Trial Lecture: "Sustainable Innovations in RC (Reinforced Concrete) Bridge Design and Construction via Life-Cycle Analysis".
Ordinary opponents:
- First opponent: Professor Enrique Hernandez Montes, University of Granada, Spain
- Second opponent: Associate Professor Alice Alipour, Iowa State University, USA
- Chair of the committee: Associate Professor Dimitrios Kraniotis, OsloMet
Leader of the public defense: Associate Professor Allen Tadayon, OsloMet
Supervisors:
- Main supervisor: Associate Professor Mahdi Kioumarsi, OsloMet
- Co-supervisor: Professor Vagelis Plevris, OsloMet
Abstract
Vulnerability assessment of cultural heritage assets and unreinforced masonry buildings is important for providing a resilient framework and sustainable reconstruction proposals. Owing to the vulnerability of unreinforced masonry structures to earthquakes, different seismic vulnerability assessment methodologies have been developed and can be classified, based on the scale of application, into: 1) single structure scale 2) building stock scale, and 3) large scale.
The thesis was mainly aimed at improving the current methodologies for seismic vulnerability assessment of historical constructions and proposing efficient methods using modern technologies.
First, topics related to simplified analytical methods for large-scale seismic vulnerability assessments were reviewed and investigated. Simplified analytical methods are presented for calculating the initial in-plane and maximum lateral strengths of unreinforced masonry walls with openings.
The seismic vulnerability of unreinforced masonry buildings at a single-structure scale was investigated using equivalent frame methods. A new macroelement and an open-source graphical user interface were developed. The efficiencies of the different equivalent frame methods were investigated by comparing the results of the nonlinear analysis of various case studies. Moreover, the effect of pulse-like near-field ground motions on the seismic behavior of low-rise unreinforced masonry buildings was evaluated using the proposed macroelement.
Finally, the seismic vulnerability assessment of cultural heritage assets, at a single structure scale, using the continuum homogeneous method, was evaluated by emphasizing model calibration based on operational modal analysis and the effect of soil-structure interaction. Two methodologies were proposed for deriving the simulation-based digital twins of historic structures and applied to two case studies. The application of different optimal sensor placement techniques for detecting the optimized location of accelerometer sensors for ambient vibration testing was explored. Furthermore, the effect of pulse-like near-field excitations on the seismic behavior of a masonry arch bridge was studied.
