The Effects of Building Parameters on Seismic Inter-Storey Drifts of Tall buildings

Tall buildings are becoming an increasingly important and prevalent part of urban life as available land decreases. Understanding the behaviour of tall buildings is an essential component to ensure efficient and safe structural design. Non-structural components (NSCs) are an integral part of structures, yet their effects have traditionally been ignored for the seismic assessment of tall buildings. This paper presents interim findings of a research study aimed at developing a simple and reliable procedure to estimate the seismic inter-storey drifts of tall buildings, while incorporating the effects of various building parameters, including NSCs. Three-dimensional structural models were developed and validated by comparison with field measurements. Dynamic modal analyses were performed on the models to investigate the dynamic response behaviour of buildings. The results of the analyses were compared to a previously developed simplified drift model, one which is based on simplified two-dimensional building models. Results indicated significant effects of NSCs and soft-storey features on the dynamic response behaviour of buildings.