Linear and nonlinear seismic analysis of a tall Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower

Air Traffic Control (ATC) towers are one of the strategic and vital structures for the functionality of each airport. Due to the inadequate information about seismic design and the performance of ATC towers, structural engineers often refer to building codes. However, seismic performance and the demands of ATC towers significantly differ from common structures. In this paper, the seismic performance of Kuala Lumpur International Air traffic control tower is investigated through numerical simulations. Linear and nonlinear analyses are carried out and obtained results are compared. Results show that, in comparison to modal response spectrum analysis, equivalent static analysis overestimates overturning moments, drifts and lateral displacements. Moreover, linear analysis underestimate base shear, drifts and overturning moments in comparison to the results of nonlinear time history analysis. Furthermore, when the pile-foundation system is not considered in the nonlinear FE model, the damage severity at the mid-height of the tower is underestimated.