Projects / Programmes
High-throughput computing environment for seismic risk assessment
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.01.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Civil engineering |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T230 |
Technological sciences |
Building construction |
seismic risk, probabilistic seismic analysis, seismic resistant design, high-throughput computing, grid technology, Web 2.0
Researchers (12)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
In the European Strategic Research Agenda for Earthquake Engineering, which was prepared by the European Association for Earthquake Engineering, it is reported that the risk to be killed due to earthquakes in Europe in the last twenty years is about eight times higher than that observed in Japan and even eighty times higher than in the United States. For example, only the earthquake in Turkey (1999) caused almost nineteen thousand deaths. High observed losses points to the need for improved seismic design and risk assessment approaches capable of achieving more accurate and predictable results. Such approaches will enable to detect critical regions in urban areas or enable the design based on the acceptable loss, which may be expected in the design life of the structure. Since the seismic risk assessment is computationally extremely demanding and consequently time-consuming, what makes it difficult for practical application, it is necessary to develop a user-friendly and high-throughput computational environment for seismic risk assessment. The development of such innovative environment, which is the main goal of the proposed project, will enable a seismic risk assessment of urban areas, or determination of the seismic risk assessment of a particular building in the design or strengthening process. The computing environment will reuse state-of-the-art secure grid technology to interconnect with other similar environments. The Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (OpenSees), developed at the Pacific Engineering Research Center, will be used within the computing environment for seismic response analyses. The results of this project will have an impact on the state of the knowledge, on the research community, practicing engineers, professional organizations and committees and will facilitate and accelerate the adoption of more realistic and transparent design procedures. The proposed research will be performed in close cooperation with the research group Earthquake Engineering (leaded by Professor Peter Fajfar) and e-Construction (leaded by Professor Žiga Turk), both at the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering and will be fully coordinated with the work of these groups and with the project Research on probabilistic seismic risk assessment of structures (leaded by Assist. Prof. Matjaž Dolšek). The proposed research represents a continuation of some EU funded projects at which the researchers of the research group Earthquake Engineering or e-Construction participated (LESSLOSS, InteliGrid, DataMiningGrid).
Significance for science
A high-throughput computing environment, which enables seismic risk assessment of buildings for different levels of accuracy, was developed within the research project. High-throughput computing environment allows seismic risk by taking into account aleatory and epistemic uncertainty. The computing environment is based on the OpenSees software and supports computationally intensive analysis methods (http://ice4risk.slo-projekt.info). Such approach opened new possibilities for research that is not possible without extensive simulations of seismic response. For example, it is possible to develop methods for design of structures based on the nonlinear analysis. Furthermore, it is very easy to perform the calibration studies in order to improve standard for design of earthquake resistance structures (Eurocode 8). Structural deterioration due to aging process, which involves many simulations of seismic response of building, can be also evaluated by using tools developed within the research project.
WIDA (http://ice4risk.slo-projekt.info/analysis/) - web application to determine the approximate IDA curves, represents the first such application in the world. The major advantage of this approach compared with traditional simplified methods can be found in the more accurate prediction of seismic response of buildings without losing the practical value of the simplified methods.
In addition to tools, new methods for seismic risk assessment of buildings were introduced. For example, we proposed methods which enable relatively simple estimation of the seismic risk of buildings taking into account the effect of aging and/or modelling uncertainty. In order to facilitate the use of nonlinear dynamic analysis the so called progressive incremental dynamic analysis was proposed. By using this method the response of structures can be reliably predicted by a small number of ground motions.
Such software tools, as well as methods that were developed under the project High-throughput computing environment for seismic risk assessment, allowing an accurate assessment of seismic risk of buildings, this being a key element for the protection of the built environment against earthquakes. Only with detailed information regarding the seismic risk can be adequately prepared to mitigate negative consequences of future earthquakes.
Significance for the country
Basic research within the project entitled High-throughput computing environment for seismic risk assessment contributed significant results for Slovenia's development in various areas:
• Methods and tools for seismic risk assessment for new and existing structures
Software tools and methods developed within the project enable to assess the seismic risk of buildings. Such information, which is the key element for protection of the built environment against earthquakes, was not available in Slovenia before.
• Assessment of seismic risk for large areas
the WIDA web application can be used to predict the seismic risk of building stock in Slovenia, since Slovenia does not have sufficient information regarding the seismic risk of building stock.
• Transferring knowledge into practice
For the purpose of environmental impact assessment we have assessed seismic risk for the gravity dam HE Učja with consideration of the limit state of the cracking of concrete, sliding and overturning of the dam. Results showed that the dam is safe since the estimated risk for collapse of the dam is practically negligible.
• Development of graduate study, supervision of PhD. students
During the project a new course entitled Reliability of structures in earthquake engineering was established within the doctoral study Built Environment (UL FGG). This will enable the systematic education of students interested in the field of earthquake engineering and reliability of structures. Results of the project are included in the course syllabus. During the project, a position for two PhD. students was obtained.
• Contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage
Aging of structure is particularly problematic for cultural heritage buildings, which are usually older than the expected life of the structure. Therefore, the assessment of seismic risk for such facilities should take into consideration the effects of aging, which can be considered by using the method developed under the project.
• Promotion of Slovenia in the world
During the project, results were already published and citied in international Journals (e.g. the award for most-cited original research papers published in 2009 in the world-renowned Journal of Earth. Engineering and Struc. Dyn.). We organized high-profile international workshop, which was attended by established researchers from Europe, USA and New Zealand. Together with 30 researchers from around the world, we have prepared a scientific monograph, which will be published by international publisher Springer. The book is in production and is expected to be on sale from August 2011.
• Participation in the application of European and other projects
Based on the past work and on the results of the project we were invited to the project consortium, which has applied proposal for the INTERREG project Multi-risk assessment of building stock. The international consortium is preparing a project ADVACEES to which it was invited UL FGG IKPIR. In the project, if accepted, the use of WIDA will directly applicable. Two bi-lateral projects, one with EUCENTRE (Pavia, Italy) and another with the Stanford University (USA), was obtained.
We consider the results of the project contributed to the treasury of knowledge in the field of earthquake engineering and to facilitate and accelerate the use of more realistic methods of design and seismic risk assessments for individual buildings, existing or new buildings, as well as to evaluate the risk of building stock. In this way we have access to new quality information on the seismic risk of building stock. Such information is important for development of standards for design of earthquake resistance of structures as well as for development of strategies for mitigation of consequences of future earthquakes.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
2009,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
2009,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
