performance based seismic engineering

Caption:

NATIONAL STADIUM,
Beijing, China

>

CAP TION TITLE

>

CREATING EXCEPTIONAL VALUE

Olympic Green,
Beijing, China.
Architect: Herzog &
De Meuron.

Arup seismic engineers specialise in the development

of innovative, practical and cost-efficient solutions
and consistently create exceptional value for clients.

Arup is a world leader in the application of

performance-based design techniques. Our
techniques achieve significant monetary savings
and other lifecycle cost benefits for developers and
owners of buildings, industrial, nuclear power and
petrochemical facilities (onshore and offshore) and
infrastructure assets.
Performance-based seismic engineering is now an
established technology for the more economical
design of structures to resist earthquakes. This has
become possible through the marriage of stateof-the-art numerical simulation technology with
experimental and field data obtained from vast
research programmes in the USA and Japan into
the performance of structural elements subjected
to the damaging effects of strong earthquake
ground motions.

Base isolation and passive energy dissipation

devices are established technologies available
for seismic risk mitigation. Arup has been a world
leader in applying seismic isolators, Unbonded
Brace and viscous/visco-elastic dampers to
reduce the potential of seismic damage for new
and existing structures.
We present some examples of how our expertise
has made a real difference to the cost, and in some
cases the viability, of a variety of recent building
projects. Industrial and infrastructure projects are
illustrated in a separate brochure.

Clive Lewis-ArupSport

The performance-based approach enables us to

design new structures more economically and to
assess existing structures more realistically (often
resulting in reduced need for retrofit). In addition,
we can develop and validate by advanced

simulation innovative solutions that make stepchange improvements to the financial viability of
a project. The reduced material consumption that
results from the adoption of this approach also
makes a positive contribution to the sustainability
of new developments.

<

The Centre and its nonlinear seismic

analysis model illustrating yielding of
the Unbonded BracesTM (red).

C hina Central Television

New Headquarters

>

O saka International
Convention Centre

Architect: OMA (Ole

Scheeren & Rem Koolhaas)
OMA

> St. Francis

Shangri-La
Place, Manila
Architect: Wong &
Tung International.

< CAPTION TITLES

>

HIGH RISE BUILDINGS

Caption:

Conventional code based design is unsuitable

for high-rise buildings as has been recognised
in Japan and China for many years. It is now
increasingly understood all around the world
that the performance-based procedures used
in these countries are essential to ensure safe
and economic designs.
Arup has over 20 years experience in performancebased seismic design of high-rise buildings utilising
nonlinear response history analysis. This started
with the 26 storey Century Tower in Tokyo in 1985
and in 1996 we designed the Osaka International
Convention Center, incorporating the innovative
Nippon Steel Unbonded Brace component to
enable the unusual architectural form to be delivered
with superior performance in extreme earthquakes.

WTIL/Shang Grand Tower Corporation

In 2004 we designed the tallest building in Beijing,

the 317m Beijing World Trade Center Mega Tower
and the iconic 234m tall China Central Television
Headquarters building. Our comprehensive
performance-based approach enabled the designs
of these ground breaking projects to be progressed
on schedule and resulted in rapid approval from
the Chinese Expert Review Panel.

The 60 storey twin towers of St Francis Shangri-la

Place, Manila, the tallest residential buildings in the
Philippines, were completed structurally in 2008.
These reinforced concrete buildings are located
2km from an active fault in a highly seismic region
also subjected to typhoons. Originally designed to
UBC 1997, performance-based analysis highlighted
major deficiencies in the code seismic provisions
for buildings of this type. In a major re-design of the
structure, Arup introduced a novel damping system
in which viscous dampers connect outriggers from
the core to the perimeter columns. The damping so
derived controls wind-induced motions and improves
the seismic performance which was assessed
directly by nonlinear response history analysis.
This approach resulted in both improved seismic
performance and reduced member sizes and
reinforcement densities. Multi-million US dollars of
savings were achieved in the super-structure alone.

