Probability-based seismic fragility analysis provides a quantitative evaluation of the seismic performance exhibited by structures. This study introduces a framework to perform seismic fragility analysis of utility tunnel and internal pipeline system considering wave passage effect of the ground motion spatial variation. The numerical model of a double-beam system resting on a nonlinear foundation is established to simulate the soiltunnel-pipeline interactions. 17 pairs of earthquake records are chosen and scaled as inputs at the outcrop. One-dimensional (1D) free-field analyses are conducted to obtain the ground motion time histories at the bottom slab of the utility tunnel, and then incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) is performed for the utility tunnel-internal pipeline system. The damage states (DSs) are defined by the maximum joint opening for the utility tunnel and maximum strain for the internal pipeline, and the peak bedrock velocity (PBV) is determined to be the most representative intensity measure (IM) for developing the seismic fragility curves. The seismic fragility curves of the system are constructed using the joint probabilistic seismic demand model (JPSDM) and Monte Carlo sampling method. The research findings indicate that: (1) the framework proposed in this study is suitable for the fragility assessment of long-extended utility tunnel-internal pipeline system; (2) the utility tunnel and internal pipeline as a system exhibit greater fragility compared to either one of the components, and the JPSDM and Monte Carlo sampling method for the system fragility analysis is more precise than the first-order bound method; (3) the proposed fragility curves in this study provide quantitative damage probabilities for the individual components and system under different seismic intensity levels. (4) The IM values corresponding to 50% exceedance failure probability of the whole system is 1%-3% lager than that of the upper bounds, and it is 3% to 5% less than that of the lower bounds. The conservative upper bound is a more suitable approximation for system fragility. (5) It should be noted that the obtained fragility curves are valid for the considered tunnel-pipeline structure and site conditions. For different tunnel structures and site conditions, the fragility curves can be constructed following the same steps outlined in this study.
The selection of representative ground motion intensity measure (IM) and structural engineering demand parameter (EDP) is the crucial prerequisite for evaluating structural seismic performance within the performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) framework. This study focuses on this crucial step in developing the probabilistic seismic demand model for two-story and three-span subway stations exposed to transverse seismic loadings in three different ground conditions. The equivalent linearization approach is used to simulate the shear modulus degradation and the increase in damping characteristics of the soil under seismic excitation. Nonlinear fiber beam-column elements are adopted to characterize the nonlinear hysteretic degradation of the subway station structure during seismic events. A total of 21 far-field ground motions are selected from the PEER strong ground motion database. Nonlinear incremental dynamic analyses (IDAs) are conducted to evaluate the seismic response of the subway station. A suite of 23 ground motion IMs is evaluated using the criteria of correlation, efficiency, practicality, and proficiency. Then, a multi-level fuzzy evaluation method is employed to integrate these evaluation criteria and determine the optimal ground motion IMs in different ground conditions. The peak ground acceleration and sustained maximum acceleration are demonstrated to be the optimal ground motion IM candidates for shallowly buried rectangular underground structures in site classes I, II, and III, while the root-mean-square displacement and compound displacement are found to be not suitable for this purpose.
The objective of this study is to explore the seismic fragility of reinforced concrete bridges, specifically in response to the vertical components of ground motions, utilizing fragility surfaces. The examination of bridge responses involves the application of optimally selected intensity measures through three-dimensional nonlinear time-history analyses, encompassing uncertainties in both superstructure materials and soil-structure interaction effects. In this investigation, an extended Probabilistic Seismic Demand Model (e-PSDM) is employed, leveraging fragility surfaces to concurrently consider vertical and horizontal excitations. The results obtained from this approach are compared with traditional fragility curves. This study emphasizes Pile-cap displacement and drift ratio as pivotal engineering damage parameters, acknowledging their sensitivity to the influences of both soil-structure interaction effects and vertical ground motion. The fragility surfaces derived from the study reveal a correlation between increased vertical spectral accelerations and elevated probabilities of surpassing both slight damage and collapse limit states. These observations underscore the critical significance and practical utility of fragility surfaces in the context of performance-based seismic assessment and design for reinforced concrete bridges. The findings from this research contribute valuable insights into the nuanced behaviour of reinforced concrete bridges under seismic conditions, emphasizing the relevance of incorporating vertical components in fragility assessments for a more comprehensive understanding of structural vulnerability.
Seismic intensity measures (IMs), which are closely related to both earthquake hazards and structural responses, play a critical role in the performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) framework. This paper aims to investigate and define the most representative IMs for probabilistic seismic demand model (PSDM) for the longitudinal utility tunnel and internal pipeline system. Similar to the requirements by the Chinese Code for seismic design of urban rail transit structures, the utility tunnel in this study is assumed being buried in four typical engineering site classes for the analyses. Soil-tunnel-pipeline interactions are simulated using a doublebeam system resting on a nonlinear foundation. Soil-tunnel interaction, tunnel-pipeline interaction and joint connections are modeled as nonlinear springs with different mechanical properties. A series of 17 pairs of outcrop ground-motion records and 27 commonly used IMs are selected in the analyses. Engineering demand parameter ( EDP ) is defined based on the maximum joint opening and the maximum strain of the utility tunnel and internal pipeline, respectively. The selected IMs for predicting the seismic responses of tunnel-pipeline systems are tested using different criteria, i.e., correction, efficiency, practicality, and proficiency. The final decision-making procedure employs a fuzzy multi-criteria decision method. The numerical results indicate that: (1) The velocity-related IMs are the most representative IMs based on the four criteria for structures buried in four sites of different conditions; (2) The optimal seismic IMs vary with different criteria, site classes and structure types. According to the fuzzy multi-criteria decision approach, optimal IMs for the tunnel-pipeline system are PGV , PGV , EPV and HI for site classes I - IV, respectively. The proposed optimal IMs can be utilized to construct seismic fragility curves of utility tunnel, internal pipeline and tunnel-pipeline systems in four different site classes.