Project Title/ID Number Test Applications of Advanced Seismic Assessment Guidelines —Lifelines 508
Start/End Dates 10/1/02—9/30/03
Project Leader Joe Maffei (R&C/Industrial Collaborator)
Team Members Dayna Mohr (R&C/Industrial Collaborator)
Project goals and objectives

Advanced seismic assessment guidelines were developed by Stanford University (C. Allin Cornell, Paolo Bazzurro, Charles Menun, Maziar Motahari) as part of the PEER Lifelines Program, Building Vulnerability Studies (Project Task Number 507). Predicting the post-earthquake functionality of utility structures is a crucial step in evaluating the likelihood of the electric distribution network being able to provide gas and electricity to its customers. The final product of the guidelines is a set of fragility curves for structural limit states directly related to post-earthquake building occupancy status, namely green, yellow, or red tagging.

This project proposal is for a practicing Structural Engineer to apply these guidelines to utility type buildings.

The objectives are to:

  1. Identify potential difficulties that Structural Engineers would encounter in using the procedure described in the advanced seismic assessment guidelines.
  2. Recommend possible revisions to the procedure to address any identified difficulties.
    Identify and make recommendations on other issues related to assessing the seismic reliability of utility structures and systems.
Role of this project in supporting PEER’s vision
The project is a key step in investigating the practical application and potential of performance based seismic assessment methods. As such, the project can lead to the wider application of seismic and structural engineering procedures that use state of the art techniques.
In the application to fragility curves for buildings of utility systems, the project can lead to a better understanding of the seismic vulnerability of lifeline systems, and a better understanding of the most effective ways to reduce seismic vulnerability.
Methodology employed

Nonlinear Static Procedure and Incremental Dynamic Analysis.
Brief description of past year’s accomplishments and more detail on expected Year 6 accomplishments

Expected Year 6 Accomplishments:

  1. Identify potential difficulties that Structural Engineers would encounter in using the procedure described in the advanced seismic assessment guidelines.
  2. Recommend possible revisions to the procedure to address any identified difficulties.
  3. Identify and make recommendations on other issues related to assessing the seismic reliability of utility structures and systems.
Other similar work being conducted within and outside PEER and how this project differs
Being integrally related to task 507 project, this project takes advantage of developments in two other projects being carried out by Professor C. Allin Cornell. The first is investigating Incremental Dynamic Analysis, global ductility, and approximate techniques for NL dynamic analysis. The second is focused on intensity measures and near source motions.
Plans for Year 7 if this project is expected to be continued
  1. Applicability of analysis techniques for high-rise buildings.
  2. Possible techniques for deriving fragility curves using less detailed analysis.
  3. Building-specific tagging criteria.
Describe any instances where you are aware that your results have been used in industry
Better knowledge of characteristics of steel moment frame behavior. Improved understanding of reliability based structural engineering and effects of vulnerability and uncertainty.
Expected milestones
  1. Completion of the first test application: 4 months from project start
  2. Input on revisions to the seismic assessment guidelines: 7 months from project start
  3. Completion of second test application: 11 months from project start
  4. Completion of project final report: 12 months from project start
Deliverables

At the end of the project, a final written report will be provided, summarizing the test applications, results, and other applicable comments and recommendations.