Reinforcement in seismic design of masonry structures

The article deals with the basic considerations to be kept in mind when designing "simple buildings" built with masonries which can be exposed to seismic vibrations. The influence of so usual "confined masonries" on the seismic wave is also analyzed. These masonries are actually reticulate frames with masonry panels filling them. After analyzing mechanisms of failures in masonry buildings exposed to earthquake, the article concentrates on the layout of reinforcements which can diminish seismic effects

Direct loss-based seismic design of reinforced concrete frame and wall structures

This paper presents a procedure to design reinforced concrete (RC) buildings to achieve an acceptable target level of earthquake-induced loss (e.g., deaths, dollars, downtime) under a site-specific hazard profile. The procedure is called “direct” since the target loss level is specified at the first step of the process, and virtually no iteration is required. The procedure is based on a simplified loss assessment involving a surrogate model for the seismic demand (i.e., probability distribution of peak horizontal deformation given ground-motion intensity) and simplified loss models for direct and indirect losses. For an arbitrarily-selected target loss level and structural geometry, the procedure provides the force-displacement curve of the corresponding equivalent single degree of freedom system. The principles of displacement-based design are adopted to provide member detailings (beams, columns, walls) consistent with such force-displacement curve. The procedure is applied to 16 realistic RC case studies with a lateral resisting system composed of frames in one direction and cantilever walls in the perpendicular one. They show different geometries, hazard profiles, and target values of direct economic expected annual loss. A benchmark loss estimation is obtained using cloud-based non-linear time-history analyses of multi-degree of freedom models. The procedure is conservative since the benchmark loss levels are always smaller than the targets. Such discrepancy is within 10% for 12 out of 32 case studies, between 10% and 20% for 13, between 20% and 31% for the remaining six. Therefore, the proposed procedure is deemed dependable for preliminary design

Characterization and modeling of contamination for Lyman break galaxy samples at high redshift

The selection of high redshift sources from broad-band photometry using the Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) technique is a well established methodology, but the characterization of its contamination for the faintest sources is still incomplete. We use the optical and near-IR data from four (ultra)deep Hubble Space Telescope legacy fields to investigate the contamination fraction of LBG samples at z~5-8 selected using a colour-colour method. Our approach is based on characterizing the number count distribution of interloper sources, that is galaxies with colors similar to those of LBGs, but showing detection at wavelengths shorter than the spectral break. Without sufficient sensitivity at bluer wavelengths, a subset of interlopers may not be properly classified, and contaminate the LBG selection. The surface density of interlopers in the sky gets steeper with increasing redshift of LBG selections. Since the intrinsic number of dropouts decreases significantly with increasing redshift, this implies increasing contamination from misclassified interlopers with increasing redshift, primarily by intermediate redshift sources with unremarkable properties (intermediate ages, lack of ongoing star formation and low/moderate dust content). Using Monte Carlo simulations, we estimate that the CANDELS deep data have contamination induced by photometric scatter increasing from ~2% at z~5 to ~6% at z~8 for a typical dropout color >1 mag, with contamination naturally decreasing for a more stringent dropout selection. Contaminants are expected to be located preferentially near the detection limit of surveys, ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 contaminants per arcmin2 at J=30, depending on the field considered. This analysis suggests that the impact of contamination in future studies of z>10 galaxies needs to be carefully considered.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, ApJ in pres

DBDsoft per la progettazione sismica. Un software innovativo per la progettazione sismica di strutture basato sul metodo diretto agli spostamenti (Direct Displacement Based Design)

La procedura di progettazione sismica basata sul metodo agli spostamenti (Direct Displacement Based Design - DDBD) è stata sviluppata molto per diversi sistemi strutturali e varie tipologie di materiali. Tuttavia, al momento, non sembrano esserci ancora applicazioni software che implementino tale approccio. E’ stato pertanto avviato un progetto di ricerca al EUCENTRE, finanziato dal Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, per lo sviluppo di un programma per computer denominato DBDSoft per la progettazione sismica di strutture basato sul metodo DDBD. Lo sviluppo del programma ha richiesto la risoluzione di diverse problematiche e un approccio innovativo rispetto ai tradizionali programmi di ingegneria. Nel presente articolo sono riportati alcuni cenni di teoria del metodo implementato e sono descritte le funzionalità del programma per la progettazione di edifici a telaio o con pareti in cemento armato. Lo sviluppo del presente programma ha richiesto la definizione di un nuovo approccio alla progettazione che consente l’assegnazione delle proporzioni di resistenza dei sistemi strutturali e la configurazione della posizione delle cerniere plastiche. Una volta definiti questi aspetti della struttura, il programma esegue analisi di equilibrio al fine di definire i valori delle forze di progetto, in linea con il metodo diretto DBD. I limiti dell’attuale versione del software sono discussi e sono identificate le aree di ricerca importanti per i futuri sviluppi del programma.JRC.G.5-European laboratory for structural assessmen

