Seismic Response of Reinforced Concrete Structures to Impulsive And Vibratory Earthquake

Abstract

The structural analysis of buildings located in seismic zones has been constantly updated in recent decades due to the adaptation of regulations following earthquakes. Structural engineering has adequate tools to predict seismic responses through mechanical and numerical models; however, there are uncertainties regarding the characteristics of earthquakes to be used as input for evaluating seismic response. Responses to earthquakes with impulsive characteristics are partially considered in our regulations. This paper studies the responses of three structural systems: a ten-story, three-span, frame building, another ten-span, single-story, frame building, and a ten-story frame-partition building, all of which are subject to ground motions with impulsive and vibratory characteristics. The responses are evaluated using linear static and dynamic analyses. It is observed that the static method covers the demands better than the dynamic methods, that low structures are less sensitive to impulsive earthquakes, and that differences appear in the response of flexible structures depending on whether the input is impulsive or vibratory.