Tag Archive for: Critical Structures

News & View, Volume 45 | Improved Asset Management Through Test Informed Analysis

News & Views, Volume 45 | Improved Asset Management Through Test Informed Analysis

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News & View, Volume 45 | Improved Asset Management Through Test Informed AnalysisBy:  Eri Kjolsing

Introduction
Structures may experience unforeseen operating environments or site-specific hazards leading to changes in the structure’s performance, safety, and longevity.  These changes often prompt asset owners to undertake analysis efforts to ensure satisfactory structural performance for the updated conditions. However, conventional analyses that fail to capture the true behavior of a structure can lead to inaccurate analysis results, causing owners to make less than ideal asset management decisions.  Structural Integrity (SI) is uniquely positioned to pair our dynamic characterization and advanced structural analysis capabilities to generate a better structural model.  SI vibration experts use impact testing, forced vibration, or ambient excitation sources, along with proprietary signal processing software, to non-destructively characterize the dynamic behavior of structural systems.  This characterization is used to inform advanced structural analyses by SI analysis experts to provide more accurate results related to operational improvements, damage location, and retrofits.

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News & View, Volume 44 | The Impact of the ASCE 7-16 Standard on Seismic Design and Certification of Equipment

News & Views, Volume 44 | The Impact of the ASCE 7-16 Standard on Seismic Design and Certification of Equipment

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By:  Matt Tobolski

News & View, Volume 44 | The Impact of the ASCE 7-16 Standard on Seismic Design and Certification of EquipmentThings change, that’s just a fact of life. But when it comes to engineering codes and standards, change can be confusing, frustrating and expensive. As it relates to seismic design and certification of equipment, it is beneficial to understand the impact of code changes early to begin incorporating requirements in new equipment design, product updates and in the certification process.

One of the main structural design codes used in the United States and abroad, American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) 7, undergoes revisions on a five-year cycle. These revisions are based on input from committee members, building officials, interested parties and academia with the goal of ensuring specific performance objectives are achieved as well as incorporating lessons learned from practice. With the increase in enforcement of seismic certification provisions over the past 10 years, there has been a noticeable increase in industry lessons learned. The updates to the seismic provisions in ASCE 7-16 relating to equipment design and certification can primarily be attributed to these lessons learned.

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