> St. Francis

Shangri-La
Place, Manila
Schematic illustration
of the central cores,
outriggers, viscous
fluid dampers and
perimeter columns
in each tower.

The Plant and Environmental

Sciences building. Incorporating
Unbonded Braces.

S abiha Gken International

Airport Istanbul, Turkey
The entire superstructure is supported
on triple-pendulum isolators.

< maison hermes

building

<

INCORPORATING SEISMIC
PROTECTION TECHNOLOGIES

<

<

U C Davis, california

Tokyo, completed
in 2001 with its
viscoelastic damper
stepping column
system. Architect:
Renzo Piano.

Arup has pioneered the use of seismic protection

technology to improve the performance of new and
existing structures.
Following our first use of the novel Unbonded BraceTM
in Japan on the 26 storey Osaka International
Convention Centre and then on Toyota Stadium,
we introduced unbonded braces to the USA. They
were first installed in the Plant and Environmental
Sciences building of University of California, Davis.
Subsequently this technology, combined with our
performance-based design approach, numerical
virtual testing and nonlinear dynamic analysis
techniques, has been applied to many other
projects including the Kaiser Permanente Santa
Clara Medical Center building.
Seismic isolation is a well established technique to
reduce seismic demands on critical facilities. We
conceived the worlds first application of this seismic
isolation technology to a major offshore project,
the Lunskoye and the PA-B gas platforms off the
eastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia.

Here, four Friction PendulumTM isolators (each

supporting 13,000 tonnes) are installed between the
topside and the concrete gravity base structures.
In our design for the Sabiha Gken International
Airport Istanbul, Turkey, the entire superstructure
is protected by triple pendulum friction pendulum
isolators, in order to meet the clients key objective
of maintaining facility operations after the 475 year
return period earthquake. The project, providing
160,000m2 of floor, is currently under construction.
In 1997 we developed a novel design for the
iconic 15 storey Maison Hermes building in central
Tokyo. Inspired by traditional Japanese pagodas
and temples that remain standing after major
earthquakes, columns at one side of the narrow
building are allowed to lift up rather than to develop
tension at the foundation. The uplift is controlled
by visco-elastic dampers. This unique columnbase design reduced very substantially the quantity
of steel in the superstructure and the foundation
requirements. The resulting cost saving was in
excess of one million US dollars.

Shouya Katsuta

> F riction
pendulum
seismic
isolators

<

OFFSHORE STRUCTURES

< Magtymguly gravity

based platform

< > Malampaya offshore

gas platform,
Philippines

Detailed modelling of the

plated steel leg and pontoon.

Stevenson, Kinder & Scott

> Lunskoye offshore

gas platform

Nonlinear seismic analysis

model incorporating
soil-structure interaction.

The Lunskoye offshore

gas platform of the
Sakhalin II project.

We have extensive experience and a track record

of innovation in the seismic design of offshore
structures for the energy industry. We are pioneers
in applying 3D non linear dynamic structural and
soil-structure interaction analysis techniques to
enable the most economical and reliable seismic
design of both concrete and steel offshore platforms
and their foundations.
Conventional seismic design of gravity based platforms
attempts to prevent any sliding of the structures
on the seabed during earthquakes. This requires
large quantities of solid ballast placed offshore after
installation. We achieved a multi-million US dollar
saving for the Malampaya oil and gas platform,
installed in the Philippines, by making a performancebased quantified assessment of sliding assuming the
quantity of solid ballast were reduced to that required
for wave loading only.

The predicted sliding in the safe shutdown

earthquake was within the acceptable deformation
limits of the sub-sea pipelines connecting to
the platform.
In 2008 we completed the detailed design of the
steel gravity based platform for the Magtymguly field
in the Caspian Sea, offshore Turkmenistan. This
comprises stiffened plated steel skirts, pontoon and
lower legs, with tubular steel upper legs supporting
the topside structure. Nonlinear response history
analysis was employed explicitly modelling nonlinear
soil-structure interaction, interaction with the adjacent
well-head platform, nonlinear buckling of the stiffened
plated legs and material and geometric nonlinearity in
the truss legs and topside.