Model Building Code for Earthquakes

State-of-the-art model building code for seismic design and construction of buildings as well as recommendations for the updating of existing codes, so that ACS Member Countries be able to endow themselves with new appropriate codes or improve the existing ones, in order to develop better construction practices and techniques for the building of safe and reliable buildings.Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo///Washington D. C., Estados UnidosAgencia de Cooperación del Gobierno de Italia///ItaliaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ingeniería::Laboratorio Nacional de Materiales y Modelos Estructurales (LanammeUCR

Towards Regional Safety Assessment of Bridge Infrastructure

In the aftermath of disasters, it is increasingly recognized that while their occurrence is often inevitable, proactive risk management through adequate prioritization and preventative measures ought to be of utmost importance. Regions with large infrastructure networks (e.g. roadway bridges) exposed to different types of hazards and structural ageing/deteriorating over time are particularly vulnerable. Such vulnerability can become even more relevant in developing countries, which can face higher challenges in coping with extreme events. This paper describes a study on the bridge infrastructure network in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Israel and Italy as part of the project INFRA-NAT (www.infra-nat.eu). An extended database of each countrys bridge population is developed through a data collection form and allows for a detailed exposure model of the bridge network to be compiled. By considering the general characteristics of the bridge population, a representative sample of bridges is chosen to develop fragility functions for bridges exposed to seismic hazard. The connectivity of the network is modelled and the entire bridge network vulnerability is considered in a more comprehensive and global manner for seismic hazard and infrastructure ageing. The scope of this work is to provide practical web-based tools and databases for each country with which more informed decisions can be made related to the most vulnerable parts of the country and where resources should be invested for increased resilience.This research has been carried out under the INFRANAT project (www.infra-nat.eu) co-funded by European Commission ECHO – Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. Project reference: 783298 – INFRA-NAT – UCPM-2017-PP-AG

Lack of SARS-CoV-2 RNA environmental contamination in a tertiary referral hospital for infectious diseases in Northern Italy

none140noNAnoneColaneri M.; Seminari E.; Piralla A.; Zuccaro V.; Di Filippo A.; Baldanti F.; Bruno R.; Mondelli M.U.; Brunetti E.; Di Matteo A.; Maiocchi L.; Pagnucco L.; Mariani B.; Ludovisi S.; Lissandrin R.; Parisi A.; Sacchi P.; Patruno S.F.A.; Michelone G.; Gulminetti R.; Zanaboni D.; Novati S.; Maserati R.; Orsolini P.; Vecchia M.; Sciarra M.; Asperges E.; Sambo M.; Biscarini S.; Lupi M.; Roda S.; Chiara Pieri T.; Gallazzi I.; Sachs M.; Valsecchi P.; Perlini S.; Alfano C.; Bonzano M.; Briganti F.; Crescenzi G.; Giulia Falchi A.; Guarnone R.; Guglielmana B.; Maggi E.; Martino I.; Pettenazza P.; Pioli di Marco S.; Quaglia F.; Sabena A.; Salinaro F.; Speciale F.; Zunino I.; De Lorenzo M.; Secco G.; Dimitry L.; Cappa G.; Maisak I.; Chiodi B.; Sciarrini M.; Barcella B.; Resta F.; Moroni L.; Vezzoni G.; Scattaglia L.; Boscolo E.; Zattera C.; Michele Fidel T.; Vincenzo C.; Vignaroli D.; Bazzini M.; Iotti G.; Mojoli F.; Belliato M.; Perotti L.; Mongodi S.; Tavazzi G.; Marseglia G.; Licari A.; Brambilla I.; Daniela B.; Antonella B.; Patrizia C.; Giulia C.; Giuditta C.; Marta C.; Rossana D.; Milena F.; Bianca M.; Roberta M.; Enza M.; Stefania P.; Maurizio P.; Elena P.; Antonio P.; Francesca R.; Antonella S.; Maurizio Z.; Guy A.; Laura B.; Ermanna C.; Giuliana C.; Luca D.; Gabriella F.; Gabriella G.; Alessia G.; Viviana L.; Claudia L.; Valentina M.; Simona P.; Marta P.; Alice B.; Giacomo C.; Irene C.; Alfonso C.; Di Martino R.; Di Napoli A.; Alessandro F.; Guglielmo F.; Loretta F.; Federica G.; Alessandra M.; Federica N.; Giacomo R.; Beatrice R.; Maria S.I.; Monica T.; Nepita Edoardo V.; Calvi M.; Tizzoni M.; Nicora C.; Triarico A.; Petronella V.; Marena C.; Muzzi A.; Lago P.; Comandatore F.; Bissignandi G.; Gaiarsa S.; Rettani M.; Bandi C.Colaneri, M.; Seminari, E.; Piralla, A.; Zuccaro, V.; Di Filippo, A.; Baldanti, F.; Bruno, R.; Mondelli, M. U.; Brunetti, E.; Di Matteo, A.; Maiocchi, L.; Pagnucco, L.; Mariani, B.; Ludovisi, S.; Lissandrin, R.; Parisi, A.; Sacchi, P.; Patruno, S. F. A.; Michelone, G.; Gulminetti, R.; Zanaboni, D.; Novati, S.; Maserati, R.; Orsolini, P.; Vecchia, M.; Sciarra, M.; Asperges, E.; Sambo, M.; Biscarini, S.; Lupi, M.; Roda, S.; Chiara Pieri, T.; Gallazzi, I.; Sachs, M.; Valsecchi, P.; Perlini, S.; Alfano, C.; Bonzano, M.; Briganti, F.; Crescenzi, G.; Giulia Falchi, A.; Guarnone, R.; Guglielmana, B.; Maggi, E.; Martino, I.; Pettenazza, P.; Pioli di Marco, S.; Quaglia, F.; Sabena, A.; Salinaro, F.; Speciale, F.; Zunino, I.; De Lorenzo, M.; Secco, G.; Dimitry, L.; Cappa, G.; Maisak, I.; Chiodi, B.; Sciarrini, M.; Barcella, B.; Resta, F.; Moroni, L.; Vezzoni, G.; Scattaglia, L.; Boscolo, E.; Zattera, C.; Michele Fidel, T.; Vincenzo, C.; Vignaroli, D.; Bazzini, M.; Iotti, G.; Mojoli, F.; Belliato, M.; Perotti, L.; Mongodi, S.; Tavazzi, G.; Marseglia, G.; Licari, A.; Brambilla, I.; Daniela, B.; Antonella, B.; Patrizia, C.; Giulia, C.; Giuditta, C.; Marta, C.; D'Alterio, Rossana; Milena, F.; Bianca, M.; Roberta, M.; Enza, M.; Stefania, P.; Maurizio, P.; Elena, P.; Antonio, P.; Francesca, R.; Antonella, S.; Maurizio, Z.; Guy, A.; Laura, B.; Ermanna, C.; Giuliana, C.; Luca, D.; Gabriella, F.; Gabriella, G.; Alessia, G.; Viviana, L.; Meisina, Claudia; Valentina, M.; Simona, P.; Marta, P.; Alice, B.; Giacomo, C.; Irene, C.; Alfonso, C.; Di Martino, R.; Di Napoli, A.; Alessandro, F.; Guglielmo, F.; Loretta, F.; Federica, G.; Albertini, Alessandra; Federica, N.; Giacomo, R.; Beatrice, R.; Maria, S. I.; Monica, T.; Nepita Edoardo, V.; Calvi, M.; Tizzoni, M.; Nicora, C.; Triarico, A.; Petronella, V.; Marena, C.; Muzzi, A.; Lago, P.; Comandatore, F.; Bissignandi, G.; Gaiarsa, S.; Rettani, M.; Bandi, C

