scholarly journals Experimental Approach for the Failure Mode of Small Laminated Rubber Bearings for Seismic Isolation of Nuclear Components

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Sang-Jin Ma ◽  
Tae-Myung Shin ◽  
Ju-Seung Ryu ◽  
Jin-Hyeong Lee ◽  
Gyeong-Hoi Koo

Response characteristics of small-sized laminated rubber bearings (LRBs) with partial damage and total failure were investigated. For nuclear component seismic isolation, ultimate response characteristics are mainly reviewed using a beyond design basis earthquake (BDBE). Static tests, 3D shaking table tests, and verification analyses were performed using optional LRB design prototypes. During the static test, the hysteresis curve behavior from buckling to potential damage was observed by applying excessive shear deformation. The damaged rubber surface of the laminated section inside the LRB was checked through water jet cutting. A stress review by response spectrum analysis was performed to simulate the dynamic tests and predict seismic inputs’ intensity level that triggers LRB damage. Shaking table tests were executed to determine seismic response characteristics with partial damage and to confirm the stability of the superstructure when the supporting LRBs completely fail. Shear buckling in LRBs by high levels of BDBE may be quickly initiated via partial damage or total failure by the addition of torsional or rotational behavior caused by a change in the dynamic characteristics. Furthermore, the maximum seismic displacement can be limited within the range of the design interface due to the successive slip behavior, even during total LRB failure.

Author(s):  
Satoru Inaba ◽  
Takuya Anabuki ◽  
Kazutaka Shirai ◽  
Shuichi Yabana ◽  
Seiji Kitamura

This paper describes the dynamic damage test of a reinforced concrete (RC) wall structure with seismic isolation sysytem. It has been expected that seismically isolated structures are damaged in sudden when the accelerations of the structures exceed a certain level by hardening of the rubber bearings. However, the response behavior and the damage mode have not been observed by experimental test yet. So, shaking table tests were carried out at “E-Defense”, equipping the world’s largest shaking table, located at Miki City, Hyogo prefecture, Japan. The specimen was composed of an upper structure of 600 ton by weight and six lead-rubber bearings (LRBs) of 505 mm in diameter which provide both stiffness and hysteretic damping. The upper structure consisted of a RC mass and four RC walls with counter weight. The RC wall structure was designed so that the damage of the RC wall occurred between the shear force at the hardening of the rubber bearings and that at their breaking. The dimensions of the RC wall were 1600 × 800 × 100 mm (B × H × t). The reinforcement ratios were 2.46% in vertical by D13 (deformed reinforcing bar, 13 mm in diameter) and 1.0% in horizontal by D10. The shaking table test was conducted consecutively by increasing the levels up to 225% of tentative design earthquake motion. Consequently, because of the increase of the structural response by the hardening of the rubber bearings, the damage of the wall structure with seismic isolation system suddenly happened. In addition, the preliminary finite element analysis simulated the test results fairly well, which were the restoring force characteristics, the crack patterns of the RC wall structure and such.


Author(s):  
Shuichi Yabana ◽  
Kenji Kanazawa ◽  
Seiji Nagata ◽  
Seiji Kitamura ◽  
Takeshi Sano

This paper describes results of shaking table tests to grasp ultimate behavior of seismic isolation system under extremely strong earthquake motions, including failure of rubber bearings. The results of the shaking table tests are expected to be useful for the design of seismically isolated nuclear facilities, especially fast breeder reactor (FBR) plants. In the test, lead rubber bearings, of which the diameter is 505 mm and about 1/3 scale of a prototype in planning FBR plants, are used; the test specimens are loaded by the largest three-dimensional shaking table in E-defense of National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) of Japan. Failure of rubber bearings occurs with amplified tentative design earthquake motions. From the tests, the ultimate responses of the upper structure and rubber bearings are presented. In particular, the change of floor response spectra and restoring force characteristics of rubber bearings according to increase of input motions is discussed. Furthermore, mechanism of the failure of rubber bearings is investigated from the observation of failure surfaces and cut sections, static loading tests, and material tests of rubber bearings. Finally, the function of seismic isolation system after the failure of a part of rubber bearings is confirmed under the tentative design earthquake.


Author(s):  
Massimo Forni ◽  
Alessandro Poggianti ◽  
Giulia Bergamo ◽  
Fabrizio Gatti

The Project INDEPTH (Development of INnovative DEvices for Seismic Protection of PeTrocHemical Facilities), supported by the European Commission, has the objective of developing and applying innovative seismic isolation and/or dissipation systems for critical structures at petrochemical facilities. In the framework of INDEPTH, integrated seismic protection systems have been conceived, developed and tested. They are aimed at protecting liquid-filled structures (product storage, spherical and LNG tanks), with new devices (fiber-reinforced isolators, buckling reinforced braces) specific for each application and new flexible piping couplings, to compensate the displacements resulting from the use of isolation systems. The research program has been focused on the selection of critical structures, the design and manufacturing of the devices, the numerical assessment and the experimental validation through shaking table tests [1–4]. A quantification of technical/economical/safety benefits with respect to the conventional state-of-the-art measures presently adopted and potential application to retrofitting has been performed. This paper describes the validation through shaking table tests of the effectiveness of the isolation systems on a spherical mock-up and the related piping system equipped with flexible joints. Different configurations of the mock-up have been tested, such as: fixed base, isolated base with High Damping Rubber Bearings, Fiber Reinforced Rubber Bearings and Lead Rubber Bearings. Furthermore, each configuration has been tested for three different level of filling to verify the sloshing behavior in the sphere and the effectiveness of the isolation systems at filling levels different from the design one (full sphere).


Author(s):  
Massimo Forni

The Project INDEPTH (Development of INnovative DEvices for Seismic Protection of PeTrocHemical Facilities), supported by the European Commission, has the objective of developing and applying innovative seismic isolation and/or dissipation devices for critical structures at petrochemical facilities. In the framework of INDEPTH, integrated seismic protection systems have been conceived, developed and tested. They are aimed at protecting liquid-filled structures (product storage, spherical and LNG tanks), with new devices (fiber-reinforced isolators, buckling reinforced braces) specific for each application and new flexible piping couplings, to compensate the displacements resulting from the use of isolation systems. The research program has been focused on the selection of critical structures, the design and manufacturing of the devices, the numerical assessment and the experimental validation through shaking table tests. A quantification of technical/economical/safety benefits with respect to the conventional state-of-the-art measures presently adopted and potential application to retrofitting has been performed. Validation through shaking table tests of the effectiveness of the isolation systems on the spherical mock-up (Figure 1), and the related piping system equipped with flexible joints (Figure 2), had been performed. Two types of seismic input have been applied, both synthesized from the 5% damping spectra of EC8 (medium and soft soils); the target peak acceleration value of the time histories was 0.4 g. Different configurations of the mock-up have been tested, such as: fixed base, isolated base with High Damping Rubber Bearings, Fiber Reinforced Rubber Bearings and Lead Rubber Bearings. Furthermore, each configuration has been tested for both time histories and at three different level of filling to verify the sloshing behavior in the sphere and the effectiveness of the isolation systems at levels of filling different from the design one (full sphere). Comparison among all the above mentioned conditions could be done. The presentation will show the main results of the shaking table campaign.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4431
Author(s):  
Gyeong-Hoi Koo ◽  
Tae-Myung Shin ◽  
Sang-Jin Ma

To assure seismic isolation performance against design and beyond design basis earthquakes in the nuclear facility components, the lead inserted small-sized laminated rubber bearings (LRB), which has a 10 kN vertical design load, have been designed and quasi-statically tested to validate their design mechanical properties in previous studies. Following this study, the seismic shaking tests of these full-scale LRBs are performed and discussed in this paper with the dummy mass system to investigate actual seismic isolation performance, dynamic characteristics of LRBs, consistency of the LRB’s quality, and so on. To study the seismic isolation performance, three beam structures (S1–S3) with different natural frequencies were installed both on the shaking table and the dummy mass supported by four LRBs: (1) S1: structure close to seismic isolation frequency; (2) S2: structure close to peak input spectral frequency; (3) S3: structure in the high-frequency region. The test results are described in various seismic levels of OBE (Operating Basis Earthquake), SSE (Safe Shutdown Earthquake), and BDBE (Beyond Design Basis Earthquake), and are compared with the analysis results to assure the seismic isolation performance and the LRB’s design parameters. From the results of the shaking table tests, it is confirmed that the lead inserted small-sized LRBs reveal an adequate seismic isolation performance and their dynamic characteristics as intended in the LRB design.


Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
B. J. Chen ◽  
T. C. Chiang

Conventional earthquake resistant designs depend on strengthen and ductility of the structural components to resist induced forces and to dissipate seismic energy. However, this can produce permanent damage to the joints as well as the larger interstory displacements. In recently years, many studies on structural control strategies and devices have been developed and applied in U. S. A., Europe, Japan, and New Zealand. The rubber bearing belongs to one kind of the earthquake-proof ideas of structural control technologies. The installation of rubber bearings can lengthen the natural period of a building and simultaneously reduce the earthquake-induced energy trying to impart to the building. They can reduce the magnitude of the earthquake-induced forces and consequently reduce damage to the structures and its contents, and reduce danger to its occupants. This paper is aimed at studying the mechanical behavior of the stirrup rubber bearings (SRB) and evaluating the feasibility of the buildings equipped with the stirrup rubber bearings. Furthermore, uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial shaking table tests are conducted to study the seismic response of a full-scale three-story isolated steel structure. Experimental results indicate that the stirrup rubber bearings possess higher damping ratios at higher strains, and that the stirrup rubber bearings provide good protection for structures. It has been proved through the full-scale tests on shaking table that the stirrup rubber bearing is a very promising tool to enhance the seismic resistibility of structures.


2012 ◽  
Vol 446-449 ◽  
pp. 3042-3045
Author(s):  
Jin Bao Ji ◽  
Zhi Wei Ni ◽  
Yang Yang Du ◽  
Yang Qiang Fu

As an advancing isolation technology, the first-floor isolated structure can take full use of the first-floor space, and has been promoted in southern China gradually. To study the isolation effect of the first-floor isolated structure and to improve the damping rate of it, a seven-story structural model with laminated rubber bearings and metallic dampers installed on the top of first-floor columns was studied by shaking table tests and finite element analysis using SAP2000 API. The results of the tests and analysis show that the isolation technology with metallic dampers can reduce the seismic response of the upper structure significantly.


2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Tsai ◽  
Bo-Jen Chen ◽  
Tsu-Cheng Chiang ◽  
Guan-Hsing Lee

In conventional earthquake resistance design approach (the ductility-design philosophy), the energy dissipation mechanism is based on plastic deformations at scattered locations in the structure. However, this can produce permanent damage to the joints as well as the larger interstory displacements. In recently years, the base isolation technology has been adopted as a feasible and attractive way in improving seismic resistance of structures. It can shift the natural periods of structures away from the rich periods contents of earthquake motions, but also provide considerable supplemental damping to dissipate seismic energy transmitted into structures during earthquakes. In this paper, uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial shaking table tests are performed to study the seismic behavior of a 0.4-scale three-story isolated steel structure in the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in Taiwan. Experimental results demonstrate that structures with hybrid rubber bearings can actually decrease the seismic responses of the superstructure. It has been proved through the shaking table tests that the rubber bearing is a very promising tool to enhance the seismic resistibility of structures. Moreover, it is illustrated that the proposed analytical model and finite element formulation in this paper can well predict the mechanical behavior of rubber bearings and seismic responses of the base-isolated structures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Hao Lei ◽  
Honggang Wu ◽  
Tianwen Lai

To study the dynamic response and spectrum characteristics of the three-dimensional crossing tunnel under the action of seismic load, we established a 1/50 downscale model based on a typical of the oblique overlapped tunnel and conducted a series of shaking table tests. Through examining the recorded dynamic responses (acceleration and dynamic strain measured at different locations in model tunnels), we found that the seismic response of the crown was the largest at the central section, and the invert of the tunnels was exactly opposite to the crown, which presented a “parabolic” distribution, and we inferred that the damage within the model may be mainly concentrated on the crown of the tunnels. Additionally, the dynamic strain showed obvious nonlinear and nonstationary characteristics under the action of different degrees of seismic intensities. Different from a single tunnel, the acceleration superposition effect appears in the cross section of two tunnels because of the spatial effect of overlapping tunnels, resulting in the obvious seismic response in the cross section. Meanwhile, we also found that the 1st dominant frequency (0.1–6.26 Hz) seismic wave played a leading role in the process of tunnel slope failure. Furthermore, the analysis of the acceleration response spectrum also showed that the surrounding rock mass has an amplification effect on low-frequency seismic waves. These results help us better understand the features of the dynamic responses and also provide evidence to reinforce the overlapped tunnels against earthquakes.


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