Patent ID: 8538734

Claim:
An apparatus for extreme event performance evaluation using real-time hysteresis monitoring, comprising: one or more sensors for monitoring a structure in real-time during an extreme event; and one or more computers, coupled to the sensors, for accepting data from the sensors and for generating one or more inter-story Hysteresis Loops for the structure in real-time during the extreme event using the data, wherein the Hysteresis Loops solve for a restoring force between j th and (j−1) th floors of the structure according to: f j ⁡ ( y j - y j - 1 ) = - ∑ i = j N ⁢ m i ⁢ y i ¨ where: N is a number of discrete floor masses that are interconnected by a lateral load resisting structural system in the structure, +m i are floor masses, y j is an absolute displacement of a j th floor mass, y j−1 is an absolute displacement of a j th −1 floor mass, a(t) is an absolute excitation acceleration, ÿ o =a(t), ÿ(t) is a response acceleration, f N+1 =0, and m i ÿ i +f i (y i −y i−1 )−f i+1 (y i+1 −y i )=0 is an equation of motion for an i th floor mass; and wherein at least one of the computers displays graphical representations of the inter-story Hysteresis Loops generated for the structure in real-time during the extreme event, so that a general shape of the Hysteresis Loops can be quickly examined as an indicator of structural behavior and for observing any unusual or unexpected features in the general shape of the Hysteresis Loops, thereby enabling rapid decision making regarding the structure's condition.