Physics case for an LHCb Upgrade II - Opportunities in flavour physics, and beyond, in the HL-LHC era

The LHCb Upgrade II will fully exploit the flavour-physics opportunities of the HL-LHC, and study additional physics topics that take advantage of the forward acceptance of the LHCb spectrometer. The LHCb Upgrade I will begin operation in 2020. Consolidation will occur, and modest enhancements of the Upgrade I detector will be installed, in Long Shutdown 3 of the LHC (2025) and these are discussed here. The main Upgrade II detector will be installed in long shutdown 4 of the LHC (2030) and will build on the strengths of the current LHCb experiment and the Upgrade I. It will operate at a luminosity up to 2×1034 cm−2s−1, ten times that of the Upgrade I detector. New detector components will improve the intrinsic performance of the experiment in certain key areas. An Expression Of Interest proposing Upgrade II was submitted in February 2017. The physics case for the Upgrade II is presented here in more depth. CP-violating phases will be measured with precisions unattainable at any other envisaged facility. The experiment will probe b → sl+l−and b → dl+l− transitions in both muon and electron decays in modes not accessible at Upgrade I. Minimal flavour violation will be tested with a precision measurement of the ratio of B(B0 → μ+μ−)/B(Bs → μ+μ−). Probing charm CP violation at the 10−5 level may result in its long sought discovery. Major advances in hadron spectroscopy will be possible, which will be powerful probes of low energy QCD. Upgrade II potentially will have the highest sensitivity of all the LHC experiments on the Higgs to charm-quark couplings. Generically, the new physics mass scale probed, for fixed couplings, will almost double compared with the pre-HL-LHC era; this extended reach for flavour physics is similar to that which would be achieved by the HE-LHC proposal for the energy frontier

LHCb upgrade software and computing : technical design report

This document reports the Research and Development activities that are carried out in the software and computing domains in view of the upgrade of the LHCb experiment. The implementation of a full software trigger implies major changes in the core software framework, in the event data model, and in the reconstruction algorithms. The increase of the data volumes for both real and simulated datasets requires a corresponding scaling of the distributed computing infrastructure. An implementation plan in both domains is presented, together with a risk assessment analysis

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages