Dynamic Testing of Full-Scale 11-Story RC Building and Its 3-Story Structural Part: Comparison of the Results and Seismic Resistance Estimation

Abstract eng:
Dynamic testing of full-scale RC buildings is one of the final stages in investigation of new structural schemes for seismic zones. It is required in order to verify the real seismic resistance of the building. However, this method is rather seldom used because it is time- and cost consuming procedure, and it may yield nonlinear deformations, damage in structural elements and the whole building. The damage may be so strong that after such tests it will be impossible to retrofit the building for its further using. Hence it is impossible to test each new real multistory RC building. Dynamic testing of a relatively small part of the building (having the same structural scheme) is one of the possible ways for solution of the above described problem. But the reliability of the experimental results, obtained for the structural part, should be verified (at least one time) by comparison to those from dynamic tests of a full-scale building. This paper deals with impulse testing of a 3-story structural part and comparison of the results to those of dynamic vibration testing of the full-scale 11-story RC building. It should be mentioned that there are almost always certain differences between the full scale structure and its structural part. In our case the real building was able to withstand dynamic loads in two horizontal directions, while the structural part was a plane frame. The full-scale building was subjected to dynamic loading using a vibration machine and the structural part was tested by applying an impulse force. Additionally, the framed system of the real structure had braces in one direction and shear walls in the other one, while the structural part had a frame system (without braces and shear walls). However, the height of the structural part was significantly lower compared to the full-scale building, so the stiffness parameters of both structures were of the same order. It was shown that, if the dynamic parameters of both structures are rather close, it is possible to obtain the seismic loads, acting on the real building, using the impulse forces, applied to the structural part. This approach may be successfully used for estimation of seismic resistance of real buildings designed for a given seismic zone.

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