Ground motion intensity measures for seismically isolated RC tall buildings

Abstract

Seismic isolation is an effective method for realizing resilient reinforced concrete (RC) tall buildings. The selection of intensity measures (IMs) is a critical issue for a resilience-based seismic design of seismically isolated RC tall buildings. The predictive capability of IM may be affected by various factors, including structural systems, heights, seismically isolated schemes, fundamental periods, and types of ground motions. With emphasis on these factors, the predictive capability of various IMs for predicting critical engineering demand parameters (EDPs) was evaluated. To achieve these, forty-eight cases are designed based on four real engineering practices. Two sets of ground motions, particularly pulse-like near-fault ground motions, are adopted. The efficiency and sufficiency of 25 IMs in predicting four EDPs are evaluated. The IMs with high efficiency and relatively good sufficiency are identified and the corresponding sensitivities are further evaluated. The research outcome can assist in providing a useful reference for seismic design of seismically isolated RC tall buildings.