Robustness of Steel Buildings Under Extreme Seismic Events: Study of Building Systems Collapse Through Multi-scale Computational Methods

对结构系统在极端地震(EQS)作用下行为的基本了解对于设计健壮和有弹性的系统是很重要的。这种极端的均衡性可能会对结构系统提出严格的要求，并可能导致构件失效或建筑物完全倒塌。该奖项的研究目标是减轻钢结构建筑系统在遭受极端地震事件时倒塌造成的社会经济损失。这一目标将通过开发多尺度计算仿真模型来实现，该模型将为真实模拟钢结构建筑体系的倒塌反应提供一个虚拟平台。这些模型将把微尺度和结构尺度的物理结合起来，包括断裂、非弹性、结构构件的整体和局部屈曲，以及失效构件之间的接触和碰撞。这些新的基于物理的多尺度模型将被用来描述在极端地震事件下建筑系统的倒塌行为，包括了解导致倒塌易损性的地震激励的特征。研究成果将被用来通过发展倒塌行为的基本知识来降低倒塌风险，从而开发出坚固和有弹性的建筑系统。研究结果还将有助于确定对整个系统的稳定性和功能至关重要的关键系统功能，并有助于制定下一代基于性能的设计指南。将促进研究人员和最终用户之间的合作，为项目提供指导，并带头进行成果的技术转让，推动实践的发展。作为该项目的一部分，还将制定一项社区教育计划，以增加对建筑系统崩溃的影响和后果的了解，并使其能够从短期的社区意识转变为长期的社区复原力。该项目的教育部分旨在通过本科生参与研究和通过K-12课堂活动培养多学科科学和工程领域的未来几代领导人。

Fundamental understanding of structural systems behavior under extreme earthquakes (EQs) is important for designing robust and resilient systems. Such extreme EQs can impose severe demands on structural systems and may result in components failure or complete building collapse. The research objective of this award is to mitigate socio-economic losses due to collapse of steel building systems when subjected to extreme earthquake events. This goal will be achieved through development of multi-scale computational simulation models that will provide a virtual platform for realistic simulation of collapse response of steel building systems. These models will incorporate micro-scale to structural scale physics including fracture, inelasticity, global and local buckling of structural members, and contact and impact between failed members. These novel physics-based multi-scale models will be used to characterize collapse behavior of building systems subjected to extreme seismic events including understanding of the characteristics of the seismic excitation that contribute to collapse vulnerability.The research results will be utilized to mitigate risk of collapse by developing fundamental knowledge of collapse behavior leading to development of robust and resilient building systems. Research results will also assist in determining key system features that are critical to the stability and functioning of the entire system, and in development of next generation of performance based design guidelines. Collaborations between researchers and end users will be fostered to provide guidance to the project and to spearhead technology transfer of the results, advancing the state-of-the-practice. A community education program will also be developed as a part of this project to increase the understanding of impacts and consequences of building systems collapse and to enable movement from short term community awareness to long term community resiliency. Educational component of this project aims to produce future generations of leaders in multidisciplinary sciences and engineering through involvement of undergraduates in research and through K-12 classroom activities.