Structure-Specific Probabilistic Seismic Risk Assessment
| dc.contributor.author | Bradley, Brendon | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2009-07-09T21:32:43Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2009-07-09T21:32:43Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2009 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | This thesis addresses a diverse range of topics in the area of probabilistic seismic risk analysis of engineering facilities. This intentional path of diversity has been followed primarily because of the relatively new and rapid development of this facet of earthquake engineering. As such this thesis focuses on the rigorous scrutinization of current, and in particular, simplified methods of seismic risk assessment; the development of novel aspects of a risk assessment methodology which provides easily communicated performance measures and explicit consideration for the many uncertainties in the entire earthquake problem; and the application of this methodology to case-study examples including structures supported on pile foundations embedded in liquefiable soils. The state-of-the-art in seismic risk and loss assessment is discussed via the case study of a 10 storey New Zealand office building. Particular attention is given to the quality and quantity of information that such assessment methodologies provide to engineers and stakeholders for rational decision-making. Two chapters are devoted to the investigation of the power-law model for representing the ground motion hazard. Based on the inaccuracy of the power-law model at representing the seismic hazard over a wide range of exceedance rates, an alternative, more accurate, parametric hazard model based on a hyperbola in log-log space is developed and applied to New Zealand peak ground acceleration and spectral acceleration hazard data. A semianalytical closed-form solution for the demand hazard is also developed using the hyperbolic hazard model and applied for a case-study performance assessment. The power-law hazard model is also commonly used to obtain a closed-form solution for the annual rate of structural collapse (collapse hazard). The magnitude of the error in this closed-form solution due to errors in the necessary functional forms of its constitutive relations is examined via a parametric study. A series of seven chapters are devoted to the further development of various aspects of a seismic risk assessment methodology. Intensity measures for use in the estimation of spatially distributed seismic demands and seismic risk assessment which are: easily predicted; can predict seismic response with little uncertainty; and are unbiased regarding additional properties of the input ground motions are examined. An efficient numerical integration algorithm which is specifically tailored for the solution of the governing risk assessment equations is developed and compared against other common methods of numerical integration. The efficacy of approximate uncertainty propagation in seismic risk assessment using the so-called First-Order Second-Moment method is investigated. Particular attention is given to the locations at which the approximate uncertainty propagation is used, the possible errors for various computed seismic risk measures, and the reductions in computational demands. Component correlations have to date been not rigorously considered in seismic loss assessments due to complications in their estimation and tractable methodologies to account for them. Rigorous and computationally efficient algorithms to account for component correlations are presented. Particular attention is also given to the determination of correlations in the case of limited empirical data, and the errors which may occur in seismic loss assessment computations neglecting proper treatment of correlations are examined. Trends in magnitude, distribution, and correlation of epistemic uncertainties in seismic hazard analyses for sites in the San Francisco bay area are examined. The characteristics of these epistemic uncertainties are then used to compare and contrast three methods which can be used to propagate such uncertainties to other seismic risk measures. Causes of epistemic uncertainties in component fragility functions, their evaluation, and combination are also examined. A series of three chapters address details regarding the seismic risk assessment of structures supported on pile foundations embedded in liquefiable soils. A ground motion prediction equation for spectrum intensity (found to be a desirable intensity measure for seismic response analysis in liquefiable soils) is developed based on ground motion prediction equations for spectral accelerations, which are available in abundance in literature. Determination of intensity measures for the seismic response of pile foundations, which are invariably located in soil deposits susceptible to liquefaction, is examined. Finally, a rigorous seismic performance and loss assessment of a case-study bridge structure is examined using rigorous ground motion selection, seismic effective stress analyses, and professional cost estimates. Both direct repair and loss of functionality consequences for the bridge structure are examined. | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10092/2588 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/2513 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of Canterbury. Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering | en |
| dc.relation.isreferencedby | NZCU | en |
| dc.rights | Copyright Brendon Archie Bradley | en |
| dc.rights.uri | https://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/theses | en |
| dc.subject | probability | en |
| dc.subject | seismic hazard | en |
| dc.subject | seismic risk | en |
| dc.title | Structure-Specific Probabilistic Seismic Risk Assessment | en |
| dc.type | Theses / Dissertations | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Civil Engineering | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Canterbury | en |
| thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy | en |
| uc.bibnumber | 1142628 | |
| uc.college | Faculty of Engineering | en |
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