Significant differences exist in the performance of various architectural glass types subjected to simulated earthquake conditions. Controlled laboratory studies were conducted to investigate the cracking resistance and fallout resistance of different types of architectural glass installed in the same storefront and mid-rise wall systems. Quantitative data obtained from these studies are summar...

Presented here is an analysis of the effects of soil-foundation-structure interaction (SFSI) on seismic response of highway bridges. Of particular importance is the issue of input motions, their scaling and application to the SFS models. The analysis presented in this paper addresses the influence of inelastic behavior of both the soil and the structural components during seismic response evalu...

A structural monitoring system has been developed for use on high value engineering structures, which is particularly suitable for use in remote locations where rare events such as accidental impacts, seismic activity or terrorist attack might otherwise go

Bridges are potentially one of the most seismically vulnerable structures in the highway system during earthquake events. It is known that the seismic performance of transportation systems plays a key role in the post-earthquake emergency management. Hence, it is necessary to evaluate both physical and functional aspects of bridge structures. The physical aspects of the seismic performance...

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...

fragility curves represent the probabilities that structural damages, under various levels of seismic excitation, will exceed the specified damage states by means of earthquake intensity damage relations. conceptual aspects related to seismic vulnerability, damage and risk evaluation are discussed first, together with a short review of the most widely used possibilities for the seismic evaluati...

Monitoring structural response induced by seismic waves is an efficient way to mitigate the damage of earthquakes. For example, the measured signal can be used to activate an alarm system in order to evacuate people from an endangered building, or to drive a control system to suppress earthquake-excited vibrations so as to protect the integrity of the structure, or to assess post-seismic damage...

A base-isolation system was developed for earthquake protection of low-rise structures. The system incorporates spherical supports for the base, a specially designed spring-cam system to keep the base supported under normal conditions, and moves for the duration of the earthquake under the constraint of a spring with optimized stiffness characteristics. The dynamic behaviour of a three-story co...

An accurate evaluation of the structural performance of reinforced concrete structural systems under seismic loading requires a probabilistic approach due to uncertainties in structural properties and the ground motion (referred to as basic uncertainties). The objective of this study is to identify and rank significant sources of basic uncertainties and structural components with respect to the...