Story Drift Research Articles

Development of a novel rotational metallic damper as a dissipative connector in rocking steel core systems: Cyclic behavior and seismic demand

Rocking systems with stiff rocking cores have been proposed as a promising solution for mitigating concentrations of story drift and enhancing structural seismic resilience. This study introduces a novel rotational metallic damper, termed the rotational steel rod damper (RSRD), developed for use in rocking steel core systems to improve energy dissipation capacity. The configuration, working mechanism, and application of the RSRD in rocking steel core systems are described. Three critical energy-dissipating elements, low-yield-point steel rods with different edge shapes, were isolated from the RSRD and tested to validate the efficacy of an optimal hourglass shape, defined through cubic equations, in enhancing low-cycle-fatigue performance. Two RSRD specimens were then tested and analyzed, focusing on failure modes, cyclic behavior, rotational strength, and energy dissipation. Both specimens demonstrated positive and stable hysteretic performance and energy dissipation capacity, with maximum equivalent viscous damping ratios of 0.51 and 0.53. Subsequently, structural models of seven steel frames were developed in OpenSees for case studies. Nonlinear response history analyses were performed under 20 ground motion records scaled to DBE and MCE levels. Dynamic behaviors, particularly the seismic demand on RSRDs, were examined. Numerical results confirmed the efficacy of the RSRD in mitigating inter-story drift. The location of the pivoting point of the rocking core significantly influenced the rotational demand on the RSRD. The proposed RSRD presents an innovative energy-dissipating alternative for the development of rocking steel core systems.

Review Paper on Seismic Analysis of Multi-Storied Reinforced Concrete Building with Fluid Viscous Dampers

Abstract: Frequent earthquakes around the world and the large number of buildings at risk have made it essential to focus on controlling how structures respond to these events. This demand has driven the increased use of structural response control methods globally. This study investigates the seismic performance of multi-storied Reinforced Concrete (RC) Buildings, distinguishing between Regular and Irregular Plan , with a focus on the role of Fluid Viscous Dampers (FVDs). The study aims to quantify the improvements in seismic resilience provided by these damping devices in mitigating the adverse effects of seismic events. Buildings having Regular and Irregular Plans are analyzed, with and without FVD using ETABS2018. The story responses in terms of Pseudo Spectral Accelerations, Maximum Displacement, Story Drift and Story Shear have been compared. The results of the Time History Analysis represent the effectiveness of dampers in improving the structural response and the damping demand on structural systems

Review on Fragility Analysis of Building Structure in Seismic Prone Area

In general, using a steel bracing system is the most effective choice for enhancing the resistance of reinforced concrete frames to lateral loads. Steel bracing offers notable advantages over other methods, including greater strength and stiffness, cost-effectiveness, a smaller footprint, and minimal additional weight on existing structures. Both empirical and analytical fragility curves have been taken into account. Strengthening seismically deficient reinforced concrete frames with steel bracing systems is a practical solution for improving earthquake resilience. Nearly all structural analysis software, such as ETABS and SAP2000, supports linear and nonlinear static analysis for high-rise structures. Key parameters include fragility curves, the P-Δ effect, base shear, lateral displacement, axial force, and story drift, among others. The findings showed that bracing systems significantly reduce lateral displacement in frames. Fragility curves were developed based on peak ground acceleration (PGA) for various limit states—slight, moderate, major, and collapse-assuming a lognormal distribution. This study aims to develop analytical fragility curves for high-rise building structures.

A Comparative Study on Seismic Behaviour of Plan Irregular Buildings

Abstract: Asymmetrical plan irregularities occur when the horizontal layout of a building is non uniform or unsymmetrical in one or more axes. These irregularities may arise from variations in building shape, size, or configuration, leading to nonuniform distribution of mass, stiffness, or load paths throughout the structure. Considering equivalent static analysis (ESA) and response spectrum analysis (RSA) as per IS 1893-Part 1 (2016) considering seismic zones III, structure with square shaped plan performs better than the other shaped models (viz. T, L, H and Plus shapes) with least values of storey displacement and storey drift ratio, and also with higher value of storey stiffness. Thus, square plan shaped structure is seismically more resistant than T, L, H and Plus shaped structures.

