The response of adjacent buildings in city blocks to several strong earthquakes is analysed, taking into account the mutual collisions, or pounding, resulting from insufficient or non-existing separation distances. The buildings are idealized as lumped-mass, shear beam type, multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) systems with bilinear force-deformation characteristics and with bases supported on translational and rocking spring-dashpots. Collisions between adjacent masses can occur at any level and are simulated by means of viscoelastic impact elements. Using five real earthquake motions the effects of the following factors are investigated: building configuration and relative size, seismic separation distance and impact element properties. It is found that pounding can cause high overstresses, mainly when the colliding buildings have significantly different heights, periods or masses. This suggests a possibility for introducing a set of conditions into the codes, combined with some special measures, as an alternative to the seismic separation requirement.
[1]
Kazuhiko Kasai,et al.
Analysis for a Type of Structural Pounding
,
1990
.
[2]
Bruce D. Westermo,et al.
The dynamics of interstructural connection to prevent pounding
,
1989
.
[3]
S. Anagnostopoulos.
Pounding of buildings in series during earthquakes
,
1988
.
[4]
B. Fatemi,et al.
An Efficient Technique for the Approximate Analysis of Vibro-Impact
,
1983
.
[5]
J. P. Wolf,et al.
Mutual pounding of adjacent structures during earthquakes
,
1980
.
[6]
E. L. Wilson,et al.
Solution or reduction of equilibrium equations for large complex structural systems
,
1978
.