Capacity and ductility demand estimation procedures for preliminary design of coupled core wall systems of tall buildings

Abstract

Performance-based seismic engineering has brought new dimensions to tall building design, leading to a major transformation from the prescriptive linear strength-based approach to the explicit non-prescriptive nonlinear deformation-based design approach. Current tall building seismic design practice is based on a well-established design methodology, which starts with a preliminary design followed by two performance evaluation stages. However the designer has no reliable analysis tools at preliminary design stage other than linear response analysis and application of capacity design principles, which in fact may not insure for an acceptable nonlinear response in performance evaluation stage under maximum considered earthquake. In order to fill the gap an attempt is made to develop simple capacity and ductility demand estimation tools for coupled core wall systems to be implemented during the preliminary design stage.