An analytical study of residual displacements in RC bridge columns subjected to near-fault earthquakes

Elastomeric bearings are commonly used in base-isolation systems to protect the structures from earthquake damages. Their design is usually developed by using nonlinear models where only the effects of shear and compressive loads are considered, but uncertainties still remain about consequences of the tensile loads produced by severe earthquakes like the near-fault ones. The present work aims to highlight the relapses of tension on the response of bearings and superstructure. To this end, three-, seven- and ten-storey r.c. framed buildings are designed in line with the current Italian seismic code, with a base-isolation system constituted of High-Damping-Rubber Bearings (HDRBs) designed for three values of the ratio between the vertical and horizontal stiffnesses. Experimental and analytical results available in literature are used to propose a unified nonlinear model of the HDRBs, including cavitation and post-cavitation of the elastomer. Nonlinear incremental dynamic analyses of the test structures are carried out using a homemade computer code, where other models of HDRBs considering only some nonlinear phenomena are implemented. Near-fault earthquakes with comparable horizontal and vertical components, prevailing horizontal component and prevailing vertical component are considered as seismic input. Numerical results highlight that a precautionary estimation of response parameters of the HDRBs is attained referring to the proposed model, while its effects on the nonlinear response of the superstructure are less conservative.

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Seismic Response of RC Frames with a Soft First Story Retrofitted with Hysteretic Dampers under Near-Fault Earthquakes

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11031290 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 1290

Author(s):

Santiago Mota-Páez ◽

David Escolano-Margarit ◽

Amadeo Benavent-Climent

Keyword(s):

Cost Effective ◽

Far Field ◽

Soft Story ◽

Near Fault ◽

Rc Frames ◽

Story Drift ◽

Number Of Cycles ◽

Rc Frame Structures ◽

Near Fault Earthquakes ◽

Hysteretic Dampers

Reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures with open first stories and masonry infill walls at the upper stories are very common in seismic areas. Under strong earthquakes, most of the energy dissipation demand imposed by the earthquake concentrates in the first story, and this eventually leads the building to collapse. A very efficient and cost-effective solution for the seismic upgrading of this type of structure consists of installing hysteretic dampers in the first story. This paper investigates the response of RC soft-story frames retrofitted with hysteretic dampers subjected to near-fault ground motions in terms of maximum displacements and lateral seismic forces and compares them with those obtained by far-field earthquakes. It is found that for similar levels of total seismic input energy, the maximum displacements in the first story caused by near-fault earthquakes are about 1.3 times larger than those under far-field earthquakes, while the maximum inter-story drift in the upper stories and the distribution and values of the lateral forces are scarcely affected. It is concluded that the maximum displacements can be easily predicted from the energy balance of the structure by using appropriate values for the parameter that reflects the influence of the impulsivity of the ground motion: the so-called equivalent number of cycles.

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