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

地震造成生命损失、结构破坏和服务中断的可能性是非常令人关注的，并且在基于性能的结构设计的发展中已经获得了越来越多的认识。许多设备（例如，弹性体阻尼器和磁流变阻尼器）最近已经被开发为减少结构中的地震危险的手段。为了使这些负载率依赖设备的广泛使用，有必要开发基于性能的设计代码，需要从配备这些设备的结构的实时测试的结构性能的知识。实时伪动态（PSD）和混合PSD测试方法提供了理想的方法来满足这一需求，其中在后一种方法中，只有关键部件进行物理测试，结构的其余部分在计算机中建模。在实时测试中，需要以快的速率操作液压致动器不可避免地带来沿着的控制问题;并且除非时间延迟（由于致动器响应时间、通信、计算时间等），如果被精确地补偿，则可能发生精度和稳定性问题。挑战包括引入可变时间延迟的多个致动器的精确控制，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建立实时测试结果的质量。拟议的研究计划旨在深入了解应对当前挑战所需的知识;开发克服这些挑战的方法;从而使这些测试方法的应用范围更广。通过向结构工程师提供增强的测试方法，拟议的计划将有助于设计和理解下一代结构。

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.