Rapid post-earthquake structural assessment using either peak floor acceleration or displacement monitoring
Date
2019
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In this study two approaches for rapid post-earthquake structural assessment were investigated. First, peak floor accelerations were used as an indicator for damage. Linear time-history analyses were performed using several significant earthquake records. Numerical models of undamaged four, six and eight story concrete moment resisting frames were subjected to the various earthquake records, as well as analyzing two damage states: twenty five percent damaged, and fifty percent damaged. Damage was idealized as reduction in moment of inertia of the vertical elements. The results were then compared against a number of hypotheses regarding the peak floor acceleration (PFA) profile, variance and change in peak floor acceleration due to increased damage. The PFA profile was found to be more sensitive to the ground-motion characteristics than the structural damage. The same can be said about the change in PFA with damage. The variance relationship with damage still needs more investigation. The work also includes a literature review of available damage assessment techniques using measured displacements. Finally, the applicability and limitations of each method was evaluated with digital image correlation being found to have the greatest potential to provide a low-cost structural health monitoring system for typical structures.