Developments for real-time pseudodynamic (PSD) and hybrid PSD test methods

地震可能造成的生命损失、结构破坏和服务中断是人们非常关注的问题，在基于性能的结构设计的发展中，人们越来越意识到这一点。许多装置（例如，弹性体和磁流变阻尼器）最近被开发出来作为减少结构地震危险的手段。为了使这些与荷载速率相关的装置能够广泛使用，有必要制定基于性能的设计规范，这些规范要求从配备这些装置的结构的实时测试中了解结构性能。实时伪动态（PSD）和混合PSD测试方法为满足这一需求提供了理想的方法，在后一种方法中，仅对关键部件进行物理测试，其余部分在计算机中建模。在实时测试中，需要快速操作液压执行器，不可避免地会带来控制问题；除非时间延迟（由于执行器响应时间，通信，计算时间等）得到准确补偿，否则很可能出现精度和稳定性问题。面临的挑战包括精确控制引入可变时间延迟的多个执行器，分析子结构的代表性建模及其实时执行，以及缺乏标准化工具来确定实时测试结果的质量。拟议的研究计划旨在获得应对当前挑战所需的深入理解；发展克服这些困难的方法；从而为这些测试方法提供更广泛的应用领域。通过向结构工程师展示增强的测试方法，拟议的程序将有助于下一代结构的设计和理解。

The potential for earthquakes to cause loss of life, structural damage and interruption of service is of great concern, and has gained increased awareness in the development of performance based design of structures. Numerous devices (e.g., elastomeric and magnetorheological dampers) have been recently developed as a means of reducing the seismic hazard in structures. To enable widespread use of these load-rate dependent devices, it is necessary to develop performance based design codes which require knowledge of structural performance from real-time tests of structures equipped with these devices. The real-time pseudodynamic (PSD) and hybrid PSD test methods offer ideal ways to address this need, where in the latter method only the critical components are physically tested and the remaining part of the structure is modeled in a computer. In real-time testing, the need to operate hydraulic actuators at fast rates inevitably brings along control issues; and unless the time delays (due to actuator response time, communication, computing time, etc.) are accurately compensated, accuracy and stability problems are likely to occur. The challenges include accurate control of multiple actuators that introduce variable time delay, representative modeling of the analytical substructure and its execution in real-time, and the lack of a standardized tool to establish the quality of the real-time test results. The proposed research program aims to gain an in-depth understanding necessary to handle the current challenges; to develop methodologies to overcome them; and thereby to enable a broader domain of application for these test methods. By presenting structural engineers with enhanced testing methodologies, the proposed program will contribute to the design and understanding of next generation structures.