Yield Strength Reduction Factor of Nonlinear SDOF Systems on the Supporting Structures
Equipment installed on the supporting structure responds to the earthquake floor motion, which is strongly amplified by the structural response of the supporting structure. The required yield strength of equipment can be reduced by allowing inelastic deformation of the supporting structure and its equipment. Inelastic behavior of the supporting structure can significantly reduce elastic floor response spectra, especially their peak values. Furthermore, the allowance of inelastic deformation of equipment in strongly amplified spectral region produces a significant reduction in the required yield strength of equipment. In this study, we discussed inelastic behavior of single-degree-of-freedom(SDOF) systems installed on the supporting structures by using constant-ductility floor response spectra. Constant-ductility floor response spectra readily provide the yield strength of a SDOF system necessary to limit the ductility demand imposed by an earthquake floor motion to a specified value. Based on these discussions, we propose simple and conservative equations of the yield strength reduction factor of nonlinear inelastic SDOF systems with the natural period, the ductility factor and the stiffness ratio for earthquake floor motions.