75460 - Structural Diagnostics and Seismic Assessment M

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will know advanced concepts and tools for structural diagnosis, experimental testing and seismic assessment, with special attention for non-destructive techniques and in-situ structural assessment. In particular, at the end of the course they will able to assess historic structures, identify typical damage and conduct visual inspections, in situ investigation, non-destructive and slightly destructive techniques. In addition, they will be able to analyze the seismic behavior of structures in order to assess their vulnerability.

Course contents

MODULUS ON SEISMIC ASSESSMENT 

1. ENGINEERING SEISMOLOGY

a. Tectonics, faults, faulting mechanisms, earthquake recurrence, elastic rebound theory, magnitude measures, earthquake energy.

b. Accelerograms: recording, properties, basic intensity measures. Soil and topographic effects.

2. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS OF SDOF SYSTEMS

a. Un-damped free vibrations;

b. Damped free vibrations;

c. Forced vibrations;

d. Response to a base acceleration: Duhamel integral and time-stepping procedures (Newmark method etc.).

e. Elastoplastic SDOF systems.

3. RESPONSE SPECTRA

a. Acceleration, displacement, velocity, pseudo-acceleration and pseudo-velocity response spectra;

b. Ductility and constant ductility spectra .

4. SEISMIC HAZARD

a. Source models;

b. Recurrence relationships;

c. Attenuation relationships;

d. Deterministic seismic hazard analysis;

e. Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis;

f. Uniform hazard spectra.

5. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS OF MDOF STRUCTURES

a. Mass, stiffness and damping matrixes;

b. Modal analysis of 2D structures;

c. Free vibration;

d. Response to ground acceleration;

e. Maximum response analysis (response spectrum analysis).

f. Damping models;

g. Modal combination rules: SRSS, CQC;

h. Analysis of 3D structures. Effects of regularity.

6. SEISMIC DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS

a. Performance based design: Definition of limit states and performance levels.

b. Design response spectra: behaviour factor;

c. Linear analysis methods;

d. Definition of masses and combination of seismic effects with the effects of other loads;

e. Capacity design fundamentals.

7. SEISMIC DESIGN OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES

a. Ductility classes;

b. Capacity design of frame structures;

c. Interaction between walls and frames;

d. Design of ductile walls.

9. NONLINEAR ANALYSIS

a. Nonlinear beam-column models;

b. Nonlinear static analysis;

c. Nonlinear dynamic analysis;

10. SEISMIC VULNERABILITY OF EXISTING STRUCTURES

a. Analysis methods

b. Seismic vulnerability analysis of RC structures

c. Seismic vulnerability analysis of masonry structures

MODULUS ON STRUCTURAL DIAGNOSTICS (3 CFU)

Experimental techniques for (masonry) structures health assessment and determination of material properties: 1) in situ destructive, non-destructive, semi-destructive testing with preference to image diagnostic techniques; 2) laboratory testing from site sampling.

 

1) in situ unit strength using rebound hardness; shear strength using hydraulic jack or/and flat-jacks; bond strength of unit using bond wrench; mortar compressive strength using penetrometer; in situ strength by pull-out; modulus of eleasticity by using sonics; masonry compressive strength using single flat-jacks; deformability and modulus of elasticity by double flat-jacks; diagonal compression in panels; IR thermography, GPR radar.

 

2) compressive strength and modulus of elasticity; splitting tensile stregth using site cores; mortar compressive strength by double punch; splitting tensile test on cores with mortar joint.

Readings/Bibliography

MODULUS ON SEISMIC ASSESSMENT (6 CFU)  

Powerpoint presentations. 

Steven L. Kramer, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

C.A. Chopra, Dynamics of Structures: Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering 

Penelis, G.G. and Kappos, A.J., Earthquake-resistant Concrete Structures

Thomas Paulay and M. J. N. Priestley, Seismic Design of Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Buildings

Teaching methods

Blackboard and powerpoint presentations. Homeworks.

Assessment methods

Students will prepare two or three homeworks during the course.  Oral examination at the end of the course.  The final is defined as follows: 25% on the homeworks and 75% on the oral exam.

Teaching tools

MODULUS ON SEISMIC ASSESSMENT (6 CFU) Blackboard. Powerpoint presentations. Books. Educational versions of softwares for structural analysis.

Office hours

See the website of Nicola Buratti

See the website of Camilla Colla