Seismic Performance of Irregular Buildings

A Sujatha

doi:10.17485/ijst/2014/v7sp3.1

Abstract

Modern building planning is influenced by many factors and often, there is a trend to adopt a form that has irregular shape in plan and also has variation in height of storeys. Due to the varied use, a building is planned for; variations in the load acting on different floors may also differ. More irregularities can be present like non continuation of members in all the floors, or absence of members, and also having additional members in some of the storey levels. Such buildings will have maximum risk, when compared to conventional framed structures, when seismic forces come into play. This paper highlights the various aspects in the performance of buildings, and also suggests some remedies for the problems.

Highlights

Building planning has undergone rapid changes and, nowadays, planners are experimenting with all sorts of new materials for construction
The inertial forces, acting on the buildings due to earth quake vibrations, may case the building to vibrate at frequencies which may vary in intensity at different aspects of time
The height of the building and its width plays an important role in its seismic performance

Summary

Introduction

Building planning has undergone rapid changes and, nowadays, planners are experimenting with all sorts of new materials for construction. The concept of multi use buildings has put the planner to adopt buildings of varied height in several storeys. The effect of earth quakes on buildings is well known. The inertial forces, acting on the buildings due to earth quake vibrations, may case the building to vibrate at frequencies which may vary in intensity at different aspects of time. The performance of a building under the influence of earthquake forces will depend upon its stiffness, ductility of the building materials used, and the distribution of the mass across the length and breadth of the building. The height of the building and its width plays an important role in its seismic performance

Irregular Buildings and their Seismic Performance

Measures to Improve Better Seismic Performance of Irregular Buidings