Infill Wall Topology and Intensity Parameters Effects on Steel Frame Structures’ Seismic Response

Abstract eng:
This work provides a methodology for evaluating the influence of non-structural infill wall elements and quantifying the interrelation between them and structural damage analytically evaluated under strong ground motions. For this reason, nonlinear dynamic analyses for a set of five steel frame structures were carried out taking into consideration all essential material characteristics as well as four different infill wall topologies. Initially, a set of spectrum compatible artificial accelerograms were composed, and nonlinear dynamic analyses have been carried out to evaluate the seismic response of each structure. From several structural response quantities, the overall structural damage index (OSDI) of Park/Ang (OSDIPA) has been selected to represent the structural response. The work focuses on damage index of Park/Ang (DIPA) in both its localized form as well as the global damage manifestation. The steel frame models were designed in compliance with EC3 and EC8 Eurocode requirements for steel and antiseismic structures, respectively. During the nonlinear dynamic analyses carried out to evaluate the structure’s seismic response, utilizing the IDARC computer program, the OSDIPA response parameters were calculated as simple, yet efficient and widely accepted ways to represent seismic damage. This work focus on quantifying the interdependency between the topology of infill walls in a steel structure and its seismic response. As the numerical results have shown, infill walls proved to have a very positive contribution to the structure’s seismic response giving an average of 47% reduction of the maximum recorded OSDIPA as well as a 72-81% decrease in the mean OSDIPA values between the bare frame structure and its infill wall reinforced counterparts. Similar results were observed on a localized basis when investigating the mode and structural damage accumulation on a level to level basis where reductions in the range of 68-82% of the mean values for the ground floor (Level 1) and almost eliminate the seismic damage that is observed on the bare frame’s Level 6. Finally, a comparative study has been performed to quantify the influence of non-structural infill wall topology on the analytically observed seismic induced structural damage. In that effect, the different damage distribution characteristics have been studied revealing the importance of non-structural elements in a building’s response to such conditions.

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