Rapid Assessment of Building Response Using Generalized Interstory Drift Spectra

A new tool for rapid building response assessment is presented. By using a continuum model this new tool, named generalized interstory drift spectrum, provides estimates of maximum interstory drift demands in buildings responding to earthquakes. The continuous model consists of a combination of a flexural beam and a shear beam. By modifying a single parameter the model used in the generalized interstory drift spectrum can consider lateral deformations varying from those of a flexural beam to those of a shear beam. Therefore, it permits to account for a wide range of modes of deformation that represent more closely those of multistory buildings. Because of its computationally efficiency, and because it only requires a minimum of information about the building, the new spectrum provides a powerful tool for rapid assessment of many buildings. Examples of interstory drift demands from various ground motions recorded in the United States and Turkey are presented.