(Press-News.org) In a significant advancement for geotechnical engineering, a refined space-time finite element method (v-ST/FEM) has been introduced to tackle the complex dynamics of soil-structure interaction during seismic events. This new approach allows for more accurate simulations of the response of earth structures to earthquake vibrations, marking a crucial step in improving infrastructure resilience against natural disasters.
Designing structures like dams, tunnels, and embankments to withstand transient loads from sources such as earthquakes, high-speed trains, and explosions requires robust dynamic soil-structure interaction (SSI) analysis. Traditional methods often fall short in handling complex boundary conditions and dynamic responses. The demand for precise SSI solutions is growing, especially given the impact of local soil conditions on seismic motion characteristics. Due to these challenges, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on advanced numerical methods to enhance the accuracy and reliability of SSI analysis.
Researchers from Kyoto University have introduced a velocity-based space-time finite element procedure in the International Journal of Mechanical System Dynamics. Published (DOI: 10.1002/msd2.12106) on June 4, 2024, the study presents a methodical approach to truncate unbounded soil domains and model energy flow during seismic activities, offering a significant leap forward in dynamic SSI analysis.
The study introduces a velocity-based space-time finite element method (v-ST/FEM) to address dynamic SSI problems. This innovative method incorporates viscous boundary conditions based on the Lysmer-Kuhlemeyer model, effectively truncating the unbounded soil domain to prevent spurious reflections. The v-ST/FEM method accurately simulates seismic input motion as an effective nodal force vector in numerical simulations, ensuring energy flow from the far field to the computational domain. The researchers validated this approach by comparing the seismic response of a concrete gravity dam on an elastic half-space with results from the semidiscrete finite element method (FEM) using the Newmark-β method. The v-ST/FEM method demonstrated superior accuracy and stability in long-duration seismic motion simulations, making it a reliable tool for future SSI analyses and improving the prediction of seismic performance for various structures.
Dr. Vikas Sharma, the lead author of the study, emphasizes the importance of this research, stating, "Our v-ST/FEM approach offers a more accurate and computationally efficient method for dynamic soil-structure interaction problems. This advancement is crucial for developing infrastructure that can better withstand the forces of nature, ultimately safeguarding lives and property."
The application of this research is far-reaching, particularly for the design and assessment of earth structures such as dams and embankments in seismic zones. By providing a more accurate prediction of seismic soil amplification, the v-ST/FEM can contribute to the creation of safer and more resilient infrastructure, potentially saving lives and reducing the economic impact of earthquakes.
###
References
DOI
10.1002/msd2.12106
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1002/msd2.12106
Funding information
This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (Grant Number 21H02304).
About International Journal of Mechanical System Dynamics (IJMSD)
International Journal of Mechanical System Dynamics (IJMSD) is an open-access journal that aims to systematically reveal the vital effect of mechanical system dynamics on the whole lifecycle of modern industrial equipment. The mechanical systems may vary in different scales and are integrated with electronic, electrical, optical, thermal, magnetic, acoustic, aero, fluidic systems, etc. The journal welcomes research and review articles on dynamics concerning advanced theory, modeling, computation, analysis, software, design, control, manufacturing, testing, and evaluation of general mechanical systems.
END
Engineering resilience: Advanced FEM enhances earthquake impact assessment
2024-07-17
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
The Vps21 signaling pathway regulates white-opaque switching and mating in Candida albicans
2024-07-17
This study was led by Dr. Guanghua Huang (School of Life Sciences, Fudan University). The team discovered that the conserved Vps21 signaling pathway plays critical roles in the regulation of white-opaque switching and mating in Candida albicans, a major human fungal pathogen.
Candida albicans is able to cause cutaneous diseases as well as life-threatening systemic infections in humans. It has multiple cellular morphologies and can undergo transitions among different morphologies to adapt to environmental changes. White-opaque transitions represent a typical morphological phenotypic switching system ...
Autoantibodies behind lifelong risk of viral infections
2024-07-17
A new study shows that about two percent of the population develop autoantibodies against type 1 interferons, mostly later in life. This makes individuals more susceptible to viral diseases like COVID-19. The study, conducted by UZH researchers together with a USZ team, is based on an analysis of a large collection of historical blood samples.
