Spatial ground motion effect on relative displacement of adjacent building structures

Abstract

SUMMARYThis paper analyses earthquake ground motion spatial variation effects on relative linear elastic response of adjacent building structures. It studies the relative importance of ground motion spatial variations and dynamic characteristics of adjacent structures in causing relative responses. Random vibration method is used in the study. It is found that, besides ground-acceleration-induced dynamic responses, quasi-static responses induced by spatially varying ground displacements also contribute significantly to the relative structural responses. The effects of spatial ground motions are very pronounced to the relative displacements of adjacent low-rise structures, and to those of high-rise adjacent structures with similar vibration characteristics. The effect of vibration properties of adjacent structures are, however, more significant to those of high-rise adjacent structures if they poses noticeably different vibration periods.

Assessment of the separation necessary to prevent seismic pounding between linear structural systems

“…However, since the distance between adjacent structures prone to pounding is relatively small, ground motion spatial variation may be ignored. It has been shown [21,22] that the influence of ground motion spatial variation on the relative displacement response of adjacent structures is relevant only in the case of very stiff structures having relatively large horizontal dimensions, and only when the natural periods of the structures are very close to each other. In any case, even if both adjacent structures do experience the same excitation, they do not experience it exactly at the same time due to the traveling nature of seismic waves.…”

A study on seismic pounding probability of buildings in Taipei metropolitan area

“…Lin (1997) proposed a theoretical solution based on random vibration theory to predict the statistics of separation distance of adjacent buildings, assuming linear elastic responses. Hao and Zhang (1999) investigated earthquake ground motion spatial variation effects on relative linear elastic response of adjacent building structures.…”

Significance of SSI and nonuniform near-fault ground motions in bridge response I: Effect on response with conventional expansion joint

“…The spatial variation of the ground motions is not only determined by the characteristics of the propagating seismic waves but also by the properties of the transmitting medium. Hao et al [12,13] and Zanardo et al [14] investigated the effect of spatially varying ground motions on the pounding behaviour of neighbouring structures.…”