Assessing Seismic Performance of Gantry Crane Subjected to Near-Field Ground Motions Using Incremental Dynamic and Endurance Time Analysis Methods

Abstract

Assessing the seismic performance of the gantry crane is significant since the structure is more vulnerable to earthquakes with the increase in size and lifting weight capacity. This paper aims to investigate the seismic response of the gantry crane incorporating near-field ground motions using incremental dynamic and endurance time analysis (IDA and ETA) methods. To model the structure accurately, a nonlinear finite element model of the gantry crane considering the viscoelastic effect is developed in the OpenSees platform. Then, the IDA method is also carried out for a comparison with the ETA method. The results of the two methods are consistent with a correlation of 93.9% while the computational demand of the ETA method is much less than those of the IDA method. To study further, both the seismic incident angle and the application of viscous dampers using the Maxwell model are analyzed and discussed in detail. The results show that seismic incident angle has a distinct influence on the maximum seismic displacement and viscous dampers can significantly reduce the seismic demand of the gantry crane. These findings support the seismic design of gantry cranes and evaluate the structural seismic performance efficiently.