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

地震造成生命损失、结构损坏和服务中断的可能性非常令人关注，并在结构性能设计的发展中得到了越来越多的认识。最近开发了许多装置(例如，弹性体和磁流变液阻尼器)来降低结构中的地震危险性。为了能够广泛使用这些负荷率相关的装置，有必要开发基于性能的设计规范，这些设计规范需要通过配备这些装置的结构的实时试验来了解结构的性能。实时伪动态(PSD)和混合PSD测试方法提供了满足这一需求的理想方法，在后一种方法中，只对关键部件进行物理测试，而结构的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)。如果准确补偿，就有可能出现精度和稳定性问题。挑战包括对引入可变时延的多个执行器的精确控制，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了解，开发克服挑战的方法，从而使这些测试方法能够得到更广泛的应用领域。通过向结构工程师展示增强的测试方法，拟议的计划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.