Method, system and computer readable storage medium for generating an alert for potential structural damage from an earthquake

A method for generating an alert for potential structural damage from an earthquake, implemented using a system that is connected to a seismograph, and an external alert device that is disposed at a target structure, the method comprising:

• a) in response to receipt of a first-arrival seismic wave dataset, which is related to a first- arrival seismic wave of the earthquake, from the seismograph, implementing a signal processing procedure to process the first-arrival seismic wave dataset, and to calculate an estimated seismic wave parameter set that includes a spectral acceleration;
• b) calculating, based on the estimated seismic wave parameter set and a basic structural parameter set that is associated with the target structure, a ductility value, the basic structural parameter set including a geographical location of the target structure, a structural ultimate base shear coefficient, and an initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period;
• and
• c) in a case where the ductility value is larger than a predetermined threshold, generating and transmitting an alert control signal to the external alert device, so as to control the external alert device to output an alert for potential structural damage of the target structure based on the alert control signal;
• the earthquake including a second-arrival seismic wave that arrives later than the first-arrival seismic wave, the system being further connected to a structural monitoring system that is disposed in the target structure and that is configured to measure a structural response parameter set that includes a structural reaction power, wherein:
• in step a), the estimated seismic wave parameter set further includes an instantaneous power;
• and
• step b) includes calculating a plurality of ductility components, and using a weighted average of the plurality of ductility components or a largest one of the plurality of ductility components as the ductility value;
• the plurality of ductility components include a first ductility component calculated using the spectral acceleration, the structural ultimate base shear coefficient and the initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period, a second ductility component calculated using the spectral acceleration, the instantaneous power, the structural ultimate base shear coefficient and the initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period, and a third ductility component calculated using the spectral acceleration, the structural ultimate base shear coefficient, the structural reaction power, and the initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period;
• and
• step c) is implemented after arrival of the second-arrival seismic wave.

A system for generating an alert for potential structural damage from an earthquake, the system being connected to a seismograph, and an external alert device that is disposed at a target structure, the system comprising:

• a communication unit that communicates with the external alert device and that receives a first-arrival seismic wave dataset, which is related to a first-arrival seismic wave of the earthquake, from the seismograph;
• a data storage unit that stores a basic structural parameter set that is associated with the target structure, the basic structural parameter set including a geographical location of the target structure, a structural ultimate base shear coefficient, and an initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period;
• and
• a processing unit that is connected to the communication unit and the data storage unit, and that is programmed to
• implement a signal processing procedure to process the first-arrival seismic wave dataset,
• calculate an estimated seismic wave parameter set including a spectral acceleration,
• calculate, based on the estimated seismic wave parameter set and the basic structural parameter set, a ductility value, and
• in a case where the ductility value is larger than a predetermined threshold, generate and transmit an alert control signal to the external alert device, so as to control the external alert device to output an alert for potential structural damage of the target structure based on the alert control signal;
• the earthquake including a second-arrival seismic wave that arrives later than the first- arrival seismic wave, wherein the processing unit is programmed to transmit the alert control signal at one or both of a first time instance that is between arrival of the first-arrival seismic wave and arrival of the second-arrival seismic wave, and a second time instance that is after the arrival of the second-arrival seismic wave;
• wherein:
• the processing unit calculates the estimated seismic wave parameter set to further include an instantaneous power;
• and
• the processing unit calculates the ductility value by
• calculating a first ductility component using the spectral acceleration from the estimated seismic wave parameter set, and the structural ultimate base shear coefficient and the initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period from the basic structural parameter set,
• calculating a second ductility component using the spectral acceleration and the instantaneous power from the estimated seismic wave parameter set, and the structural ultimate base shear coefficient and the initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period from the basic structural parameter set, and
• using a weighted average of the first ductility component and the second ductility component or a largest one of the first ductility component and the second ductility component as the ductility value.

A system for generating an alert for potential structural damage from an earthquake, the system being connected to a seismograph, and an external alert device that is disposed at a target structure, the system comprising:

• a communication unit that communicates with the external alert device and that receives a first-arrival seismic wave dataset, which is related to a first-arrival seismic wave of the earthquake, from the seismograph;
• a data storage unit that stores a basic structural parameter set that is associated with the target structure, the basic structural parameter set including a geographical location of the target structure, a structural ultimate base shear coefficient, and an initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period;
• and
• a processing unit that is connected to the communication unit and the data storage unit, and that is programmed to
• implement a signal processing procedure to process the first-arrival seismic wave dataset,
• calculate an estimated seismic wave parameter set including a spectral acceleration,
• calculate, based on the estimated seismic wave parameter set and the basic structural parameter set, a ductility value, and
• in a case where the ductility value is larger than a predetermined threshold, generate and transmit an alert control signal to the external alert device, so as to control the external alert device to output an alert for potential structural damage of the target structure based on the alert control signal;
• the earthquake including a second-arrival seismic wave that arrives later than the first-arrival seismic wave, the system being further connected to a structural monitoring system that is disposed in the target structure and that is configured to measure a structural response parameter set that includes a structural reaction power, wherein:
• the processing unit calculates the estimated seismic wave parameter set to further include an instantaneous power;
• and
• the processing unit calculates the ductility value by calculating a plurality of ductility components, and using a weighted average of the plurality of ductility components or a largest one of the plurality of ductility components as the ductility value;
• the plurality of ductility components include a first ductility component calculated using the spectral acceleration, the structural ultimate base shear coefficient and the initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period, a second ductility component calculated using the spectral acceleration, the instantaneous power, the structural ultimate base shear coefficient and the initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period, and a third ductility component calculated using the spectral acceleration, the structural ultimate base shear coefficient, the structural reaction power, and the initially hypothetical structural fundamental oscillation period;
• and
• the processing unit is programmed to transmit the alert control signal after arrival of the second-arrival seismic wave.