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Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment - Building Infrastructure

Synopsis: Assessment of seismic fragility of typical building infrastructure in north to be used to assess the potential for building damage from earthquakes

Project Status: proposed

Funding Source: 100% CISR IA

Research Leaders: Patricia Clayton, Ellen Rathje

Project Start: To be Determined

Project Interface: Project interfaces closely with Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment - Shaking Intensity, Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment - Shear Wave Velocity Characterization, and Basin-Scale Assessment of Fault Reactivation and Seismicity Potential

Expected research outcomes:

  • Structural response models for Texas infrastructure
  • Probabilistic estimates of damage for buildings in Texas

This research involves the assessment of seismic fragility of typical building infrastructure in Texas. We will meet with various consulting engineers who design buildings in Texas to identify common building structural systems and construction details found in Texas. Low-rise and mid-rise prototypical buildings will be established and will be use for the following building performance evaluations.

Products from this project will focus on models that allow one to assess the potential for building damage from earthquakes in Texas. Thus, information will be compiled on nonlinear component models and fragility functions that can be used in seismic performance evaluations of the prototype buildings. The nonlinear component models and fragility functions will be specific to structural systems without seismic design considerations, as would be found in Texas. The prototype buildings with various structural systems common to Texas will be modeled using appropriate nonlinear modeling criteria. Nonlinear response history analyses (NRHAs) of these building models will be conducted using a suite of ground motions representative of induced seismic activity in Texas. Structural response parameters will be recorded in the NRHAs and, along with the compiled fragility functions, will be used to provide probabilistic estimations of structural and nonstructural (e.g. cladding, piping, etc.) damage expected in the prototypical buildings. These performance evaluations will be used to identify specific building vulnerabilities due to seismic events in the regions of concern.


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