Virus infections trigger the cells of the immune system to release type 1 interferons. These proteins act as early messengers that warn uninfected cells and tissues that a virus is spreading. This allows ...
Heritable chronic cholestatic liver diseases
2024-07-17
Chronic cholestasis, defined as the impairment of bile acid formation and/or flow persisting for more than six months, encompasses a broad spectrum of hepatobiliary disorders, both heritable and acquired. This review focuses on heritable causes of chronic cholestasis, which, although less common, present significant clinical challenges. Heritable chronic cholestatic liver diseases are typically diagnosed in childhood, but many cases present and persist into adulthood. This review aims to highlight the genetics, clinical pathophysiology, presentation, ...
What fat cats on a diet may tell us about obesity in humans
2024-07-17
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Pet cats may be excellent animal models for the study of obesity origins and treatment in humans, a new study of feline gut microbes suggests – and both species would likely get healthier in the research process, scientists say.
Veterinary researchers analyzed fecal samples from fat cats as the animals lost and maintained weight over the course of four dietary changes, including strict calorie reduction. The team found that food-related changes to the cats’ gut microbiome – the assortment ...
Designing safer opioids
2024-07-17
Opioid medications offer people relief from debilitating pain, but these drugs come with dangers: the risk for addiction, miserable withdrawal symptoms and the potential for fatal overdose. In a study in ACS Central Science, researchers have identified a strategy to design safer opioids. They showed that an experimental opioid, which binds to an unconventional spot in the receptor, suppresses pain in animal models with fewer side effects — most notably those linked to fatal overdoses.
Opioid medications tap into the body’s natural system for mitigating pain by activating pain-suppressing ...
Completely stretchy lithium-ion battery for flexible electronics
2024-07-17
When you think of a battery, you probably don’t think stretchy. But batteries will need this shape-shifting quality to be incorporated into flexible electronics, which are gaining traction for wearable health monitors. Now, researchers in ACS Energy Letters report a lithium-ion battery with entirely stretchable components, including an electrolyte layer that can expand by 5000%, and it retains its charge storage capacity after nearly 70 charge/discharge cycles.
Electronics that bend and stretch need batteries with similar properties. Most researchers who have ...
New opportunity to improve diagnosis, care for people with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome
2024-07-17
DALLAS, July 17, 2024 — About 1 in 3 U.S. adults have at least three risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a health disorder related to the strong connections among cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and metabolic disease (such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity).[1] Yet there is no single clinical practice guideline to treat people with CKM syndrome, and gaps exist in preventing, screening, managing and comprehensively treating these diseases.
To address this complex health threat, the American Heart Association, ...
Stress-related cell damage linked to negative mental and physical health effects among caregivers
2024-07-17
It’s no secret that the caregivers of spouses with memory impairment face enormous amounts of stress. Researchers at Rice University have found that this intense pressure can be felt at the cellular level and is linked to negative physical and mental health effects, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The study titled “Mitochondrial health, physical functioning, and daily affect: Bioenergetic mechanisms of dementia caregiver well-being,” is published online ...
Understanding willingness to pay for nationwide wastewater surveillance in Japan
2024-07-17
Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased likelihood of other such outbreaks in the future warrant the strengthening of epidemic surveillance systems. Among these, continuous wastewater surveillance at wastewater treatment plants is considered more advantageous for understanding the community-level disease dynamics, as compared to clinical surveillance. This is because such a continuous system captures the epidemic status of a larger population without any selection bias and provides higher testing capacity even during an outbreak. Moreover, such a system is relatively inexpensive. ...
Powerful new particle accelerator a step closer with muon-marshalling technology
2024-07-17
New experimental results show particles called muons can be corralled into beams suitable for high-energy collisions, paving the way for new physics.
Particle accelerators are best known for colliding matter to probe its make-up, but they are also used for measuring the chemical structure of drugs, treating cancers, and manufacturing silicon microchips.
Current accelerators use protons, electrons and ions, but more powerful accelerators using muons – heavier cousins of electrons – have the potential to revolutionise the field. Muon accelerators would ...