An investigation on plan geometries of RC buildings: with or without projections in plan

Abstract

The interaction of plan geometry and structural configuration, a determinative factor in the earthquake behavior of buildings, has become a serious issue in the building industry in Turkey due to the poor seismic performance of R/C buildings during the latest earthquake. Consequently, designing new buildings without structural irregularities against earthquake loads is proving to be more significant. This study focuses on the effects of plan geometries on earthquake performances of buildings. In that respect, structural irregularities in the plan are investigated in detail based on the Turkish Earthquake Code (TEC 2007). The study is based on five main parametric models and a total of 40 sub-models that are grouped according to their plan geometries with excessive projections such as L-shaped, H-shaped, T-shaped and U-shaped models. In addition to these, a square model without any projections is also generated. All models are designed to have the same storey gross area but with different number of storeys. Changes in the earthquake behavior of buildings were evaluated according to the number of storeys, the projection ratios and the symmetry conditions of each model. The analysis of each structural irregularity resulted in many findings, which were then assessed. The study demonstrates that the square model delivers the best earthquake performance owing to its regular plan geometry.