The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of material and geometric nonlinearities occurring in beams, columns and walls of RC frame-wall structural systems when undergoing severe ground excitations. For this purpose, a low-rise RC building is considered with and without walls, and the joining beams and columns are designed with the strong-column weak-beam concept. The dimensions, material properties and the reinforcement amounts are calculated in accordance with the values suggested in design codes. Each structure is analyzed for various levels of applied vertical force and change in wall stiffness / where the effect of geometric nonlinearity is considered for each case. Force formulation frame elements with spreading inelasticity over the span are used for the modelling of each beam, column and wall. The coupling of the section forces is obtained by the fibre discretization of the section into several material points. Each section is divided into confined and unconfined regions and appropriate material properties are used for concrete and steel for cyclic loading. Both static pushover and dynamic analyses are performed in order to replicate the worst case scenario for a possible earthquake. From this study, it is concluded that the beams and columns of a frame-wall structural system should be designed carefully for load redistributions resulting from the yielding of the wall in the case of a strong earthquake, thus the design codes should address this situation for both in the retrofit of existing frame buildings with walls and in the construction of new frame-wall type buildings.

Στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η παραμετρική μελέτη μεταλλικών καμπτικών επίπεδων πλαισίων με υποστυλώματα διατομής τύπου τετραγωνικής κοιλοδοκού (Square Hollow Section, SHS) και δοκών διατομής τύπου διπλού ταυ (IPE). Ζητούμενο αποτελεί η ανάπτυξη εξισώσεων που συνδέουν χαρακτηριστικά της ανελαστικής απόκρισης των κατασκευών. Βασική επιδίωξη είναι η δυνατότητα πραγματοποίησης αντισεισμικού σχεδιασμού σύμφωνα με την μέθοδο των δυνάμεων έχοντας όμως σαν αρχικό στόχο ένα επιθυμητό επίπεδο επιτελεστικότητας σύμφωνα με τη μέθοδο σχεδιασμού που βασίζεται στις μετακινήσεις. Επίσης, αναπτύχθηκαν εξισώσεις που προβλέπουν την καθ’ ύψος κατανομή των ελαστικών και ανελαστικών μετακινήσεων της κατασκευής. Αναδεικνύεται η επιρροή του ελέγχου ευστάθειας στον σχεδιασμό μεταλλικών καμπτικών πλαισίων. Χρησιμοποιούνται διάφορες παράμετροι που εκτιμήθηκε πως επηρεάζουν την ελαστική και ανελαστική απόκριση των κατασκευών όπως το όριο διαρροής του χάλυβα fy των μελών, ο αριθμός των ορόφων ns, που επηρεάζει άμεσα την ιδιοπερίοδο του συστήματος, η μορφή της ελαστικής απόκρισης των κατασκευών, οι οποίες διακρίνονται σε καμπτικού και διατμητικού τύπου (shear type, flexural type) σύμφωνα με τον συντελεστή ρ όπως ορίζεται από τον Chopra (2007a), καθώς επίσης και την παράμετρο πλαστικών ροπών a που σχετίζεται με το είδος του αναπτυσσόμενου ανελαστικού μηχανισμού. Ο υστερητικός νόμος που χρησιμοποιήθηκε και περιγράφει την ανελαστική απόκριση των μελών υπό ανακυκλιζόμενη δράση, ταυτίζεται με τον διγραμμικό υστερητικό νόμο με κράτυνση 3% προσομοιώντοντας παράλληλα και την απομείωση της αντοχής των μελών που συνδέεται άμεσα με την τοπική πλαστιμότητα τους σε κάθε ανελαστικό κύκλο φόρτισης. Παραμετρικές αναλύσεις έγιναν επίσης με τη χρήση διγραμμικού νόμου υστέρησης με κράτυνση 3% χωρίς την απομείωσης της αντοχής των μελών κατά την ανελαστική τους απόκριση, με στόχο την διερεύνηση της επιρροής στην αντοχή των μελών κατά την ανελαστική τους απόκριση. Για την πραγματοποίηση της παρούσας μελέτης 57 καταγραφές παρελθοντικών σεισμών μακριά από το σεισμικό ρήγμα, αποτέλεσαν την διέγερση για την εκτέλεση των δυναμικών μη-γραμμικών αναλύσεων ώστε να ληφθεί υπόψη η επιρροή του συχνοτικού περιεχομένου των επιταχυνσιογραφημάτων στην απόκριση των συστημάτων. Τέλος, παραδείγματα που συγκρίνουν την μέθοδο που παρουσιάζεται με την μέθοδο των δυνάμεων αποδεικνύουν την αποτελεσματικότητα της μεθόδου. / An efficient procedure to estimate an orthological value of the strength reduction factor q of the European seismic code based on a target performance level is presented. Several parameters that affect the elastic and inelastic response of the planar steel moment resisting frames are taking into account. The simple bilinear hysteretic rule is been used to model the inelastic response of the members by including the degradation of their strength. The comparison of the inelastic response of the structures with and without degradation of strength is showed. Examples are evaluating the efficiency of the chosen strength reduction factor and they are demonstrating the dominant role of the second order effects that restrict the seismic design of steel moment resisting frames at high performance levels.

Interstory drift ratio is an important parameter for the determination of the structural performance under strong ground motions. A probabilistic procedure is proposed in this study to estimate the inelastic maximum interstory drift ratio. The procedure considers the uncertainties associated with the strong ground motions and structural behavior. Elastic and inelastic response history analyses of reinforced-concrete, moment-resisting frames are used together with a near-fault strong ground motion data set to derive the probabilistic procedure. The elastic and inelastic response history analysis results are evaluated in a statistical manner to present the probabilistic approach proposed here. The method presented basically makes use of the fundamental mode properties of the frame systems and modifies the elastic maximum interstory drift ratio by a modifying factor that is determined from the idealized lateral strength capacity (pushover analysis) of the structure. As a part of this thesis, the performance of recently improved nonlinear static procedures that are used in estimating the deformation demands on structural systems are also evaluated using the single- and multi-degree-of-freedom response history analyses results obtained during the conduct of the study.

Στην παρούσα εργασία πραγματοποιήθηκε παραμετρική μελέτη μεταλλικών καμπτικών επίπεδων πλαισίων με υποστυλώματα τύπου τετραγωνικής κοιλοδοκού (Square Hollow Section, SHS) και δοκών τύπου διπλού ταυ (IPE). Ζητούμενο αποτελούσε η ανάπτυξη εξισώσεων που θα συνδέουν χαρακτηριστικά της ανελαστικής απόκρισης των κατασκευών με την δυνατότητα αντισεισμικού σχεδιασμού σύμφωνα με την μέθοδο των δυνάμεων έχοντας όμως σαν αρχικό στόχο ένα επιθυμητό επίπεδο επιτελεστικότητας σύμφωνα με τον αντισεισμικό σχεδιασμό που βασίζεται στην νεότερη μέθοδο των μετακινήσεων και εκτιμούν πιο σωστά την επιρροή των φαινομένων Ρ-Δ στην ανελαστική απόκριση των δισδιάτατων καμπτικών πλαισίων. Αναδεικνύεται η επιρροή του ελέγχου ευστάθειας στον σχεδιασμό μεταλλικών καμπτικών πλαισίων. Χρησιμοποιούνται διάφορες παράμετροι που εκτιμήθηκε πως επηρεάζουν την ελαστική και ανελαστική απόκριση των κατασκευών όπως το όριο διαρροής του χάλυβα fy των μελών, ο αριθμός των ορόφων ns, που επηρεάζει άμεσα την ιδιοπερίοδο του συστήματος, η μορφή της ελαστικής απόκρισης των κατασκευών, οι οποίες διακρίνονται σε καμπτικού και διατμητικού τύπου (shear type, flexural type) σύμφωνα με τον συντελεστή ρ όπως ορίζεται από τον Chopra (2007a), καθώς επίσης και την παράμετρο πλαστικών ροπών a που σχετίζεται με το είδος του αναπτυσσόμενου ανελαστικού μηχανισμού. Ο υστερητικός νόμος που χρησιμοποιήθηκε και περιγράφει την ανελαστική απόκριση των μελών υπό ανακυκλιζόμενη δράση ταυτίζεται με το διγραμμικό υστερητικό νόμο με κράτυνση 3%, με απομείωση της αντοχής των μελών που συνδέεται άμεσα με την τοπική πλαστιμότητα των μελών σε κάθε ανελαστικό κύκλο φόρτισης. Παραμετρικές αναλύσεις έγιναν επίσης με τη χρήση διγραμμικού νόμου υστέρησης με κράτυνση 3% χωρίς την απομείωση της αντοχής των μελών κατά την ανελαστική τους απόκριση, με στόχο την διερεύνηση της επιρροής στην αντοχή των μελών κατά την ανελαστική τους απόκριση. Για την πραγματοποίηση της παρούσας μελέτης 57 καταγραφές παρελθοντικών σεισμών μακριά από το σεισμικό ρήγμα, αποτέλεσαν την διέγερση για την εκτέλεση των δυναμικών μη-γραμμικών αναλύσεων ώστε να ληφθεί υπόψη η επιρροή του συχνοτικού περιεχομένου των επιταχυνσιογραφημάτων στην απόκριση των συστημάτων. Τέλος, παρουσιάζεται παράδειγμα που συγκρίνει την προτεινόμενη μέθοδο με την μέθοδο των δυνάμεων αποδεικνύοντας την αποτελεσματικότητά της. / In this project, a parametric design of steel moment resisting frames with square hollow section type columns (Square Hollow Section, SHS) and double tee type of section (IPE) beams was made. It was desired to develop an equation connecting the inelastic response characteristics of structures designed according to the force-based method but having as initial target a desired performance level in accordance with seismic design based on the direct displacement-design method. Furthermore, it was desired to estimate the influence of P-Δ phenomena to the inelastic response of 2D moment resisting steel frames in a more correct way. The influence of stability control in the design moment resisting steel frames is highlighted. Various parameters that affect the elastic and inelastic response of structures are used, such as the yield strength of steel members fy, the number of storeys ns, which directly affects the eigenperiod of the system, the type of the elastic response of the structures, which are divided into flexural and shear type according to the coefficient ρ as defined by Chopra (2007a), and also the parameter of plastic moments α associated with the type of the developing plastic mechanism. The hysteretic law used, which describes the inelastic response of members under cyclic action, is the bilinear hysteretic law with hardening 3% and deterioration of members’ strength directly associated with the local ductility of members in each inelastic loading cycle. In addition, extra parametric analyses were made by using bilinear hysteretic law with 3% hardening without deterioration of strength of members in their inelastic response, in order to investigate the influence of strength deterioration on the resistance for members in the inelastic range. To carry out this study, 57 records of past earthquakes far from the seismic fault were used to perform the dynamic non - linear analyses, in order to take into account the influence of the frequency content of the accelerograms on the response of the systems. Finally, examples are presented comparing the proposed method with the method of forces demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Maximum interstory drift and the distribution of this drift along the height of the structure are the main causes of structural and nonstructural damage in frame type buildings subjected to earthquake ground motions. Estimation of maximum interstory drift ratio is a good measure of the local response of buildings. Recent earthquakes have revealed the susceptibility of the existing building stock to near-fault ground motions characterized by a large, long-duration velocity pulse. In order to find rational solutions for the destructive effects of near fault ground motions, it is necessary to determine drift demands of buildings. Practical, applicable and accurate methods that define the system behavior by means of some key parameters are needed to assess the building performances quickly instead of detailed modeling and calculations. In this study, simple equations are proposed in order for the determination of the elastic interstory drift demand produced by near fault ground motions on regular and irregular steel frame structures. The proposed equations enable the prediction of maximum elastic ground story drift ratio of shear frames and the maximum elastic ground story drift ratio and maximum elastic interstory drift ratio of steel moment resisting frames. In addition, the effects of beam to column stiffness ratio, soft story factor, stiffness distribution coefficient, beam-to-column capacity ratio, seismic force reduction factor, ratio of pulse period to fundamental period, regular story height and number of stories on elastic and inelastic interstory drift demands are investigated in detail. An equation for the ratio of maximum inelastic interstory drift ratio to maximum elastic interstory drift ratio developed for a representative case is also presented.

