Estimating seismic demand of reinforced concrete wall buildings : a simplified approach

Type of content
Theses / Dissertations
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Civil Engineering
Degree name
Doctor of Philosophy
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Journal Title
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Language
English
Date
2023
Authors
Gurung Shrestha, Srijana
Abstract

Seismic loss estimation of a building requires information regarding its damage potential for a given earthquake scenario. Damage in a building is directly related to its seismic demands/response which invokes the need for non-linear static or dynamic analysis with relatively accurate model according to the current performance based earthquake engineering (PBEE) approach. While these complex analysis methods exist, simplified approaches are needed for practical engineering applications. It is impractical for practicing engineers to conduct structural analysis of every single building as it requires lots of computational time and in-depth knowledge about modeling and analysis. A comprehensive review of existing methodologies for estimating seismic demands, highlights that only limited methods are available for RC wall structures. To address this gap this PhD thesis focuses on developing practical and simplified approaches to predict two crucial engineering demand parameters (EDPs): maximum inter-storey drift ratio (IDR) and peak floor acceleration (PFA) in reinforced concrete (RC) walls. RC walls are commonly used as lateral load-resisting systems in seismically active regions, making their prediction of seismic demands crucial for assessing seismic performance of the buildings. The research begins by identifying a suitable modeling approach for RC walls, selecting the Shear-Flexure Interaction Multiple Vertical Line Element Model (SFIMVLEM) due to its ability to capture shear-flexure interaction. A comprehensive parametric study is conducted on RC walls to investigate the effects of different structural parameters (number of storeys, shear span ratio, axial load ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio in the boundary zone, and boundary zone length) on drift and acceleration demands. Among these parameters, shear span ratio (SSR) is identified as the most crucial for predicting IDR and PFA profiles accurately. The study also discusses the differences between pushover analysis and incremental dynamic analysis, highlighting the limitations of conventional pushover analysis in estimating shear capacity of RC walls. The study then proposes prediction equations for IDR and PFA profiles using over 10,000 non-linear response history analysis results. The IDR prediction equation incorporates the normalized height and shear span ratio (SSR) of RC walls, providing a practical and reliable estimation of drift profiles. The PFA prediction equation accounts for different critical points along the height of the wall, considering the SSR of RC walls and ground motion intensity. The proposed equations are based on extensive numerical simulations and are validated against numerical and instrumented data. The simplified approaches demonstrate reasonable accuracy and outperform existing methods in terms of efficiency, and practicality. Furthermore, this research contributes to the development of a set of generic ground motions for conducting hazard-consistent incremental dynamic analysis (HCIDA). These ground motions can be used to assess the seismic performance of buildings in Wellington, New Zealand or regions with similar site characteristics, eliminating the need for time-consuming ground motion selection processes. In conclusion, this PhD thesis proposes practical and simplified approaches for predicting the seismic response of RC walls, focusing on IDR and PFA. The developed models offer accurate estimations and demonstrate superior performance compared to existing methods. These simplified approaches have the potential to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of seismic design and assessment in earthquake engineering practice.

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