• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.505-526
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• 2005

The influence of the inter-story structural pounding on the seismic behaviour of adjacent multistory reinforced concrete structures with unequal total heights and different story heights is investigated. Although inter-story pounding is a common case in practice, it has not been studied before in the literature as far as the authors are aware. Fifty two pounding cases, each one for two different seismic excitations, are examined. From the results it can be deduced that: (i) The most important issue in the inter-story pounding is the local effect on the external column of the tall building that suffers the impact from the upper floor slab of the adjacent shorter structure. (ii) The ductility demands for this column are increased comparing with the ones without the pounding effect. In the cases that the two buildings are in contact these demands appear to be critical since they are higher than the available ductility values. In the cases that there is a small distance between the interacting buildings the ductility demands of this column are also higher than the ones of the same column without the pounding effect but they appear to be lower than the available ductility values. (iii) It has to be stressed that in all the examined cases the developed shear forces of this column exceeded the shear strength. Thus, it can be concluded that in inter-story pounding cases the column that suffers the impact is always in a critical condition due to shear action and, furthermore, in the cases that the two structures are in contact from the beginning this column appears to be critical due to high ductility demands as well. The consequences of the impact can be very severe for the integrity of the column and may be a primary cause for the initiation of the collapse of the structure. This means that special measures have to be taken in the design process first for the critically increased shear demands and secondly for the high ductility demands.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.113-136
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• 2009

The seismic induced interaction between multistory structures with unequal story heights (inter-story pounding) is studied taking into account the local response of the exterior beam-column joints. Although several parameters that influence the structural pounding have been studied sofar, the role of the joints local inelastic behaviour has not been yet investigated in the literature as key parameter for the pounding problem. Moreover, the influence of the infill panels as an additional parameter for the local damage effect of the joints on the inter-story pounding phenomenon is examined. Thirty six interaction cases between a multistory frame structure and an adjacent shorter and stiffer structure are studied for two different seismic excitations. The results are focused: (a) on the local response of the critical external column of the multistory structure that suffers the hit from the slab of the adjacent shorter structure, and (b) on the local response of the exterior beam-column joints of the multistory structure. Results of this investigation demonstrate that the possible local inelastic response of the exterior joints may be in some cases beneficial for the seismic behaviour of the critical column that suffers the impact. However, in all the examined cases the developing demands for deformation of the exterior joints are substantially increased and severe damages can be observed due to the pounding effect. The presence of the masonry infill panels has also been proved as an important parameter for the response of the exterior beam-column joints and thus for the safety of the building. Nevertheless, in all the examined inter-story pounding cases the presence of the infills was not enough for the total amelioration of the excessive demands for shear and ductility of the column that suffers the impact.