Shake table testing for a multi-component prototype industrial plant: input and system modelling issues

Recent destructive earthquakes in China (Sichuan, 2008 and Yushu, 2010), Japan (Tohoku, 2011) and Italy (Emilia, 2012) highlighted the social and the political consequences of seismic risk due especially to industrial facilities. More precisely, critical interactions between the supporting structure and process components reveal to be extremely vulnerable in a seismic scenario and capable to lead serious damage of process equipment and potential release of hazardous substances. This latter circumstance, underestimated by current codes, in addition to loss of production, pose a serious danger to humans and the surrounding environment. Based on these premises, the SPIF project - Seismic Performance of Multi-Component Systems in Special Risk Industrial Facilities - was proposed within the framework of the European H2020 - SERA funding scheme. In greater detail, the goal of the project is the investigation of both the seismic behavior and the dynamic interactions of a representative industrial substructure equipped with complex process technology by means of shaking table tests. A full-scale mock-up composed by two single-bay moment resisting frames with three floors equipped with tanks, flanges, pipes, cabinet etc. was built and tested using a unidirectional shaking table activated with several earthquake levels. More precisely, the salient features investigated by shaking table testing are: i) the interaction between a primary moment resisting frame steel structure and secondary process components that influence the performance of the whole system; ii) input and system modelling capable to faithfully reproduce the seismic response of SPIF tested structure. The comprehensive testing campaign demonstrated a clear dynamic interaction between the primary steel structure and secondary process units that emphasizes the need of further investigations and studies.