Optimum location of second outrigger in RC core walls subjected to NF earthquakes

Abstract

Seismic responses of RC core wall with two outriggers are investigated in this study. In the models analyzed here, one of the outriggers is fixed at the top of the building and the second is placed at different levels along the height of the system. Each of the systems resulting from the placement of the outrigger at different locations is designed according to the prescriptive codes. The location of the outrigger changes along the height. Linear design of all the structures is accomplished by using prescriptive codes. Buckling restrained braces (BRBs) are used in the outriggers and forward directivity near fault and far fault earthquake record sets are used at maximum considered earthquake (MCE) level. Results from nonlinear time history analysis demonstrate that BRB outriggers can change the seismic responses like force distribution and deformation demand of the RC core-walls over the height and lead to the new plastic hinge arrangement over the core-wall height. Plasticity extension in the RC core wall occurs at the base as well as adjacent to the outrigger levels. Considering the maximum inter-story drift ratio (IDR) demand as an engineering parameter, the best location for the second outrigger is at 0.75H, in which the maximum IDR at the region upper the second outrigger level is approximately equal to the corresponding value in the lower region.