Study on Test Duration of Hybrid Simulation Based on OpenFresco Platform.

Hybrid simulation has been regarded as an innovative and feasible solution of conducting anti-seismic test of structures. In hybrid simulations, the test duration mainly depends on numerical calculation duration, data communication duration, and loading duration. The differences in integration methods selection and numerical modelling may lead to a large variation of test durations, which may even affect the accuracy of the test results. OpenFresco is an environmental independent software framework for implementing hybrid tests. However, the research on the test duration of hybrid simulation based on OpenFresco has not been sufficiently studied. A single-storey and single-span frame was analysed in this paper. Specifically, the steel column was selected as the experimental substructure whilst the rest of the model was taken as the numerical substructure. The test results helped to reveal the factors which might influence the duration of hybrid simulation. It could be concluded that integration method, model complexity, and ramp time were the main factors affecting the durations of hybrid simulations. Moreover, the relation between the test duration and test accuracy was also discussed. The results showed that the explicit integration method and the Newmark integration method with fixed steps were recommended in the hybrid simulation based on OpenFresco. Besides, the numerical model should be simplified to improve the test accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]