New Concept To Design Structures Which CanWithstand Earthquake Forces

Abstract

Any structure has structural and non structural masses. Those masses are usually integrated together When an earthquake strikes, those huge masses create destructive lateral and vertical inertia forces proportionate to the masses and their accelerations, regardless if they are structural or nonstructural masses This new concept divides the structure to two parts The part which is connected to the ground is called the main supporting structure It should be made as rigid as possible and as massless as possible to increase its fundamental natural frequency to a level higher than the earthquake frequency if possible. The rest of the secondary structural and nonstructural masses are supported on top of the main supporting structure, such that they can swing and move laterally to certain extent under springs restrains. The main supporting structure will have small inertia forces because of its smaller masses. Its high rigidity will enable it to withstand such small inertia forces. The swinging-hanging structural and non structural masses will have extremely low frequency, thus will have very small inertia forces, which can be resisted by the strength of any regular structural elements