Search

Republican masonry is part of the historical heritage of Latin America. However, their behavior in seismic events is not optimal, therefore the conservation of these constructions should consider the improvement of their structural behavior. This research studies the reinforcement with Guadua bamboo mat and analyzes its structural incidence in walls built with units recovered from republican constructions. For the experimental process, walls were built for compression and diagonal tension tests, classified in three groups: walls without reinforcement, walls reinforced with guadua mat, and walls reinforced with guadua mat covered with lime mortar and metakaolin. In the tests, although no increase in strength was observed in the reinforced walls, an increase in strain and ductility was observed. Therefore, the guadua mat represents a viable alternative to improve the behavior of republican structures in seismic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes are the geological events that have generated the most transformations in the history of our planet. Although to date scientists have not been able to predict or forecast an earthquake, the detailed knowledge of its genesis, the constant and combined application of the different theories and methods that have been designed for these tasks; as well as, the application of a set of regional studies and governmental, local organizational and executive measures could reduce the high-risk situations that exist today in several countries. On this occasion, a tour of the main edges of these issues is made, starting from its conceptual framework, some of the main earthquake prediction theories invented by man to date are reviewed, so that scientists and decision-makers at the international level They can apply the methodological precepts exposed to their daily work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. The seismic events which affected Central Italy in the last ten years, in the city of L'Aquila 2009 and Amatrice in 2016, had catastrophic consequences, in particular concerning the loss of human lives and buildings in old towns. The use of good masonry was not sufficient and the building materials, in many cases of low quality, did not resist strong shakings, crumbling and causing the sudden collapse of the buildings. The real problem for small villages having an historic importance, like in Abruzzo municipalities, was rebuilding, in particular civil houses with one or two overground floors. The case study treated in my master thesis consisted in designing a low-cost wood house, energetically self-consistent, simple and easily assemblable, for the post-seismic phase. This should be exploitable not only in the emergency phase, i.e. as a temporary solution, but also as definitive solutions, which on one side does not deface the architecture of affected old towns, and on the other side does not bring to the birth of a "new town". This could be accomplished by preserving the external walls of a partially collapsed civil house, tying them with a new internal wood structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a comparative study of the values of hydrodynamic pressure and their resultants occurred during the seismic action using P100-1/2013 technical rules and the relations defined in the papers: [1], [3], [5] and the Romanian standard [2] SR EN 1998-4 (silos, tanks and pipelines), which is implemented in Romania. Two cylindrical tanks placed in the same seismic zone have been chosen, with the same amount of storage (about 5000 m³), but of different geometries, to illustrate the influence of hydrodynamic pressures on the construction size (long and short wall behavior) as a function of ratio of the fluid height on the cylinder radius and ratio of corner period on the eigenperiod of the fluid mass. Also in the analyses, in order to evaluate the hydrodynamic convective pressure both the fundamental period of oscillation of the fluid mass and the first ten periods of oscillation were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents issues relating to existing standards underlying seismic design restrictions for non-structural components (NSC) related to constructions. Are presented measures that can be implemented to maintain a high level of safety in case of earthquake, natural gas plants, which due to the flammability of fuel, carry some risk of fire or explosion. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for seismic design of facilities using natural gas fuel for new buildings but also to review the existing installations in buildings by taking mandatory measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structures with timber framed masonry represent a special typology that is frequently found in Europe and other countries of the world. They are traditional buildings, non-engineered, which showed an unexpected redundancy during earthquakes where reinforced concrete buildings (improperly constructed) collapsed. In the paper, aspects regarding the interaction between timber elements and masonry are mainly addressed, that were observed both in experimental studies, but also in the in situ seismic behavior of this type of structure during important earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The research programs at the CEA in the field of safety in nuclear reactors are carried out in a framework of international partnerships. Their purpose is to develop studies on: [–] The methods allowing for the determination of earthquake hazards and their consequences; [–] The behaviour of fuel in an accident situation; [–] The comprehension of deflagration and detonation phenomena of hydrogen and the search for effective prevention methods involving an explosion risk; [–] The cooling of corium in order to stop its progression in and outside the vessel thereby reducing the risk of perforating the basemat; [–] The behaviour of the different fission product families according to their volatility for the UO2 and MOX fuels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The European site proposed for ITER is situated in the south of France, 40km north-east of Aix-en-Provence, in a low to moderate seismic area according to the Global Seismic Hazard Map (GSHAP Group 1999). The tokamak building would be implemented on good bedrock made of limestone with a shear wave velocity of over 1300m/s. Input requirements and assumptions for ITER consider that an infrequent, severe earthquake (called SL-2), although unlikely to occur during the lifetime of the facility, is assessed to demonstrate adequate protection of the public. This earthquake is assumed to have a return period of 10,000 years. An investment protection level or inspection level (where all structures, systems and components are safe) with a peak ground acceleration (pga) at 0.5m/s2 is also considered. As a basis, orders of magnitude of consequences, if no countermeasures were taken, are given. Four aspects are discussed: regulation, implementation of this regulation for the proposed site (site geology, tectonic and seismotectonic), a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of the site and finally, the fulfilment of the requirements and assumptions, according to IAEA guides. As a conclusion of the studies, the main characteristics of the Cadarache European site are discussed. Preliminary studies have shown that the European site proposal will ensure a low level of project risk with respect to the seismic hazard. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Collapses that affect cave speleothems have frequently been attributed to earthquakes, although this has not been proved. Observations after an earthquake and laboratory tests indicate that only slender speleothems break under coseismic solicitation. Other causes as subsidence, decompression and creeping of ice or cave sediments explain most of the breaks. Tectonics is also a major cause of speleothems breakages and it is possible to detect minute movements of faults. It seems possible to make the difference between brutal coseismic movements and aseismic slow ones. However, the interpretation is often difficult, as the damage can also be caused by gravity tectonics or glacitectonics. To cite this article: É. Gilli, C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]