Development of a Weakly-Coupled Hybrid Simulation Method for Seismic Assessment and its Application to Reinforced Concrete Building Structure

摘要

Hybrid simulation methods have attracted significant interest from researchers in structural engineering to accurately assess the seismic performance of structures. To implement hybrid simulations in a testing facility, it is necessary to properly control the boundary conditions of physically tested specimens. The objective of this study is to propose and implement a methodology for performing hybrid simulations when a limited number of actuators are available and the full control of the boundary conditions is not possible. The developed methodology is employed to evaluate the seismic performance of a RC structure where one of the first storey columns is experimentally tested with testing equipment which can control only two DOF instead of the three required for columns subjected to planar motions. The seismic assessment is performed for the cases of an intact, repaired and retrofitted structure, where externally applied Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) fabric is used for repairing and retrofitting.