Typical 3-d nonlinear seismic

soil-pile-structure
interaction analysis
model.

Atl antic LNG

Terminal,
Trinidad
Concrete outer
containment tanks
under construction.
Noel Whessoe Ltd.

< simulation of
nonliner tank
response

> CAPTION TITLE

>

PAGEtanks
lng
TITLE

<

<

Atl antic LNG

Terminal,
Trinidad

Caption:

Full fluid-tank
interaction analysis
simulating uplift
and elephant
foot buckling.

The seismic performance of safety-critical LNG

tanks and their foundations is a key concern for
public safety and the environment. LNG tanks are
often founded on soft liquefiable estuarine soils
and in recent projects we have been able to
justify more cost-efficient designs by carrying out
performance-based nonlinear soil-pile-structure
interaction analyses. By explicitly analysing the
nonlinear behaviour of soils and piles with the LNG
tanks in a single model, we often find that the
seismic forces on the tank are significantly lower
than would predicted by traditional equivalent linear
methods.

For the Atlantic LNG Terminal project in Trinidad,

this approach resulted in substantial cost savings
in a number of ways:

25% reduction in the seismic forces on

the tanks compared with that by the
conventional equivalent linear method

Removing the need for expensive site

soil improvement

Piles were designed simply for the

gravity load requirement

Removing the need for seismic isolators

(which would have been required in
conjunction with soil improvement)

The performance of piles was demonstrated to be

satisfactory in the operating basis and safe shutdown
earthquake events, even if it was assumed that the
loose silty sand deposits suffered liquefaction.

Daniel Loiselle

We now routinely carry out 3D nonlinear soil-pilestructure interaction analyses for LNG facilities in
order to justify more economical solutions.

10

11

<

POWER GENERATION FACILITIES

< Sual Power

Station,
PhilippineS

Trawsfynydd
nuclear power
station, Wales
Decommissioning
of the two reactor
buildings, and seismic
design of a new
intermediate level
waste store building.

>

> Taichung
Power Station
Chimney, Taiwan

We have an extensive track record of value-adding

projects for owners and regulators of fossil fuel and
nuclear power generation facilities.
We have designed numerous coal-fired power
stations in seismic regions including China, Taiwan
and the Philippines. Whilst conventional structures
were designed to code provisions, performancebased techniques were used in the design of special
structures such as tall chimneys, unloading jetties
and boiler support structures to achieve reduced risk
of damage and greater economy.

 Magnox Electric Ltd

We have conducted seismic assessment and retrofit

and nuclear decommissioning projects for British
Energy, British Nuclear Fuels Limited, and the UK
Health and Safety Executives Nuclear Installation
Inspectorate. Facilities examined include reactor
buildings, reactor re-fuelling machines, waste store
buildings and re-processing plant.

12

13

Caption:

<

CAP TION TITLE

>

bridges

M etsovitikos
suspension
bridge

< CAPTION TITLES

Caption:

The 565m Span

across a deep valley
in northern Greece

< > 
tappan
CAPTION
zeeTITLES
bridge,
Caption:
New York
Coupled sitesoil-structure
interaction
analysis for
approach spans

Soil-structure
interaction analysis
for roadway
structures

For new elevated roadways at JFK Airport we

determined by nonlinear soil-structure interaction
analysis that substantial savings were feasible in the
piled foundations for the piers. Physical load tests
on a 20 pile group on site subsequently validated
our predictions.
We have been involved in state of the art evaluation
of options for the rehabilitation of New Yorks Tappan
Zee Bridge. Studies have included nonlinear site
response (including basin effects) of the alluvial soils,
nonlinear soil-pile-structure interaction simulation
for the multiple approach span piers, and structural
utilisation checks for the main navigation spans.

