Endurance Time Method: Exercise Test for Seismic Assessment of Structures

Abstract eng:
Endurance Time (ET) method is a new time-history based dynamic pushover procedure in which structures are subjected to a gradually intensifying acceleration functions and their performance is assessed based on the length of the time interval that they can satisfy required performance objectives. This relatively simple test procedure can be useful in preliminary design stage of various structures where the performance parameters are hard to estimate with reasonable accuracy using simplified procedures such as static pushover. The procedure can also be useful when comparing the relative performance of two different structures or design alternatives for the same structure. In this paper, some fundamental concepts of ET method are explained and the accuracy, potentials and limitations of this procedure in linear and nonlinear seismic analysis of SDOF and MDOF systems are investigated. Numerical procedures for generating ET acceleration functions that are compatible with real ground motions are explained. Some case studies are provided. It is concluded that while current ET acceleration functions generate reasonably accurate results that are compatible with conventional time-history analysis in linear and nonlinear cases, improved acceleration functions need to be produced in order to utilize full potentials of the method.

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