With the advancement in knowledge of inelastic response of structures, the design and construction practices of reinforced concrete buildings have been changing worldwide. Most of the codes are incorporating the near-fault factors and performance based designs in the seismic codes. However, further investigation is needed to identify the physical behaviour of multi-storey buildings to near-fault ground motions. At present, quantitative evaluation of response and its mitigation to near field ground motions is a popular topic in earthquake engineering field. The present study discusses the inelastic response of symmetric and asymmetric multi-storey buildings to near-fault ground motions. The possibility of design approach is based on ‘expendable top storey’ for the multi-storey RC- buildings to near field records. If such behaviour is feasible one can conceive of a structure whose top storey is permitted and designed to undergo large inelastic deformations while reducing damage in the lower storey. The concept was first proposed in an earlier research (RaghuPrasad, 1977). Such a concept juxtaposes the often-mentioned ‘soft first storey’ concept. Further in this report, the performance evaluation of multi-storey buildings near Chiplun fault in Mumbai, India is also discussed. The thesis is organized in the following chapters: Introduction in Chapter-1 contains detailed literature review on inelastic response of symmetric and asymmetric buildings, response of buildings to near-fault records, elastic and inelastic vibration absorber concepts and performance based designs. The literature reveals that considerable amount of research has been carried out on the elastic, inelastic response of structures and vibration absorber concepts to ordinary ground motions. Recently, the effect of near field ground motions on the response of multi-storey buildings is gaining much importance. Most of the research publications are available on response of symmetric buildings subjected to near field ground motions. But many problems are yet to be investigated. They are, identification of important ground motion parameters in near fault records, vibration absorber concepts and torsional response of structures subjected to pulse type ground motions. These problems are clearly mentioned in the recently published state-of-the-art review by Shuang and Li-Li (2007). In this report an attempt has been made to solve these problems. Effect of near-fault ground motions on symmetric multi-storey buildings in Chapter-2, describes simplified non-dimensionalized equations of motion to study the response behaviour of multi-storey buildings to near fault records. The non-dimensionalized equations of motion are expressed in terms of near fault ground motion parameters. The objective is to find a relation between ductility demand and near field ground motion parameters through neural network approach. For this a neural network modeling was done to predict the ductility demand in terms of peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, epicentral distance and pulse period of the near field ground motion. A thorough sensitive analysis is carried out, to ascertain which parameters are having maximum influence on ductility demand. In this chapter further, a comparative study is made on the inelastic seismic response of multi-storey buildings to pulse type and non pulse type ground motions. The study shows that, it is necessary to consider the effect of near fault ground motions separately and make provisions for the design in the codes of practice accordingly. Vibration absorber effect in multi-storey buildings in chapter-3, discusses the behaviour of top storey as a vibration absorber during near field ground motions. For this purpose, a five storey symmetric building model is considered as an example problem to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed concept. Response of the structure is obtained for the various combinations of absorber storey parameters such as mass ratio, frequency ratio and yield displacement ratio. Here mass ratio means mass of the absorber storey to that of the bottom storey and similarly for the frequency and yield displacement ratios. Observing the storey-wise variation of these responses, we can say that for a range of mass ratios, frequency ratios and yield displacement ratios, the inelastic response of top storey is large compared to the lower storeys. This range is termed as ‘effective range’. Further, in this range the top storey absorbs the vibration energy of the structure by keeping the lower storeys in elastic state i.e. acts as a vibration absorber. The top storey can also be termed as ‘expendable top storey’. Effect of near-fault ground motions on asymmetric multi-storey buildings in Chapter-4, discusses the inelastic response of asymmetric buildings to single horizontal component and two horizontal components of near fault ground motions viz., fault normal and fault parallel components. For numerical investigations eight building models are considered. Eccentricity has been created by keeping the stiffness and mass centre separately. The building models are subjected to strong motion records of Imperial Valley Array-5 (1979) and Northridge-Sylmar (1994). A detailed study on the effect of base shear strength, eccentricity and pulse period of near fault ground motions on the response is investigated. Performance of multi-Storey buildings in Chapter-5, reported a detailed procedure for the performance evaluation of structures. The procedure is applied to find the performance evaluation of multi-storeyed buildings located in near fault region. Chiplun fault in Mumbai, India has been chosen for the study because several features of that fault are clearly published (RaghuKanth and Iyengar, 2006). Results of performance evaluation of five and ten storeyed symmetric buildings with and without infill panels are studied. Ground motion records consistent with the hazard spectrum for the design are considered. The performance of the building near the Chiplun fault in Mumbai, India shows operational under UHS-500 (uniform hazard spectrum) event and it collapses when the building is exposed to UHS-2500 record. The thesis is concluded in Chapter-6 with an overall summary of the report and suggestions for further scope of the work.