Title: Innovative self-centering structural systems and hybrid simulation

Principal Investigator: James Ricles

PI’s Affiliation: Lehigh University, USA

Co-PI at Tongji University: Yiyi Chen

Abstract:

This study, jointly launched by Tongji University, Lehigh University, and San Francisco State University, puts forth an innovative self-centering/self-healing structural design solution which has great potential for significantly reducing the enormous economic losses related to repair costs, temporary sheltering, business interruption, suspension of building occupation, and building demolition due to irreparable damage in the aftermath of strong earthquakes. The proposed approach utilizes a unique class of metal, shape memory alloys (SMAs), to strengthen key structural components of building structures, and fluid viscous damping technologies are used in parallel to further improve the performance of the SMA-equipped structures. The concept will be verified by experimental, numerical, and analytical investigations, and in particular, hybrid simulation will be employed to significantly reduce the experimental cost demand while keeping the accuracy of the research outcomes. The design concept of this project can upgrade the conventional target levels of vulnerability for structures, and can form an important basis on the next-generation performance-based seismic design framework.