In this paper, we consider the time at which earthquake events occur when analyzing seismic structural damage to a deteriorating RC bridge within a specified period. Because the uncertainty exists in the occurrence time of earthquake events, Monte Carlo simulation is applied. The proposed procedure for evaluating the exceedance probability, which corresponds to a specified limit state, is then applied to a case study of RC bridges in Taiwan to demonstrate its applicability. This study selects three typical RC bridges located in the Taipei Basin, Taiwan, to analyze exceedance probabilities of specified damage states during various specified periods and then discusses the cumulative damage effect on the exceedance probabilities of specified damage states. Additionally, for the chloride-induced deteriorating bridges at various distances to the sea in Suao, Taiwan, the effects of the deterioration and seismic structural damage on the exceedance probabilities of specified damage states are demonstrated and discussed. The proposed assessment procedure can help engineers understand whether the deterioration would accelerate the declining seismic performance of bridges and shorten their serviceability-related and safety-related service lives, as well as provide reference for repairing RC bridges and retrofitting their seismic performance. 相似文献
This paper reported a tornado hazard happened on June 23, 2016, in Yancheng city, Jiangsu Province. The moving footprint of this huge tornado was from west to east. Shuoji, Chenliang, Goudun, Banhu, Xingou, Wutan towns in Funing district and Sheyang town in Sheyang district were severely hit by this tornado. This tornado along with rainstorm and hailstorm had claimed 99 lives and caused more than 3800 flats to collapse as well as damaged 48 high-voltage circuits. As the cold air from northwest met the subtropical high pressure system that forms over relatively cool water bodies (i.e., Indian and Pacific Oceans), such a powerful meteorological phenomenon was initiated. The strong connective airflow intensified the development of this tornado. Based on the preliminary investigation and analysis of this tornado, cost-effective timber structures with adequate anchorage of the framing to foundations and adequate connection between walls and roofs may be recommended to ensure occupants safety and reduce potential damage in these extreme wind events. Additionally, it is suggested to utilize early warning system along with geographical information system (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), and remote sensing (RS) (3S) to monitor and precast the occurrence of rainfall, hailstorm, and tornado hazards in future.
The theory on the cyclic adaptation between society and ecosystems sheds new light on the evolution and internal structure of human–environment systems. This paper introduces the risk index(RI) and adaptation capacity index(ACI) to evaluate the rural human–environment system. An evaluation index system for the adaptability of rural human–environment systems is configured in the context of climate change and policy implementation. On this basis, the stages, features, dominant control factors, and evolution mechanism were examined vis-à-vis the adaptability of the rural human–environment system in Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner from 1952 to 2017. The main results are as follows:(1) The evolution of the rural human–environment system can be divided into three stages, namely, the reorganization and rapid development stage(1952–2002) with population, cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland increasing by 260%, 13%, 134% and 16.33%, respectively. The rapid to stable development stage(2003–2010) with population increasing by 2.8%; cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland decreasing by 2.3%, 13.6% and 10.7%, respectively. The stable to release stage(2011–2017) with population, cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland decreasing by 2.6%, 0.2%, 10.6% and 3.8%, respectively.(2) With the passage of time, the ACI of the rural human–environment system first increased slightly(–0.016–0.031), followed by a slight decline(0.031–0.003), and culminating in a rapid increase(0.003–0.088). In terms of spatial patterns, adaptability is high in the middle, moderate in the north, and low in the south.(3) The evolution of adaptability in the rural human–environment system was mainly controlled by the per capita effective irrigation area(22.31%) and the per capita number of livestock(23.47%) from 1990 to 2000, the desertified area(25.06%) and the land use intensity(21.27%) from 2000 to 2005, and the per capita income of farmers and herdsmen(20.08%) and the per capita number of livestock(18.52%) from 2010 to 2007.(4) Under the effects of climate change and policy interventions, the cyclic adaptation of the rural human–environment system was propelled by the interactions between two kinds of subjects: farmers and herdsmen on the one hand and rural communities on the other hand. The interaction affects the adaptive behavior of the two kinds of subjects, which in turn drives the cyclic evolution of the system. As a result, the system structure and functions developed alternatively between coordinated and uncoordinated states. Small-scale adaptive behaviors of farmers and herdsmen have a profound impact on the evolution of the rural human–environment system. 相似文献