REXEL: computer aided record selection for code-based seismic structural analysis

Abstract

In code-based seismic design and assessment it is often allowed the use of real records as an input for nonlinear dynamic analysis. On the other hand, international seismic guidelines, concerning this issue, have been found hardly applicable by practitioners. This is related to both the difficulty in rationally relating the ground motions to the hazard at the site and the required selection criteria, which do not favor the use of real records, but rather various types of spectrum matching signals. To overcome some of these obstacles a software tool for code-based real records selection was developed. REXEL, freely available at the website of the Italian network of earthquake engineering university labs (http://www.reluis.it/index_eng.html), allows to search for suites of waveforms, currently from the European Strong-motion Database, compatible to reference spectra being either user-defined or automatically generated according to Eurocode 8 and the recently released new Italian seismic code. The selection reflects the provisions of the considered codes and others found to be important by recent research on the topic. In the paper, record selection criteria are briefly reviewed first, and then the algorithms implemented in the software are discussed. Finally, via some examples, it is shown how REXEL can effectively be a contribution to code-based real records selection for seismic structural analysis

A parametric study on the axial behaviour of elastomeric isolators in multi-span bridges subjected to horizontal seismic excitations

“…This set of ground motion records is compatible with the response spectrum considered for the design and has been selected by using the software Rexel v3.5 (Iervolino et al 2010). The vertical component of the earthquake, albeit important for the safety evaluation of the isolators, was not studied thoroughly in this paper, as emphasis was placed on the evaluation of the effects of the coupled horizontal-vertical behaviour on the axial force demand in the bearings as observed due to horizontal excitation only.…”

SEISMIC PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF OIL & GAS PIPING SYSTEMS THROUGH NONLINEAR ANALYSIS

“…Because of unintended consequences of the plant associated with possible failure, a value of γI=1.2 foreseen for the plant was assumed [11]. The elastic spectrum was employed to select a set of compatible accelerograms; in greater detail, they have been extracted from the European strong motion database (ESD, http://www.isesd.hi.is/ESD_Local/frameset.htm) according to a Magnitude range 6-7, a distance from the epicentre less than 30 km, and a pga in the range 0.25-0.35 g. The natural accelerograms selected using the REXEL software [22] were characterized by the mean spectrum -bold blue line-shown in Fig. 2(a).…”

Issues on the Use of Time-History Analysis for the Design and Assessment of Masonry Structures

“…ASCONA [19]) or available to the general public (e.g. REXEL [20]). Both ASCONA and REXEL-DISP [21] allow for imposing spectrum compatibility either to the acceleration or the displacement response spectrum, being the second option preferable in case of nonlinear analysis.…”