Wilkinson Eyre

Arup
has carried out seismic design, assessment
QUOTE:
and rehabilitation of a number of new and existing
long-span bridges. Our cutting-edge technologies
in nonlinear dynamic analysis, simulation of spatial
variation of earthquake ground motions arising
from local site response, loss of coherency and
wave passage were employed in the design of the
Metsovitikos suspension bridge in Greece.
Main copy:
For the rock-anchored Metsovitikos bridge, the
performance-based method enabled us to quantify
the sliding distances of the main cable anchorages
under the safety evaluation earthquake, resulting in
substantial savings in the construction costs of
these gravity anchorages.

< jfk Airport,

new york

14

15

> CAPTION TITLE

PAGE TITLE AND NON-STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
>

< FMCs Chiksan

LNG loading
arm

Caption:

Nonlinear seismic
response analysis

Main copy:
> CAPTION TITLE
S eismic Toppling
assessment

<

Caption:
In Caption:
addition to civil, industrial and transportation
structures, we also have extensive experience of the
seismic design and assessment of equipment and
non-structural systems. Many of these, particularly
those handling hazardous materials, must meet high
performance standards in order to protect public
safety and the environment.

<

>

> CAPTION TITLE

v essels and
pipework

Seismic toppling
assessment of
cylindrical nuclear
fuel transport flasks,
shaking table test
and numerical
simulation.

We developed a nonlinear numerical virtual

< CAPTION TITLE
testing technique for seismic toppling assessment
of cylindrical nuclear fuel transport flasks.Caption:
This
technique has been verified by shaking table
tests and has become an approved technique by
regulatory authorities for the demonstration of safety
standards for license application.

Caption:

Magnus Photos

Caption:

> CAPTION TITLE

>

>

> CAPTION TITLE

We recently applied the performance-based

methodology to FMCs Chiksan LNG marine loading
arms and have successfully proven the feasibility
of an economical seismic design satisfying
high TITLE
< CAPTION
standards for life safety and environmental protection
Caption:
for their installation in seismic regions.

16

17

Virtual testing of a
steel moment frame
connection.

U nbonded
Brace
component
Hysteresis loops
from physical and
virtual testing.

< Numerical
simulation
of cyclic
loading of
stocky brace
for CCTV New
Headquarters

> CAPTION TITLE

>

PAGE TITLE
VIRTUAL
TESTING

<

<

flange buckling

Caption:

Numerical simulation is widely used in many

applications (e.g. car crashworthiness design) to
reduce the need for expensive and time consuming
multiple physical tests. Arup has developed,
validated and applied numerical virtual testing
on many seismic design and retrofit projects.
Advanced simulation software can capture all
the features of the behaviour of steel components
and was used to develop an improved design for
steel moment resisting frames by reducing the width
of beam flanges near the column. This prevents weld
fracture and beam flange buckling resulting
in greater assured ductility and sustained strength.
We used both numerical simulation and full scale
tests to obtain approval from the Office of Statewide
Health Planning and Development for the application
of Unbonded Braces to hospital projects in
California. This program examined the performance of
both the brace components themselves and of their
connections and interactions with building frames.

The post-buckling behaviour of the braces in the

China Central Television Headquarters building is
critical for the performance of this building. Based
on the confidence obtained from previous validation
studies, numerical virtual testing was employed to
establish the brace post-buckling axial forceaxial
deformation relationship and the acceptance limit on
axial shortening, saving considerable time and cost
relative to full scale physical tests. These studies
were accepted by the Chinese Expert Review Panel.

> The simulated

brace postbuckling axial
force axial
deformation
hysteresis
relationship

Validation simulations of a number of full scale

laboratory tests of unbonded brace components and
frames at UC Berkeley gave excellent agreement,
giving confidence that simulation could be used to
test alternative design configurations.

18

19

<

<

Esso Refinery,
Fos-sur-Mer, France

> CAPTION TITLE

>

ASSESSMENT
PAGE
TITLE AND RETROFIT
OF EXISTING STRUCTURES

Caption:

<

Seismic assessment
and retrofit.

i ndustrial
plant, japan

<

A mercian
School in Japan

Non-code compliant
truss beam and
model used for
virtual testing

S eismic retrofit
of Industrial
plant

Main copy:
We have extensive knowledge and experience of
assessing and retrofitting existing structures. We
have applied the performance-based approach
combined with advanced nonlinear dynamic analysis
to many types of existing structure ranging from
buildings to petrochemical facilities in many parts
of the world including California, Japan, Turkey,
Europe and Asia. We are able to provide full financial
risk assessment services, for instance, probable
maximum loss estimates.

