Seismic Risk Assessment of a Novel Self-Centering Precast Concrete Frame under Near-Fault Ground Motions

Abstract

The damage to structures caused by the velocity pulse effect of near-fault earthquake waves cannot be ignored, yet there are few studies on the risk assessment of seismic performance for precast concrete frame under near-fault earthquake waves. A novel self-centering precast concrete (SCPC) frame with hysteretic dampers is proposed to obtain great self-recovering and energy consumption characteristics. To accurately assess the seismic behaviors of the novel SCPC frame under the near-fault earthquake waves, a prototype structure is modelled and elastoplastic dynamic analysis is conducted at the design basis earthquake (DBE) and the maximum considered earthquake (MCE) seismic levels. Incremental dynamic analysis and the vulnerability analysis are performed. Annual and 50-year exceeding probabilities of the novel SCPC frame are calculated afterwards. In addition, the reinforced concrete (RC)frame and the traditional SCPC frame are also modelled, whose section sizes, reinforcements arrangement and seismic intensity are consistent with the novel SCPC frame. The dynamic time-history analysis at the two seismic levels are also carried out for two types of frames. The analysis results demonstrate that the novel SCPC frame has great seismic performance and low seismic risk possibility under the near-fault earthquakes loading.

Keywords

• risk assessment
• self-centering
• hysteretic dampers
• DBE and MCE levels
• incremental dynamic analysis
• vulnerability analysis