Analysis of G+20 Horizontally Connected Buildings with and Without Fluid Viscous Dampers

As urban populations continue to grow globally, the demand for new cities and high-rise structures is increasing due to limited land resources and expanding social and commercial activities. To address these challenges, this study investigates the seismic performance of G+20 horizontally connected buildings, focusing on the effects of fluid viscous dampers (FVDs) on structural response. A 3D model of two G+20 buildings, one with and one without FVDs, was developed using ETABS software, and seismic analysis was conducted for a Zone V seismic region in India. The study evaluates key performance parameters, including storey displacement, storey drift, and storey shear, to assess the effectiveness of the dampers. Results showed that adding FVDs significantly reduced overall building displacement, particularly in the X-direction at the top storey, with a reduction of approximately 40%. The Y-direction saw a more modest 5% reduction, attributed to geometric and stiffness irregularities. Additionally, storey drifts in the X-direction were higher than in the Y-direction but were significantly reduced after installing dampers. The findings highlight the importance of FVDs in improving the seismic resilience of horizontally connected high-rise buildings and offer valuable insights for future structural design in earthquake prone areas.

Seismic isolation strategy via controlled soft first story with innovative multi-stage yielding damper: Experimental and numerical insights

While the presence of a soft story within a building is typically discouraged in structural engineering due to potential vulnerabilities, this research proposes a strategy that incorporates seismic isolation concepts by integrating a soft first story within the structural framework. This approach challenges traditional reluctance by demonstrating the potential benefits of such a configuration. The primary objectives are twofold: firstly, to diminish seismic responses and enhance structural resilience when subjected to earthquake forces, and secondly, to reduce construction costs as compared to conventional passive control methods. The seismic responses assessed and compared in this study encompass story displacements, story drifts, floor accelerations and base shear of the structure. Furthermore, an investigation is conducted into a replaceable or repairable shear fuse that serves as a controller in the Controlled Soft First Story (CSFS) strategy, namely, an innovative Multi-stage Steel Yielding Damper (MSYD). Notably, the numerical analysis of the introduced damper has been carried out, followed by rigorous validation testing under experimental conditions. This study elucidates the implementation of this strategy within the structural framework. The overarching principle behind employing the CSFS results in outcomes akin to those achieved with base isolation techniques. However, it distinguishes itself by significantly mitigating the construction costs around 70% associated with this system when juxtaposed with traditional base isolation systems.

Comparative Study of Tube-In-Tube and Bundled Tube System in High Rise Buildings

This study evaluates the seismic performance of Tube-in-Tube and Bundled Tube structural systems for high-rise buildings, following IS 1893 standards. Key parameters, including storey displacement, drift, and shear, were assessed in Seismic Zones 3 and 5. In Seismic Zone 5, the Bundled Tube system reduces storey displacement by about 33% compared to the Tube-in-Tube system. Similarly, in Seismic Zone 3, displacements are lowered by 21-24%. The Tube-in-Tube system exhibits higher storey drift, particularly in Seismic Zone 5, where the Bundled Tube system offers a remarkable 85% reduction. In Seismic Zone 3, this reduction ranges from 45-50%. In terms of storey shear, the Bundled Tube system consistently outperforms the Tube-in-Tube system, reducing shear forces by 24-30% across both seismic zones. Overall, the Bundled Tube system proves to be more effective under seismic conditions, minimizing displacements, drifts, and shear forces, making it the superior choice for high-rise structures in earthquake-prone regions. This improvement in performance contributes to safer structural designs in compliance with IS 1893 standards.

Seismic response control of shear frame structure using a novel tuned-mass type composite column

Concrete filled steel tube (CFST) column is widely applied in shear frame structure in seismic-prone area owing to its superior earthquake resistant performance. However, CFST column might still suffer damage under a severe earthquake. This paper proposes a novel tuned-mass type column-in-column (CIC) system to improve the seismic behavior of the CFST column and hence protect the structure. The CIC system is formed by splitting the CFST column into a primary column and a secondary column, while the overall cross section area and hence the load-bearing capacity is not changed. By optimally selecting the springs and dashpots to interconnect the two columns, the CIC can act as a non-conventional tuned mass damper (TMD) to reduce seismic vibrations of structures. To demonstrate the proposed CIC concept, a single-story and a five-story frame structure with and without control are designed. Nonlinear time history analyses are performed to study the seismic responses of these structures considering different seismic design levels, earthquake ground motions and CIC control schemes. Numerical results show that the CIC system can effectively reduce the seismic induced story acceleration, displacement and drift ratio of frame structures with the reduction ratios approximately between 21 % and 30 %, and the ratios on reducing the base shear force and bending moment are between 27 % and 31 %, and between 34 % and 49 %, respectively. The proposed CIC control concept is a new solution for mitigations of seismic responses of CFST frame structures.

Effect of Soil-Structure Interaction on A Building Frame with Shear Walls

The soil conditions highly influence the damage to structures throughout earthquakes. Hence the research on the energy transfer mechanism from soils to buildings during earthquakes is demanding area of study for the high-rise buildings. For the current study, reinforced concrete frames of G+15 stories with shear walls in the buildings were modeled using ANSYS software. The effect of soil-structure interactions was considered as well. Transient analysis was performed on the three-dimensional frames with shear walls subjected to seismic loading were gauged for the contrast in natural frequency, base shear, roof deflection and Storey drifts. The analysis of results indicates that the behaviour of the structure is very much dependent on the natural frequency of the structure.

Effect of Vertical Aspect Ratio on Mass, Stiffness and Vertical Geometric Irregular Structures

Occurrence of earthquake will highly damage the structures which are not modelled and designed to resist such loads it may cause sometimes the collapse of structures leads to loss of human lives. The size of the building and slenderness ratio are the important factors for the efficient structural design. The aspect ratio of buildings is considerably effects under seismic loads. It is important to know the influence of aspect ratio on the irregular structures in high seismic zone areas. The research has been performed on the 15 storey building frames of five cases with mass, stiffness and vertical geometric irregularities. Each case comprises of four models having various vertical aspect ratios. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of vertical aspect ratio on mass, stiffness and vertical geometric irregular structures and how the structure will vary under seismic loads. The irregularities are incorporated in to the buildings by increasing the loads and column height in particular storeys and by eliminating the columns and beam sections compared to adjacent storeys. Linear dynamic analysis is performed. It is observed that with the decrease of vertical aspect ratio the structural response will increases the response of storey displacement, base shear, storey drift and over turning moment in the cases of mass and stiffness irregular structures. In the case of vertical geometric irregular structures with the decrease of vertical aspect ratio the storey displacement and storey drift values decrease for all the models, the base shear, overturning moment and stiffness increases with the decrease of vertical aspect ratio. Key words: Mass irregularity, Stiffness irregularity, Vertical geometric irregularity, Vertical aspect ratio, Linear dynamic analysis.

Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structure Subjected to Blast Load

The research focuses on a specific standoff distance of 15m & 20m , a critical parameter in blast analysis, to gain a understanding of the building's behavior under static loading conditions of blast load weight of 150kgs & 100kgs of TNT. To simulate realistic scenarios, the models are subjected to appropriate boundary conditions, including foundation constraints to account for the building's interaction with the ground. The blast load is assigned as joint loads, considering the standoff distance of the blast from the source. The standoff distance significantly influences the building's response to the blast, with profound implications for structural integrity and security. The Analysis of the Bare frame with blast load added as Joint Load, the deflection is controlled by adding Shear walls along various location along the periphery & core for 10 Story RCC Structures. The analysis is conducted using linear time history analysis (Response Spectrum Analysis) within ETABS, capturing the response of the building. Roof Displacement, Base Shear, Story Drift, Stiffness, Time period & Modal participation mass ratios are monitored during the analysis. The outcomes of this study contribute valuable insights into the structural responses of buildings to blast loads at specific standoff distances. This research advances our understanding of blast effects on buildings thereby enhancing the security and resilience of vital infrastructure in the face of evolving threats. Keywords: Blast Load, Response Spectrum Method, Roof Displacement, Base Shear, Story Drift, Stiffness, Time period & Modal participation mass ratios.

Action of liquid tune mass dampers and base isolation in high rise buildings

In areas where earthquakes are common, high-rise structure seismic resistance is a major concern. The purpose of this research is to determine whether base isolation and liquid tuned mass dampers (LTMDs) can improve tall building seismic performance. A symmetrical G+8 story RCC structure in Zone V with medium grade soil is analyzed using ETABS software, Response Spectrum Analysis, and Equivalent Static Analysis to see how the structure behaves under different load combinations. For various structural configure rations, including basic models, models with water tanks, and models with base isolation, key factors such joint displacement, storey drift, base shear, and time period are evaluated. The results show that as compared to baseline models, models with damping and isolation systems exhibit much lower joint displacements, base shear forces, and story drift. In particular, base isolation models perform better in terms of reducing structural deformations and resisting lateral forces. Furthermore, shorter time periods and higher frequencies are routinely observed in base isolated models, suggesting enhanced dynamic response and energy dissipation capabilities. The paper also covers the flexibility and benefits of using LTMDs and base isolation to reduce seismic threats. Buildings can be successfully separated from ground motion by base isolation systems, and dynamic response can be countered by LTMDs using regulated liquid sloshing. The attraction of LTMDs in improving overall stability is increased by their adaptability in minimizing torsional and lateral vibrations. The study concludes by emphasizing how crucial it is to use cutting-edge structural retrofitting methods, including base isolation and LTMDs, to improve the seismic resistance of high-rise structures. In earthquake-prone areas, engineers and legislators may proactively protect tall buildings and guarantee a safer, more robust built environment by incorporating these technologies into construction standards and design procedures.

Rehabilitation of steel structures using innovative brace members equipped with YSPD damper

Earthquakes are serious risks to human life and infrastructure. An earthquake's influence on human life and its socioeconomic consequences highlight the need to investigate and create the most efficient and easily adaptable ways to minimize losses. The basic concept of different control mechanisms used for protecting structures from the destructive impacts of earthquakes is to dissipate the energy efficiently, therefore ensuring that the structure remains undamaged or sustains minimum damage. To achieve this purpose, the passive control mechanism is a particularly suitable and reliable technology as it doesn't rely on external power to actively dissipate energy. The present study proposes using a passive energy dissipation device called the Yielding Shear Panel Device (YSPD) for strengthening the current steel structures. The YSPD consists of a square hollow section (SHS) that houses a diaphragm plate. The fundamental concept of the YSPD involves harnessing the lateral deformation of a steel plate to absorb and disperse the seismic energy. The Bouc-Wen-Baber Noori (BWBN) material has been used for simulating the hysteresis force-deformation relationship of YSPDs by pinching. YSPDs are simulated as spring components that connect between the beam and the V-brace. A nonlinear time history dynamic analysis was performed to assess the alteration in the structural capacity with the setting up of YSPDs. The performance of the tested structure was assessed considering story drift, story displacement, story shear, column shear, and YSPD hysteresis loops. The results indicated that YSPD installation has improved the structure's capacity. However, the use of dampers resulted in significant drift in all stories, a reduction in total floor displacement, and a decrease in the shear force of the stories. However, the results demonstrated that the YSPD dampers effectively absorbed energy and exhibited stable hysteresis loops.

Seismic fragility assessment of reinforced concrete and post-tensioned slab-column connections - reliability-based formulations for storey drift limits

Seismic fragility assessment of reinforced concrete and post-tensioned slab-column connections - reliability-based formulations for storey drift limits

A database of shake-table tests conducted on unreinforced masonry buildings

Experimental results obtained from shake-table tests on complete unreinforced masonry buildings (URM) play a crucial role in enhancing modeling techniques and reducing uncertainties in seismic assessments for this type of building. This paper presents an open-access database comprising 69 shake-table tests on URM buildings with a scale equal to or larger than 1:4 that have been documented in the literature. The database summarizes important geometric parameters, structural characteristics, and experimental results, including maximum shake-table accelerations, story drifts, and evolution of dynamic properties, as well as qualitative information such as observed failure modes and damage progression throughout the experiments. This database is meant to serve the research community as a resource for planning future experimental campaigns, benchmarking numerical models, validating analysis methods, and improving predictive capabilities. As an example application, we generate vulnerability functions (fragility curves) from the experimental data. Our findings reveal that buildings tested in experiments are less vulnerable compared to real buildings, particularly when severe damage is observed and when the ground motion intensity is low to moderate. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the exchange of experimental data and boost collaborative approaches in the seismic assessment of URM buildings.

Unsymmetricity effects on seismic performance of multi-story buildings

The unsymmetrical configurations in buildings lead to non-uniform distributions in their strength, mass, and stiffness, and they are consequently prone to damage during seismic hazards. In this study, the seismic performance of multi-story buildings with 5, 8, 10, and 12 stories of square, ‘L’, ‘T’, and ‘U’-shaped buildings have been investigated. The research deals with the variation of the natural time periods and how it affects the seismic performance of unsymmetrical multi-story buildings. The coupled and uncoupled equations of motion, based on the symmetricity of the buildings about both axes, were solved to obtain natural time periods that influence the spectral acceleration of the ground accelerations. Six important ground accelerations were considered. Nonlinear static analysis, such as pushover analysis, was also carried out on all the buildings. Comparisons were made on the seismic behavior of both the symmetrical and unsymmetrical structures. The results revealed that the spectral acceleration influences dynamic responses, such as base shear, base moment, base torsion, roof displacement, roof rotation, and story drifts of the buildings. Moreover, it was found that even though the ‘L’-shaped buildings are unsymmetrical about both axes, they are less vulnerable than the ‘T’ and ‘U’-shaped buildings, which are unsymmetrical about one axis.

Fire after earthquake assessment of 3D reinforced concrete structures

Despite that, an earthquake's occurrence can lead to dramatic effects with significant damage in urban areas, including human and material losses. Fire after an earthquake amplifies the overall impact and becomes a catastrophic event. Most constructions in Algeria are made of reinforced concrete, and current regulations overlook fires after earthquakes. Structural designs are inadequate to handle such events. This study aims to investigate the behaviour of 3D reinforced concrete frames, as part of a residential building, designed according to internal codes, CBA93 and RPA99 v2003. This 3D RC structure is exposed to several load levels of its vertical load bearing capacity. The structural system is assumed to undergo seismic scenarios characterised by various levels of story drift and damage level types. The structure is then exposed to the standard fire ISO834 model. Numerical investigations are carried out for thermo-mechanical analysis using the finite element software ANSYS, taking into account geometric and material non-linearities. Results highlight the significant impact of vertical loads, story drifts, fire scenarios, and structural damage on a building's response to fire following an earthquake. These factors collectively influence the collapse probabilities, underlining the importance of holistic risk assessment in structural design.

An Empirical Spatiotemporal Input Model for Regional Seismic Ground Motions

The development of the economy and technology has attracted greater attention to regional seismic resistance, a key technology for which is the simulation of regional seismic ground motions. This study proposes a simple and highly operable method for the generation of regional seismic ground motions, which includes five steps. First, a seismic ground motion recorded at a seismic station is selected as the original ground motion. The original ground motion is then decomposed into eight sub-signals by wavelet packet transform (WPT). Next, the eight sub-signals are adjusted by the frequency attenuation model. The generated ground motion is then amplitude modulated by the peak ground acceleration (PGA) attenuation model. The frequency attenuation model and the PGA attenuation model are obtained by fitting seismic data from the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. Finally, the propagation of the ground motion is considered. The proposed method can provide a time history of seismic ground motions for any point in a region. To investigate the rationality and applicability of the proposed method, the characteristics of the generated seismic ground motions are compared with those of true seismic ground motions. The average error of the PGA of the generated ground motions and the true ground motions is 0.072[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]; thus, the proposed method is suitable for use in small-scale regions. Furthermore, 4-story and 15-story structures are used for structural response analysis. The story drift ratio error between the generated ground and true ground motions is found to be within an acceptable error range. The proposed method provides a new way to generate ground motions for regional seismic investigation.

Exploring the Structural Response of High-Rise Buildings using Fuzzy Logic and Genetic Algorithms

Exploring the dynamic behaviour of high-rise buildings presented a critical challenge. In this study, Fuzzy Logic and Genetic Algorithm (FLGA) were employed to comprehensively investigate the structural response of high-rise buildings (HRBs) for adaptive vibration control systems employing semiactive damper devices. The study integrated a fuzzy logic inference system with a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to create FLGA, which was then employed in a 3-story shear building under real earthquake conditions and multi-dimensional wind loads. The analytical model for a semi-active tuned mass damper (STMD) was examined and evaluated before integrating it into the proposed FLGA system. The results indicated that FLGA reduced story acceleration by an average of 20% and story drift by approximately 50% while efficiently controlling the structure within allowable movement limits and resident comfort criteria under multi-directional wind loads. The suggested optimal controller mitigated both displacement and acceleration responses by 15 to 20% without amplification. The study demonstrated FLGA's effectiveness as a model-free control strategy for managing structural response uncertainties.

Advanced seismic resilient performance of steel MRF equipped with viscoelastic friction dampers

This paper demonstrates the enhanced resilience performance of steel structures with viscoelastic friction dampers (VEFDs) based on numerical simulations of building responses. Velocity-dependent dampers, which are widely used to increase seismic resilience, may increase the axial force of the column under strong earthquake conditions because the generated force depends on the interstory velocity. This often leads to plastic hinges being placed on the columns of the structure, which can lead to structural collapse via weak-layer failure. In addition, while viscoelastic dampers are effective in reducing story drift, peak acceleration, and peak velocity, the proposed hybrid VEFD offers the additional benefit of reducing base shear via the friction damper. Simulation results for 10- and 20-story buildings with the novel VEFDs show that the proposed dampers can control drift and plastic deformation in structural members. Nonlinear dynamic analysis of 20 far-fault seismic ground motion records conducted using OpenSees also reveals lower peak absolute floor acceleration and velocity. Overall, the results suggest that the proposed VEFD has excellent potential for use in the performance-based seismic design of structures because it can reduce both structural and nonstructural damage. The results verify the damper's effectiveness in controlling story drift without a significant increase in the base shear. Collapse probability assessment also demonstrates the collapse resistance of moment-resisting frames when used in conjunction with VEFDs.