Concept on positioning of Columns

Question 1:

Comment on the layout of the framing plan concerning earthquake resistance in the two horizontal directions X or Y (dots are columns, lines depict beams). Look into aspects of symmetry, redundancy and bi-directional stiffness and ductility.

ANSWER:

1. SYMMERTRY,

• Having a look over aspects of symmertry of the framing plan, it is observed that the distribution of mass, stiffness is across the plan , it is observed that the distribution of mass , stiffness id across the plan, it is considered as the one of the good symmertrical aspects
• This trends to reduce the horizontal displacements in both of the two horizontal displacements in both of the two orthogonal horizontal directions
• It also has very good uniformity also.

2. REDUNDANCY ,

• There are missing structural elements in the pheriphery of the plan ,
• This cause the uneven distribution of earthquake action effect in non linear range across the plan
• The energy dissipation across the structure is very low which results in non reliable structures.

3. BIDIRECTIONAL STIFFNESS ,

• The building plan may not able to resist the Horizontal seismic action in the horizontal direction, also the resistance and stiffness in the shorter direction is less when compared to longer direction.

4. DUCTILITY ,

• The building may not able to resist in the elastic earthquake forces in the shorter direction (y- axis) , so it may result in In elastic response.
• The reduction in design force in the shorter direction (y- axis ) is to be compensated ductility.

Question 2:

What are the possible sources of irregularity in the building shown here? Explain how, as an engineer, each of these irregularities should be dealt with.

ANSWER :

• SOFT STOREYS,There

Flexible structures in torsion,

1. STIFFNESS IRREGULARITY,

• The lateral stiffness of the storey at mid height which is open very less when comapered to the above levels , because the main reason is the structure is dis continued at the mid height,
• It is observered that the open storey causes reduction in the stiffness of the building and sttracts lateral seismic exitation more in that floor which causes severe damage to the upper floors,
• The irregularity can be solved by providing the shear walls to this high seismic action prone floor

2. MASS IRREGULARITY.

• The open storey also causes mass irregularity in the building because the high mass concentration is present above the open floor
• that is upper floor carrys more mass than the open floor

3. VERTICAL GEOMETRICAL IRREGULARITY,

• There is a change in horizontal dimensional of the lateral force resisting due to open storey in mid height and also vertical geometry of the building which means the length of the top storeys are varying along the building unit,
• This causes torsional effects in the building which need to be decoupled by providing shear walls or decoupled moments.
• The flexibility provided due to variation need to be compensated by providing ductility,

Question 3:

A 4-storey hotel building has an open ground floor for the restaurant. Story 2 to 4 have one row of rooms along each long side in plan, separated by a corridor. The two short sides of the perimeter are fully in-filled in all storeys, except for certain openings at the ends of the corridor at storeys 2 to 4 and along the right-hand side of the ground floor. There is a staircase near the upper left-hand corner, with straight flights between landings at floor levels and in-between floors. Cross-section dimensions are written next to the member no. in meters.

Comment on the features of the structural design and of the layout of infills which are important for earthquake resistance and seismic performance. How do they relate to the almost full collapse of this building (the extreme left-hand bay with the staircase survived, as well as one long-side façade in the rear end, and the frame along the right-hand side in plan).

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ANSWER :

The building collapse occured due to ground excitation in both orthogonal horizontal distances and also due to torsinal effects ,inspite of being having the earthquake resistance for the two mentioned actions (above),

The following are the responsible factors:

1. Open ground floor
2. two short sides of the perimeter in-filled
3. extreme left hand bay staircase filled with the concrete
4. columns are not in the same line

1. Open ground floor :

• The ground floor of the building is open which may be soft storey (having long columns ) due to the ground floor. exicitation the columns could have been unabled to resist the earthquake and form collapse
• This is called as soft storey mechanism
• This can be avoided by having strong column - weak beam mechanism .

2. two short sides of the perimeter in-filled :

• The mass has been undistributed in all the sides of the building in all storeys because it is given that the two sides of the perimeter of the building is in-filled (may be with the soil) which causes the irregular dustribution of mass called as mass irregularity
• This can be avoided by providing the shear walls in the direction of two short sides of the perimeter which can resist the lateral loads (soil due to infill) by providing stiffness in the building frame and helps to resist the earthquake actions.
• also it adjusts the mass irregularity for the plan

3. extreme left hand bay staircase filled with the concrete :

• The extreme left hand bay has staircase (made of concrete ) due to this the mass got concentrated in the staircase area due to which torsinal effects are formed having the base of concentartion of mass in the staircase
• to avoid this type of failure in staircase should be kept in the centre of the building which makes the torsinal effect as zero by uncoupling the moment . it also makes the implications of the irregularity in the plan of the building.

4. Columns are not in the same line :

• It is observed that the columns are in extreme left hand middle line columns has the deviation in the line of the construction at the staircase which again a reason for the irregularity in plan having the torsinal flexibility.
• to avoid this is eccentricity to be maintained for the deviation to be with the limits of beam sizes and the column sizes.
• Also the sizes of the beams and columns in the plan should be redesigned in such a way that the line of columns doesn't deviate even in the staircase area,