An assessment of the validity of idealizing a concrete diaphragm as rigid was performed through the modal analysis of three existing buildings. Modal analysis was performed both by physical experimentation and computational analysis. Experimental determination of the mode shapes shows that two of the three buildings’ diaphragms exhibited flexible behavior. The experimental results were compared to computational analysis results and were shown to be similar, confirming that that the two building diaphragms are not rigid. As a standard, diaphragms with aspect ratios less than three are permitted to be idealized as rigid per ASCE 7-05. To determine the effect of the rigid diaphragm idealization, the design forces and roof deflections for each building were determined from the computational model through a spectral analysis for both a model with rigid diaphragms and a model with semi-rigid diaphragms. It was found that the design seismic demands for the two buildings with flexible diaphragms were higher when modeled with semi-rigid diaphragms than with rigid diaphragms. The conclusion is made that idealizing a concrete diaphragm as rigid solely based on its aspect ratio may result in an unconservative estimate of the seismic demands on a building.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:09:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4134.pdf: 10682019 bytes, checksum: 08a3b53f3f78732a452841c76b25a524 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-13 / One of the main differences in the structures composed of prefabricated elements of the conventional structures (cast in situ) refers to the way of how structural elements are connected together. The operation of such links is essential to perform an accurate analysis of stability and removed from these buildings. A place where the connection is very important in verifying the structural behavior is among the cellular elements of the slab. In a conventional structure, usually made of solid slabs for floors, it is observed that the behavior of slabs have a great influence on the distribution of efforts arising from actions horizontal resistance between the porch and, consequently, the stability of the same. This phenomenon, defined as a rigid diaphragm, can also be found in precast buildings, with floors composed of hollow core slabs. In order to verify the necessity of including some details of connection between the slab elements (joints between the slabs and among other things) will be proposed in this paper the analysis of five structures with different characteristics, considering the different possibilities of bracing and disposal of prefabricated slabs in the floor. Consideration will be given the difference in the distribution efforts of the pavements, considering the application of shear walls and gateways, as well as the provision of slabs parallel and perpendicular to side action. The interference of the cover structure will also be analyzed in a number of examples. From a modeling specific to the floors of these buildings and different situations with different levels of horizontal actions, one can determine the stresses at specific points of the same, thus indicating the types of reinforcements to be willing to actually floors act as a diaphragm. Finally, we intend to discuss the organization of prefabricated elements interfere in the distribution of efforts on the pavement (joints between the slab elements), based on different amounts of reinforcing bars of each type of pavement structure will require. / Uma das principais diferenças das estruturas compostas por elementos pré-fabricados das estruturas convencionais (moldadas in loco) faz referência à maneira de como os elementos estruturais são ligados entre si. O modo de funcionamento de tais ligações é primordial para se realizar uma correta análise de estabilidade e deslocabilidade dessas edificações. Um local no qual a ligação se faz muito importante na verificação do comportamento estrutural é entre os elementos de laje alveolar. Em uma estrutura convencional, geralmente composta por pavimentos de lajes maciças, observa-se que as lajes têm um comportamento de grande influência na distribuição de esforços advindos de ações horizontais entre os pórticos resistentes e, conseqüentemente, na estabilidade da mesma. Esse fenômeno, definido como diafragma rígido, pode também estar presente em edificações pré-fabricadas, com pavimentos compostos por lajes alveolares. De modo a se verificar a necessidade de inserção de alguns detalhes de ligação entre os elementos de laje (juntas entre as lajes e entre outros elementos) serão propostos neste trabalho a análise de cinco estruturas com características distintas, considerando as diferentes possibilidades de elementos de contraventamento e disposição das lajes pré-fabricadas no piso. Será analisada a diferença na distribuição dos esforços nos pavimentos, considerando a aplicação de paredes de cisalhamento e pórticos, bem como a disposição de lajes paralelas e perpendicular a ação lateral. A interferência da capa estrutural também será analisada em um dos exemplos numéricos. A partir de uma modelagem específica para os pavimentos dessas diferentes edificações e situações, com diferentes níveis de ações horizontais, podem-se determinar os esforços em pontos específicos dos mesmos, indicando assim os tipos de reforços que deverão ser dispostos para que de fato os pavimentos funcionem como diafragma. Por fim, pretende-se discorrer sobre como a organização dos elementos pré-fabricados interfere na distribuição dos esforços no pavimento (juntas entre os elementos de laje), com base nas diferentes quantidades de armaduras de reforço do pavimento que cada tipo de estrutura exigirá.

The Bridge House is a steel building structure located in Poly Canyon, a rural area inside the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The Bridge House is a one story steel structure supported on 4 concrete piers with a lateral force resisting system (LFRS) composed of ordinary moment frames in the N-S direction and braced frames in the E-W direction and vertically supported by a pair of trusses. The dynamic response of the Bridge House was investigated by means of system identification through ambient and forced vibration testing. Interesting findings such as diaphragm flexibility, foundation flexibility and frequency shifts due to thermal effects were all found throughout the mode shape mapping process. Nine apparent mode shapes were experimentally identified, N-S and E-W translational, rotational and 6 vertical modes. A computational model was also created and refined through correlation with the modal parameters obtained through FVTs. When compared to the experimental results, the computational model estimated the experimentally determined building period within 8% and 10% for both N-S and E-W translational modes and within 10% for 4 of the vertical modes.