Theodore L. Karavasilis
University of Warwick
UK
Title: Earthquake-resilient post-tensioned steel buildings: Large-scale experiments, advanced numerical models and probabilistic economic seismic loss estimation
Biography
Biography: Theodore L. Karavasilis
Abstract
Conventional seismic-resistant steel structures are traditionally designed to sustain significant inelastic deformations in structural members under strong earthquakes. This design philosophy has well known advantages including life safety and economy but results in socio-economic losses due to repair costs and long disruption of building use and occupation. Starting from the idea of resilience-based seismic design, which has as major objective the reparability of a structural system, this presentation will show how smart structural detailing, post-tensioning, and use of rate-dependent passive dampers can be integrated to design steel buildings that return to service within an acceptable short, if not immediate, time after very strong earthquakes. A sequence of major research tasks will be presented including the design, plan and execution of a large-scale experimental program; the development of advanced nonlinear numerical models capable to simulate the dynamic response of the building up to dynamic instability; the development of practical design procedures within the framework of Eurocodes 3 and 8; and the implementation of a state-of-the-art probabilistic framework for direct economic seismic loss estimation.