>

> CAPTION TITLE

At Essos Refinery in Fos-sur-Mer, France we

designed an alternative retrofit for reinforced concrete
structures supporting large petrochemical vessels.
The original proposal by others required major
strengthening to all the beams and columns with a
construction programme of a month. Applying the
performance-based approach, we designed a retrofit
using carbon fibre wrap to one level of beams only,
which was completed in 72 hours. This delivered
substantial savings in material and construction cost
and minimised indirect monetary losses.

Frank van Haalen

Caption:

Our nonlinear analysis capabilities enable us to

quantify more accurately seismic resistance and
inelastic deformation capacities of existing structures,
thereby minimising (and sometimes eliminating)
structural retrofit costs. We applied these techniques
to the assessment of the performance of noncode compliant truss beam and built up column
assemblies at an existing industrial building in
Japan. The ability of our simulation software to
replicate cyclic physical tests on back-to-back
double angle struts formed the basis for simulations
of complete truss assemblies, permitting strength
and deformation limits to be established for the
whole building.

20

21

< CAPTION TITLE

Caption:

< Toyota STADIUM,

Toyota City,
Japan

NATIONAL STADIUM,
Beijing, China

<

>

PAGE TITLE
STADIUM
AND AUDITORIUM STRUCTURES

> CAPTION TITLE

Olympic Green.
Architect: Herzog &
De Meuron.

Caption:

< Taichung
Metropolitan
Opera House
Practical design of
complex reinforced
concrete shell
structure.

Architect: Kisho
Kurokawa.

Main copy:
> CAPTION TITLE

Caption: and auditorium structures are often

Caption:
Stadium
characterised by large open spaces and unique
irregular structures, not utilising typical building-code
structural systems. Our experience in performancebased seismic design and advanced numerical
simulation has enabled us to design and gain
statutory approval for many such structures in
seismic regions over the past 15 years.
< CAPTION
We utilised these methods for the seismic
designTITLE
of
both the Water Cube Aquatic Center and
the 330
Caption:
m span roof structure of the Beijing National Olympic
Stadium, the Birds Nest. In the latter case, the
performance-based approach permitted a reduction
of steel in many of the large box section members
and enabled us to utilise the limited inelastic

>

> CAPTION TITLE

Caption:

Architect Toyo Itos vision for the Taichung Metropolitan

Opera House, Taiwan, presented a huge engineering
challenge. The structure, a honeycomb of doubly curved
reinforced concrete shells housing various auditoria,
required a highly advanced nonlinear analysis to justify its
performance in earthquakes. Our nonlinear analysis using
newly developed sophisticated reinforced concrete shell
elements gained timely approval by the Taiwan expert
review panel in 2008, and was able to justify substantially
lower wall thicknesses than the original scheme design.

> CAPTION TITLE

Caption:

Jeremy Stern

Caption:

< CAPTION TITLE

deformation capacity and the redundancy of this structure

to satisfy the collapse prevention requirement under a very
rare earthquake. In addition to saving a large amount of
steel, this project also achieved rapid approval from the
Chinese Expert Review Panel in 2004.

>

>

> CAPTION TITLE

22

23

<

h ysteresis
loops for some
element types
in LS-DYNA

Seismic isolator

Caption:

Stocky Steel Brace

almaty
financial
district north,
kazakhstan

<

> CAPTION TITLE

>

PAGE TITLECAPABILITIES
ANALYSIS

Soil

Non linear response

history analysis of a
45 storey building
using LS-DYNA.

