Structural Parameter Analysis of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Existing Intake Tower Inventory.
Abstract
Existing Corps intake towers were designed using the seismic coefficient method which incorrectly estimates demands placed on an intake tower during a major earthquake. Lightly reinforced concrete structures, such as Corps' intake towers, may have sufficient inherent ductility to respond without failure. However, the success of the tower in resisting failure is dependent upon the magnitude of the earthquake loads and the structural details controlling the nonlinear dynamic response and failure mechanisms of the specific tower. Currently available analysis tools and engineering guidance for intake towers do not properly include these factors. The development and validation of better tools and guidance is the primary goal of Research Program 387- Earthquake Engineering - Structures, Work Unit 32911, Nonlinear Dynamic Response and Failure Mechanisms of Intake Towers. The research discussed in this report is an initial step in a planned 7-year effort to accomplish this goal. Specifically, the objective of this initial research was to quantify the distribution and variation of the structural characteristics of the Corps' inventory of existing intake towers, considering their earthquake location hazard. This was accomplished by the examination of the structural as-built drawings for 77 towers located in seismic zones 2 and above, the generation of a database containing 36 parameters for each of the towers, and a statistical analysis to summarize the distribution of these parameters. (MM)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA304179
Entities
People
- Richard C. Dove