Seismic Response Reduction Caused by Coupling Between Beam-Type and Oval-Type Vibrations of a Cylindrical Water Storage Tank Under Large Excitation

This study describes the response reduction caused by coupling between the beam-type and the oval-type vibrations of a cylindrical water storage tank under seismic excitation. In this study, the seismic response experiment is performed by using a 1/10 reduced scale model of an actual tank and then numerical simulation is performed by the simplified model. The authors conducted the sinusoidal response experiment for the tank and reported that the coupling between the beam-type and the oval-type vibrations causes the resonance frequency of the beam-type vibration to shift to the lower frequency and the response in the beam-type vibration (the response of the tank) to reduce. The seismic response experiment of the tank model filled with water up to 95% is performed by a shaking table. The El Centro 1940 NS and the improved standard seismic wave for Japanese LWR are used as the input seismic wave. The experimental results show that the maximum response acceleration does not enlarge linearly as the maximum input acceleration increases. The dominant resonance frequency slightly shifts to the lower frequency as the maximum input acceleration increases. It is concluded that the coupling between the beam-type and the oval-type vibrations make an influence on the beam-type vibration in seismic excitation. In the meantime, the authors propose the nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom system model to explain that the vibration response of the tank reduces. This model is based on geometric nonlinearity due to the out-of-plane deformation of the side-wall of the tank caused by the oval-type vibration. The numerical simulation of the seismic response is conducted using the nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom system model proposed by the authors. The analytical results agree with the experimental results as a general trend. Therefore, it is concluded that the response reduction of the tank is generated by coupling between the beam-type and the oval-type vibrations in the seismic excitation as well as the sinusoidal excitation. In addition, the response reduction rate of the tank under much larger seismic excitation can be estimated by using the nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom system model.

Comparison of Failure Modes of Piping Systems With Wall Thinning Subjected to In-Plane, Out-of-Plane and Mixed Mode Bending Under Seismic Load: Computational Approach

The authors have proposed an analytical model by which they can simulate the dynamic and failure behaviors of piping systems with local wall thinning against seismic loadings. In the previous paper [13], the authors have carried out a series of experimental investigations about dynamic and failure behaviors of the piping system with fully circumferential 50% wall thinning at an elbow or two elbows. In this paper these experiments have been simulated by using the above proposed analytical model and investigated to what extent they can catch the experimental behaviors by simulations.

Evaluation of Storage Tank Floating Roofs for Stress and Stability Due to Earthquake Induced Liquid Sloshing

Considerable interest has developed in the engineering community concerning the damage to the floating roof of oil storage tanks due to liquid sloshing from earthquake loading. Engineering groups in countries bordering the circum-Pacific seismic belt in particular are devoting extensive efforts to obtaining solutions capable of identifying vulnerable roof designs and developing modifications to improve strength. The recent efforts of the Japanese Fire Disaster and Management Authority (FDMA) as a result of 1995 Kobe and the 2003 Tokachi-Oki earthquakes are examples of recent work in this area. This paper focuses on efforts to analyze floating roof structures for stress and stability under typical earthquake velocity spectrums using advanced finite element methods. It employs ideas included in the Japanese FDMA studies, work done as part of the ASCE Committee on Gas and Liquid Fuel Lifelines, and some original methods developed at ExxonMobil. It has been applied to several tank designs and been submitted as a suitable advance analysis method to the Japanese FDMA. The paper provides both the theoretical foundation as well as an example covering typical tank geometry.

The Transition Matrix Formalism for the Scattering of an Alluvium on an Elastic Half-Space

This paper develops the transition matrix formalism for scattering from an three-dimensional alluvium on an elastic half-space. Betti’s third identity is employed to establish orthogonality conditions among basis functions that are Lamb’s singular wave functions. The total displacements and associated tractions exterior and interior to the surface are expanded in a Rayleigh series. The boundary conditions are applied and the T-matrix is derived. A linear transformation is utilized to construct a set of orthogonal basis functions. The transformed T-matrix is related to the scattering matrix and it is shown that the scattering matrix is symmetric and unitary and that the T-matrix is symmetric. Typical numerical results obtained by incident plane waves for verification are presented.

Study on Dynamic Strength Evaluation Method of Mechanical Members Based on Energy Balance

This paper describes the dynamic strength evaluation of piping installed in nuclear power plants from a viewpoint of energy balance. Mechanical structures installed in nuclear power plants such as piping and equipment are usually designed statically in elastic region. Although these mechanical structures have sufficient seismic safety margin, comprehending the ultimate strength is very important in order to improve the seismic safety reliability in unexpected severe earthquakes. In this study, ultimate strength of a simple single-degree-of-freedom model is investigated from a viewpoint of energy balance equation that is one of valid methods for structural calculation. The investigation is implemented by forced vibration experiment. In the experiment, colored random wave having predominant frequency that is similar to natural frequency of the experimental model is input. Stainless steel and carbon steel are selected as material of experimental model. Excitation is continued until the experimental model is damaged, and is carried out with various input levels. As a result of the experiment, it is confirmed that input energy for failure increase with an increase of time for failure. Additionally it is confirmed that input energy for failure depend on the material.

Reduction of Seismic Response of Mechanical System by Base Isolation System With Friction Bearing

Reduction of seismic response of mechanical system is important problem for aseismic design. Some types of base isolation systems are developed and used in actual base of buildings and floors in buildings for reduction of seismic response of mechanincal system. In this paper, a base isolation system utilizing bearing with friction and restoring force of bearing is proposed. Friction bearing consists of two plates having spherical concaves and oval type metal or spherical metal with rubber. First, effectiveness of the base isolation system is examined experimentally. Using artificial time histories, the isolated table is shaken on the shaking table. The maximum value of response is reduced and sum of squares of response is significantly reduced. Power spectrum is significantly reduced in almost of all frequency regions, except for very low frequency region. Next, in order to examine reduction of seismic response of actual mechanical system, a console rack is set on the isolated plate. Seismic response is also significantly reduced. Finally, obtained results of experiment are examined by simulation method. An analytical model considering friction and restoring force is used. From simulation method, effectiveness of the proposed base isolation system is demonstrated.

Comparison of Failure Modes of Piping Systems With Wall Thinning Subjected to In-Plane, Out-of-Plane and Mixed Mode Bending Under Seismic Load: An Experimental Approach

In order to investigate the influence of degradation on the dynamic behavior and failure modes of piping systems with local wall thinning, shake table tests using 3-D piping system models were conducted. About 50% full circumferential wall thinning at elbows was considered in the test. Three types of models were used in the shake table tests. The difference of the models was the applied bending direction to the thinned wall elbow. The bending direction considered in the tests was either of the in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending, or mixed bending of the in-plane and out-of-plane. These models were excited under the same input acceleration until failure occurred. Through these tests, the vibration characteristic and failure modes of piping models with wall thinning under seismic load were obtained. The test results showed that the out-of-plane bending is not significant for a sound elbow, but should be considered for a thinned wall elbow, because the life of piping models with wall thinning subjected to out-of-plane bending may reduce significantly.

The 2006 Forum on Seismic Design of Piping Systems for the Year 2010

A summary of The 2006 Forum on Seismic Design of Piping Systems for the Year 2010 is provided. This forum session is the tenth in a series that was started in 1992. Previously, the title was Appropriate Criteria and Methods for Seismic Design of Nuclear Piping. In this 2006 forum, the main topics of discussion were: “SSE only” design, a comparison of the Level B (OBE) and Level D (SSE) design requirements, and inspection after an earthquake.

Health Diagnosis of Structural Systems Using a Repetitive Model Updating Approach

This paper proposes a statistical confidence interval based model updating approach for the health diagnosis of structural systems subjected to seismic excitations. The proposed model updating approach uses the 95% confidence interval of the estimated structural parameters to determine their statistical significance in a least-squares regression setting. When the parameters’ confidence interval covers the “null” value, it is statistically sustainable to truncate such parameters. The remaining parameters will repetitively undergo such parameter sifting process for model updating until all the parameters’ statistical significance cannot be further improved. This newly developed model updating approach is implemented for the developed series models of multivariable polynomial expansions: the linear, the Taylor series, and the power series model, leading to a more accurate identification as well as a more controllable design for system vibration control.

Shaking Table Test of Passive Controlled Structure With New Friction Damper

Under the effect of a large earthquake, the range of plastic comes into the column and the beam of the frame structure. By using energy dissipation devices, it is possible to reduce the response and the damage of the structure. A friction type damper which was a compact form and had high damping characteristics, was developed. It was made of steel plate, aluminum sliding plate, rubber washer and high tension bolt. To validate the performance of the new damper, the elemental tests and the shaking table test were conducted. In the shaking table test, frame structure composed of full scale member with friction damper was excited by actual seismic wave. As a result, it was found effective and had a high damping performance. This paper mainly reports the results of the shaking table test.