Main copy:
In addition to conventional structural analysis
software such as ETABS, SAP2000 and Perform3D,
Arup has utilised the nonlinear dynamic analysis
code LS-DYNA extensively for performance based
seismic analysis since 1985.
LS-DYNA has advantage of an extremely fast explicit
solver running in parallel processing, which makes
practical the analysis of much larger and more
detailed analysis models than any other program
available. In addition, Arup has worked in conjunction
with the authors of LS-DYNA, LSTC, to develop a
large number of new features specifically for seismic
analysis over the past 20 years.

>

> CAPTION TITLE

Caption:

24

We use LS-DYNA for all major performance-based

analysis tasks including nonlinear analysis of
structures, foundations, soils, fluids, dampers and
isolators - and the dynamic interactions between all
these components.
Representing the performance of reinforced concrete
structures in earthquakes by numerical simulation is
a major challenge due to the inherent complexity of
the material behaviour. Arup has recently developed
new material models for use in shell element
representations of reinforced concrete walls
in LS-DYNA.

The performance of the model was validated by

simulation of shake table tests conducted by NUPEC
in 1994. The test investigates the dynamic response
of a squat (shear governed) shear wall specimen
under imposed base accelerations, at levels of
response ranging from fully elastic to collapse. We
constructed a model of the reinforced concrete shear
wall in LS-DYNA and applied the base accelerations
used in the shake table test.
The performance of the numerical model
was examined by comparing the force versus
displacement response of the top of the wall.
Very good agreement was achieved with that
of the test specimen.

> comparison of
hysterisis loops
for shake table
test and LS-dyna
simulation of
nupec squat
shear wall

25

 Zhou Ruogu Architecture Photography

ARUP

Arup is a global design and business consulting

firm. Outstanding solutions, innovation and value
characterise our work. Delivered by 10,000 staff
based in 90 countries around the world, our services
are available to clients singly or in combination, to
suit their needs.
Selected Clients

>

> NATIONAL AQUATIC CENTRE

(THE WATER CUBE), beijing, china
Architect: PTW (Australia), CCDI (China
Construction Design Institute)
Ben McMillan

26

Shell Global Solutions, The Hague, The Netherlands

/ ExxonMobil Development Company, Houston,
Texas, USA / FMC Technologies, Sens, France
/ Esso, Marseille, France / ChevronTexaco San

Francisco, USA / Kajima Corporation / Atlantic LNG /

Procter & Gamble, Brussels, Belgium / Ford Otosan,
Turkey / The Disney Corporation / Sakhalin Energy
Investment Company, Sakhalin, Russia / Nuclear
Installation Inspectorate, UK / British Energy, UK /
British Nuclear Fuel Limited, UK / Rolls Royce
Marine Power, UK / Capital Partners, Almaty,
Kazakhstan / China World Trade Centre CO Ltd,
China / China Central Television, China / Beijing
Capital International Airport, China / National
Statdium Co Ltd, China / Edsa Properties Holdings
Inc, Manila, Philippines / Beijing State-owned Assets
Management Co Ltd, China

27

Front COVER: Central TV New Headquarters OMA Ole Scheeren & Rem Koolhaas ITEM: PLP 09.08 5295-01

Global
Michael Willford
T +44(0)20 7755 2224
E michael.willford@arup.com

Hong Kong
Andrew Mole
T +852 2268 3095
E andrew.mole@arup.com

San Fransisco
Ibbi Almufti
T +1 415 946 1632
E ibrahim.almufti@arup.com

London
Xiaonian Duan
T +44 (0)20 7755 4234
E xiaonian.duan@arup.com

Beijing
Goman Ho
T +86 10 5960 1160
E goman.ho@arup.com

Sydney
Mark Arkinstall
T +61 (0)2 9320 9509
E mark.arkinstall@arup.com

Dubai
Kubilay Hicyilmaz
T +971 (0)4 501 3333
E kubilay.hicyilmaz@arup.com

New York
Damian Grant
T +1 212 897 1415
E damian.grant@arup.com

Los Angeles
Atila Zekioglu
T +1 310 312 4700
E atila.zekioglu@arup.com

www.arup.com/advancedtechnologyandresearch

www.arup.com