Engineering: Environmental vs. Developmental Goals
The 1992 winner of the Daniel W. Mead Student Paper competition explores the potential conflict for engineers, between environmental and developmental goals. Noting a dictionary definition...
Data Validation Practices and Risk Assessment
The accuracy of environmental site assessments depends on the validity of the data used to make them, but all too often, the people who judge the quality of the data have little idea of...
Banking on a Bridge
Completing the geotechnical design for the approach embankments and foundations for the Charter Oak Bridge, which crosses the Connecticut River between Hartford and East Hartford, Conn.,...
Data Base for Seismis Rick Assessment in Mexico City
We describe a model to estimate expected ground motions and expected damage, based on intensity damage relations derived for 14 classes of buildings representative of Mexico City construction....
Damage Assessment for Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Shear Walls
This paper tries to establish the analytical method of damage assessment for R.C. buildings with shear walls before or after earthquake. Incremental nonlinear spectrum analysis, using...
Code Provisions for Unreinforced Masonry Bearing Wall Buildings in California
Prior to the Long Beach earthquake of 1933, unreinforced masonry (URM) construction was usual in California, as it still is in many areas of the United States. The poor performance of...
Modeling Bridge Abutment Stiffness for the Meloland Road Overcrossing
A simplified equivalent spring model representing the dynamic stiffness of a highway bridge abutment system is developed for use in seismic response studies. It is based on linear elastic...
System Identification of the Meloland Overcrossing Using Static and Dynamic Field Data
A system identification study was performed using a computer finite element bridge model and measured static and dynamic response data obtained from full-scale quick-release ram field...
Fundamental Issues in Seismic Safety in Midwestern U.S. Due to Hazard/Vulnerability Relation
Problems in establishing and mitigating seismic risk in urban areas when seismicity is not confidently based on instrumental records are discussed. Urban Southwestern Ohio is a specific...
Things That Fall?Lessons from Some Construction Accidents and Structural Failures
The causes and results of several construction accidents are reviewed. The lessons to be learned from such a summary are that all too often the simplest oversight leads to catastrophic...
Predicting Turbine-Generator Foundation Vibrations
Two of the major considerations in the design of large turbine-generator foundations are to maintain the proper shaft alignment and to limit the vibration of the machine during operation....
Hybrid Control of Sliding Isolated Structures
The seismic response of buildings and bridges can be improved by isolating the structure with a seismic sliding bearings. Specialized passive devices are commonly used to complement these...
Hybrid Control of Seismic-Excited Bridge Structures Using Variable Dampers
A method of control for seismic-excited buildings or bridge structures using variable dampers is presented. The control method is based on the theory of variable structure system (VSS)...
Mitigation of Wind-Created Risks During Construction
Wind damage to structures during construction has been found to be significant and often catastrophic. Structural failures are often the result of wind loads that are far less than the...
Bridge Management Research Needs
The present article deals with some aspects of bridge management of particular interest to bridge engineers and to bridge users at the moment. It addresses questions such as life-cycle...
Seismic Assessment and Renovation Study for Highway Bridges
This paper is concerned with hazards mitigation on highway bridges due to earthquake ground motions. Damage to transportation systems may occur if the acting faults of May-Shan and Tsu-Kou...
Design of Stay Cables
Cable stayed structures, consisting of slender superstructure, stay cables and pylons are optimal systems for long span structures with regard to design an economy. The important function...
Parametric Study of Cable-Stayed Bridges Response Due to Traffic-Induced Vibration
The dynamic response of long-span cable-stayed bridges due to moving traffic loads is investigated utilizing three-dimensional models. Modal analysis is conducted using the deformed dead-load...
Linear and Nonlinear Finite Element Analyses of RC Skewed Slab Bridges with Integral Wall Abutments
The design of rigid-frame skewed slab bridges is complicated by higher shears and moments near the obtuse corner (see Fig.1). While the finite element method can be used to compute these...
Developing a New Construction Policy for Bridge Management
The SHRP Program and other rehabilitation strategies are based on extending the life of concrete bridge elements. In the Bridge Inventory are a number of bridges that must be reconstructed....
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