Seismic evaluation of reinforced concrete frames using pushover analysis

Abstract EN

Ten stories–five bays reinforced concrete frame (two dimensional beams and columns system) subjected to seismic hazard of the Mosul city/Iraq is analyzed.

Plastic hinge is used to represent the failure mode in the beams and columns when the member yields.

The pushover analysis is performed on the present building frame using SAP2000 software (V.14) to verify code's underlying intent of Life Safety performance under seismic effects.

The principles of Performance Based Seismic Engineering are used to govern the present analysis, where inelastic structural analysis is combined with the seismic hazard to calculate expected seismic performance of a structure.

Base shear versus tip displacement curve of the structure, called pushover curve, is an essential outcomes of pushover analysis for two actions of the plastic hinge behavior, force-controlled (brittle) and deformation-controlled (ductile) actions.

Lateral deformations at the performance point proved that the building is capable of sustaining certain level of seismic load.

The building clearly behaves like the strong column-weak beam mechanism, although the formed hinges are in the dangerous level according to Applied Technology Council (ATC-40) categories of structural performance and they need to be strengthened.