Performance-based evaluation and design of new and existing structural systems

加拿大西海岸位于一个被称为“太平洋火环”的高地震活跃区。该地区过去发生的地震摧毁了这些国家和城市的经济。为了防止加拿大遭受类似的灾害，省和联邦政府必须高度重视保护加拿大的基础设施免受未来自然和人为灾害的影响。 这项发现补助金提案旨在开发土木工程方面的创新技术，以保护加拿大的基础设施。拟议的计划将分为以下组成项目：1）开发先进的实验测试技术，在极端载荷下的结构系统和组件可以准确和经济有效地评估。2)开发高效透明的有限元模型，研究和实施新的分析材料，元素和解决方案算法。这将大大提高模拟一系列情景事件下结构响应的分析能力。3)开发基于性能的可靠评估方法，通过考虑自然和人为灾害的不确定性，可以系统地量化停机时间、初始施工成本、终身维护成本和结构材料的使用对环境的影响。4)新的结构系统和改造方案将开发和分析使用开发的有限元模型，使用先进的实验测试技术进行验证，其优势将使用开发的性能为基础的评估方法来证明。随着该计划的成功，高素质的人才（包括实验室技术人员，实践工程师和学生在本科，硕士和博士。将对这些人员进行培训，以保护加拿大的民用基础设施免受未来人为和自然灾害的影响。

The West Coast of Canada is in a highly seismically-active region known as "Pacific Ring of Fire". Past earthquakes in this region have devastated the countries' and cities' economies. To prevent Canada from suffering similar disasters, the provincial and federal government must set high priority to protect Canadian infrastructures against future natural and man-made hazards. This discovery grant proposal is aimed to develop innovative technologies in Civil Engineering to safeguard Canadian infrastructures. The proposed program will be divided into the following component projects: 1) Develop advanced experimental testing techniques, where structural systems and components under extreme loads can be evaluated accurately and cost-effectively. 2) Develop efficient and transparent finite element models, where new analytical materials, elements and solution algorithms will be researched and implemented. This will significantly improve the analytical capability to simulate the structural response under series of scenario events. 3) Develop robust performance-based assessment methodology, where downtime, initial construction cost, lifetime maintenance cost and the use of structural materials for the environmental impact can be systematically quantified by accounting for the uncertainties in the natural and man-made hazards. 4) Novel structural systems and retrofitting schemes will be developed and analyzed using the developed finite element models, validated using the advanced experimental testing techniques and its advantages will be demonstrated using the developed performance-based assessment methodology. With the success of the program, highly qualified personnel (including lab technicians, practicing engineers and students in the undergraduate, Master and Ph.D. levels) will be trained to safeguard Canada's civil infrastructure against future man-made and natural hazards.