Seismic Ground Motions and Their Application in Structural Engineering

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Structures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 4070

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
Interests: seismic ground motions; structural seismic response analysis; stochastic analysis; structural reliability; soil–structure interaction

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
Interests: structural reliability; fretting fatigue; structural dynamics; earthquake resistant design; seismic vulnerability

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Transportation Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: resilience assessment of pipeline networks; risk assessment; reliability; seismic response analysis; synthesis of seismic ground motions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Seismic ground motions play a crucial role in structural engineering, influencing the design, analysis, and performance of buildings under earthquake loading. Understanding the characteristics and behavior of seismic ground motions is essential for engineers to develop effective strategies for mitigating earthquake-induced damage and ensuring the safety and resilience of structures. By studying the amplitude, frequency, duration, and directionality of ground motions, engineers can assess the seismic hazard and design structures that can withstand various levels of earthquake shaking. Advanced analytical tools, such as finite element analysis and dynamic structural modeling, are employed to accurately simulate the response of structures to seismic ground motions. Additionally, seismic ground motion data are utilized in the development and refinement of building codes and seismic design standards, guiding engineers in designing structures that meet stringent safety requirements and contribute to the overall resilience of communities in earthquake-prone regions.

Dr. Yanqiong Ding
Prof. Dr. Yazhou Xu
Prof. Dr. Huiquan Miao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • seismic ground motions
  • dynamic analysis
  • structural reliability
  • seismic design of structures
  • vibration control

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 4537 KiB  
Article
Fragility Analysis of Masonry Structures Subjected to Random Sequential Ground Motions
by Jialiu Pan, Lei Cao, Yongqun Zhang and Jiaxu Shen
Buildings 2024, 14(11), 3377; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14113377 - 24 Oct 2024
Viewed by 913
Abstract
In this study, a fragility analysis of masonry structures is conducted using a random sequential ground motion model. Initially, the relationship between a mainshock and its aftershocks is clarified based on the physical mechanism of “source-path-local site”. Building on this, the random sequential [...] Read more.
In this study, a fragility analysis of masonry structures is conducted using a random sequential ground motion model. Initially, the relationship between a mainshock and its aftershocks is clarified based on the physical mechanism of “source-path-local site”. Building on this, the random sequential ground motion model is developed by integrating a point-source model with a homogeneous isotropic medium model. A five-story masonry structure model is then constructed in ABAQUS (6.14), and its accuracy is validated through experimental testing. Following this, 21 sets of random sequential ground motions are generated. Using the Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) method, 1260 nonlinear response samples of the structure under varying sequential ground motions are obtained, providing an insight into the fragility of the masonry structure subjected to these ground motions. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3035 KiB  
Article
Simulation of Strong Earthquake Ground Motions Based on the Phase Derivative
by Yanqiong Ding, Yazhou Xu and Huiquan Miao
Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2048; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072048 - 4 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1375
Abstract
A physical method for modeling the phase spectrum of earthquake ground motion is derived by defining relationships between the envelope delay and Fourier amplitude. In this method, two parameters with clear physical meanings, namely the median arrival time and strong shock duration, are [...] Read more.
A physical method for modeling the phase spectrum of earthquake ground motion is derived by defining relationships between the envelope delay and Fourier amplitude. In this method, two parameters with clear physical meanings, namely the median arrival time and strong shock duration, are introduced. These parameters provide a logical basis for modeling the phase spectrum in a physical sense. A simulation method for earthquake ground motions is introduced, based on a physical amplitude model and the proposed method for modeling the phase spectrum. To investigate the physical meaning of the phase spectrum of earthquake ground motion and to be used for simulating earthquake ground motions, two techniques based on the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and the continuous Fourier transform (CFT) are employed to calculate the envelope delay. It is demonstrated that when using the DFT, the range of envelope delays is dependent on the duration of the earthquake ground motion, and the range of envelope delays corresponding to peak amplitudes is dependent on the time span of the strong shock in ground motions. This dependency is not observed with the CFT. The proposed simulation method for earthquake ground motions was used to regenerate two recorded earthquake acceleration time histories. Numerical results demonstrate that this method can accurately reproduce the main characteristics of strong earthquake ground motion recordings. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4823 KiB  
Article
Mathematical and Physical Characteristics of the Phase Spectrum of Earthquake Ground Motions
by Yanqiong Ding, Yazhou Xu and Huiquan Miao
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1250; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051250 - 28 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1223
Abstract
This study presents a rigorous investigation into the mathematical and physical properties inherent in the Fourier phase spectrum of earthquake ground motions. This exploration includes a detailed examination of the probability distribution of phase angles and differences, elucidated through two novel numerical experiments [...] Read more.
This study presents a rigorous investigation into the mathematical and physical properties inherent in the Fourier phase spectrum of earthquake ground motions. This exploration includes a detailed examination of the probability distribution of phase angles and differences, elucidated through two novel numerical experiments utilizing the reduction ad absurdum approach. Moreover, the study scrutinizes the physical attributes of earthquake ground motion’s phase spectrum, employing the circular frequency-dependent phase derivative as a key analytical factor. In a novel approach, the research delves into the relationship between circular frequency-dependent phase derivatives and Fourier amplitudes, shedding light on essential connections within earthquake phenomena, particularly addressing non-stationarity. Expanding the scope, the study comprehensively examines the influence of source, propagation path, and site on both the phase spectrum and accelerogram. Employing the control variate technique facilitates this analysis, providing valuable insights into the underlying physical mechanisms governing earthquake wave behavior. The findings highlight the temporal properties of the phase spectrum, attributing its complexity to the temporal heterogeneity in energy release during the fault rupture and dispersion of earthquake waves. This novel approach not only enhances the understanding of earthquake dynamics, but also underscores the significance of considering temporal variations in earthquake events. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop