RESPONSES OF CONTROLLED TALL BUILDINGS IN TOKYO SUBJECTED TO THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE

Many tall buildings in Tokyo metropolitan area were strongly shaken during the Great East Japan Earthquake, March 11, 2011. Most of them are less than 40 years old, and have not experienced the shaking of such a strong level. The tall buildings less than 15 years old, constructed after the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, are typically response-controlled by using dampers, due to the increased concern about serious consequence of seismic damage in major buildings. Some of such buildings are instrumented with sensors and their motions were recorded during the event. This paper discusses the responses of the Japanese controlled tall buildings based on their motions recorded in Tokyo during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The responses are also compared with those of conventional seismic-resistant buildings.