehydration of subducting lithosphere likely transports fluid into the mantle wedge where the viscosity is decreased. Such a decrease in viscosity could form a low viscosity wedge (LVW) or a low viscosity channel (LVC) on top of the subducting slab. Using numerical models, we investigate the influence of low viscosity wedges and channels on subduction zone structure. Slab dip changes substantia...

The effects of complex slab geometries on the surrounding mantle flow field are still poorly understood. Here we combine shear wave velocity structure with Rayleigh wave phase anisotropy to examine these effects in southern Peru, where the slab changes its geometry from steep to flat. To the south, where the slab subducts steeply, we find trench-parallel anisotropy beneath the active volcanic a...

this paper presents a cuckoo optimization algorithm (coa) model for the cost optimization of the one-way and two-way reinforced concrete (rc) slabs according to aci code. the objective function is the total cost of the slabs including the cost of the concrete and that of the reinforcing steel. in this paper, one-way and two-way slabs with various end conditions are formulated as aci code. the t...

S U M M A R Y Rapid changes in slab geometry are typically associated with fragmentation of the subducted plate; however, continuous curvature of the slab is also possible. The transition from flat to normal subduction in southern Peru is one such geometrical change. The morphology of the subducted Nazca Plate along this transition is explored using intraslab earthquakes recorded by temporary r...

Using an inverse mantle convection model that assimilates seismic structure and plate motions, we reconstruct Farallon plate subduction back to 100 million years ago. Models consistent with stratigraphy constrain the depth dependence of mantle viscosity and buoyancy, requiring that the Farallon slab was flat lying in the Late Cretaceous, consistent with geological reconstructions. The simulatio...

Flat slab subduction has been attributed to various causes including mantle wedge dynamics, overriding by the upper plate, age of the subducting plate, and subduction of anomalously thick oceanic crust. One often favored explanation for flat slabs is the subduction of buoyant features on the oceanic plate in the form of an aseismic-ridge or oceanic plateau. We show through plate tectonic recons...

Flat slab concrete buildings are widely found in infrastructure such as office and residential buildings or industrial facilities. The susceptibility of progressive collapse of such structures due to accidental loads is highly dependent on the structural performance of the slab-column connections. This paper presents a framework for a simplified reliability analysis and derivation of safety fac...