CAREER: A Comprehensive Approach for Investigating the Effects of Near-Fault Dynamic Ground Deformations on Engineering Structures

这项教师早期职业发展(CALEAR)计划奖的研究目标是调查近断层动态地面变形对工程结构响应的影响。这项拟议的研究基于跨学科的方法，范围从震源描述到地面运动建模，再到结构动态响应。具体的研究活动包括：(1)用数值方法模拟地面动态变形，并评价它们在预测近断层区域地面运动的应变、摇摆和扭转分量方面的准确性；(2)用运动学建模方法研究断层破裂特征对近断层动态地面变形的影响；(3)推导表示动态地面变形场某些分量的简化数学模型；(4)研究大跨度桥梁塔架等结构对近断层平移和旋转运动的动力响应。这项研究的成果将对地震工程界产生直接的影响，为评估工程结构在强震近场地面动态变形下的抗震性能提供先进的工具和技术。研究结果最终将导致设计规范的改进。该项目的教育和推广计划包括让少数群体和代表性不足的群体在大学一级参与，并通过K-12推广活动，目的是扩大他们在数学、科学和工程领域的参与。具体的K-12外展活动包括参加为高中生设计的暑期研究和辅导计划，以及为华盛顿特区大都市区公立高中的学生提供讲座、演示、计算机项目和动手实验室实验。研究成果将在学术期刊和会议记录上发表，通过一个项目网站传播，并纳入本科生和研究生课程。该项目还将加强地震工程学和工程地震学学科之间的互动。综合的方法将使科学界更好地了解地震问题的性质，更有效地面对研究挑战，以严格的方式将进展纳入工程规范，并最终降低地震风险。

The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award is to investigate the effects of near-fault dynamic ground deformations on the response of engineering structures. The proposed research is based on an interdisciplinary approach that ranges from the description of the earthquake source, to ground motion modeling, and to dynamic structural response. Specific research activities include: (1) simulating dynamic ground deformations using numerical approaches, and evaluating their accuracy in predicting strain, rocking and torsional components of ground motion in the near-fault region, (2) investigating the effect of fault rupture characteristics on near-fault dynamic ground deformations using a kinematic modeling approach, (3) deriving simplified mathematical models for the representation of certain components of the dynamic ground deformation field, (4) investigating the dynamic response of structures such as towers of long-span bridges to near-fault translational and rotational motions, and (5) deriving coupled tilt and translational ground motion response spectra for engineering analysis and design in the near-fault region.Insights from this research will have a direct impact on the earthquake engineering community, by providing advanced tools and techniques for assessing the seismic performance of engineering structures to dynamic ground deformations in the near field of strong earthquakes. Research results will ultimately lead to improvements in design codes. The education and outreach plan of this project includes the involvement of minorities and underrepresented groups at the university level and through K-12 outreach activities with the objective of broadening their participation in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering. Specific K-12 outreach activities include participation in summer research and mentoring programs designed for high school students, as well as lectures, demonstrations, computer projects and hands-on laboratory experiments to students at public high schools in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Research results will be published in scholarly journals and conference proceedings, disseminated through a project website, and integrated into undergraduate and graduate courses. The project will also strengthen interactions between the earthquake engineering and engineering seismology disciplines. An integrated approach will enable the scientific community to better understand the nature of the earthquake problem, face the research challenges more effectively, incorporate the progress into engineering codes in a rigorous way, and ultimately reduce the seismic risk.