Categorization of Buildings Based on the Relative Effect of Lateral and Vertical Forces with Change in Height

Abstract

In this research an attempt has been made in order to determine the efficiency of different types of structural systems at different heights up to 30 stories (300 feet). The investigation has been carried out on three types of lateral load resisting systems i.e. moment resisting frame, building frame system and outrigger braced frame system for seismic zone 2B as per UBC 1997 considering dead, live, seismic, wind load and their combinations. It was found that up to a 5 story building (50 feet) moment resisting frame was found more cost efficient as moment resisting frame was found stiff enough to resist lateral load and addition of shear wall was not required for further increase in stiffness. From 6 story building up to 20 story building (200 feet) building frame system was found more cost efficient and from 21 story building and beyond outrigger braced frame system was found more cost efficient. Accordingly, from one to five story buildings were categorized as low rise, from six to nineteen story buildings as medium rise and from twenty stories onwards as high rise buildings.