Seismic resilient performance of code-designed, base-isolated slender steel buildings in firm soils

Abstract

The seismic response of slender base-isolated structures can be significantly compromised during strong earthquakes, as significant tensional forces or uplifts can be demanded to exterior and corner base isolators. Nevertheless, there are few studies published in the literature where the expected seismic response of fully-designed base-isolated buildings according to a given base-isolation code or standard is shown and discussed when subjected to ground motions records related to the design earthquake scenario. In this paper, the authors present the results obtained from the cases of study of four code-designed base-isolated buildings, from 8 to 24 stories in height, with different global slenderness ratios H/L: 2.0, 2.5, 4.0 and 6.0. Subject buildings were assumed to be located at the city of Puebla, Mexico, in firm soil sites. Buildings were designed according to current base-isolation guidelines for the Manual of Civil Works (MOC) using the modal response spectrum analysis method while neglecting the vertical component in the design process. The base isolation system was composed of high-damping rubber bearings (HDRB). The considered structural system above the isolation system was a dual system composed of special concentrically steel braced frames (SCBFs) and special moment steel frames (SMFs). The resulting base-isolated (TI) to fixed-base (Tfb) natural periods ratio for the designed buildings was within the range 2.55 ≤ TI/Tfb ≤ 3.02. Nonlinear dynamic analyses were conducted for the designed buildings when subjected to five strongest pairs of orthogonal ground motions recorded during the September 19, 2017 Puebla-Morelos earthquake, which correspond to the design earthquake scenarios considered in MOC. In addition, the impact of the vertical ground motion component was evaluated for the most critical station. From the obtained results, it can be concluded that for the studied buildings, the modal response spectrum design method was safe enough to achieve resilient seismic designs. Nevertheless, net tensile forces and uplifts were triggered in corner base isolators, particularly for ground motion records which corresponding displacement spectra was close to the code displacement spectra for the target design base-isolated period TI. Tensile forces and uplifts in base isolators were slightly increased when considering the action of the vertical ground motion component of the critical station. In addition, peak accelerations at the floor levels were moderately increased when considering the vertical component, which may have detrimental effects in acceleration-sensitive non-structural components and the shear capacity of floor systems.