• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.239-260
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• 2021

Torsional response of buildings is attributed to poor structural configurations in plan, which arises due to two factors - torsional eccentricity and torsional flexibility. Usually, building codes address effects due to the former. This study examines both of these effects. Buildings with torsional eccentricity (e.g., those with large eccentricity) and with torsional flexibility (those with torsional mode as a fundamental mode) demand large deformations of vertical elements resisting lateral loads, especially those along the building perimeter in plan. Lateral-torsional responses are studied of unsymmetrical buildings through elastic and inelastic analyses using idealised single-storey building models (with two degrees of freedom). Displacement demands on vertical elements distributed in plan are non-uniform and sensitive to characteristics of both structure and earthquake ground motion. Limits are proposed to mitigate lateral-torsional effects, which guides in proportioning vertical elements and restricts amplification of lateral displacement in them and to avoid torsional mode as the first mode. Nonlinear static and dynamic analyses of multi-storey buildings are used to validate the limits proposed.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.151-160
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• 1999

It is recommended to have symmetric plan and elevation in structural design of hight-rise building structures to reduce torsional response of the structures. However it is not always allowed to do so due to architectural purposes. in many cases high-rise buildings are asymmetric. The purpose of this study is to predict the torsional behavior of high-rise building structures with asymmetric plan. Equivalent lateral stiffness and deformation shape factor are used for prediction of torsional response of high-rise buildings. Overall torsion of a structure is estimated by equivalent lateral stiffness and torsion of each floor is estimated by deformation factor in each 2-D lateral force resisting elements.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.153-178
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• 2008

Based on the empirical formulas for power spectra of generalized modal forces and local fluctuating wind forces in across-wind and torsional directions, the wind-induced lateral-torsional coupled response analysis of a representative rectangular tall building was conducted by setting various parameters such as eccentricities in centers of mass and/or rigidity and considering different torsional to lateral stiffness ratios. The eccentricity effects on the lateral-torsional coupled responses of the tall building were studied comprehensively by structural dynamic analysis. Extensive computational results indicated that the torsional responses at the geometric center of the building may be significantly affected by the eccentricities in the centers of mass and/or rigidity. Covariance responses were found to be in the same order of magnitude as the along-wind or across-wind responses in many eccentricity cases, suggesting that the lateral-torsional coupled effects on the overall wind-induced responses can not be neglected for such situations. The calculated results also demonstrated that the torsional motion contributed significantly to the total responses of rectangular tall buildings with mass and/or rigidity eccentricities. It was shown through this study that the framework presented in this paper provides a useful tool to evaluate the wind-induced lateral-torsional coupled responses of rectangular buildings, which will enable structural engineers in the preliminary design stages to assess the serviceability of tall buildings, potential structural vibration problems and the need for a detailed wind tunnel test.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.685-710
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• 2013

Static torsional provisions employing equivalent lateral force method (ELF) require that the earthquake-induced lateral force at each story be applied at a distance equal to design eccentricity ($e_d$) from a reference resistance centre of the corresponding story. Such code torsional provisions, albeit not explicitly stated, are generally believed to be applicable to the regularly asymmetric buildings. Examined herein is the applicability of such code-torsional provisions to buildings with set-back using rigid as well as flexible diaphragm model. Response of a number of set-back systems computed through ELF with static torsional provisions is compared to that by response spectrum based procedure. Influence of infill wall with a range of opening is also investigated. Results of comprehensive parametric studies suggest that the ELF may, with rational engineering judgment, be used for practical purposes taking some care of the surroundings of the setback for stiff systems in particular.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.183-200
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• 2020

Connection of adjacent buildings with stiff links is an efficient approach for seismic pounding mitigation. However, use of highly rigid links might alter the torsional response in asymmetric plans and although this was mentioned in the literature, no quantitative study has been done before to investigate the condition numerically. In this paper, the effect of rigid coupling on the elastic lateral-torsional response of two adjacent one-story column-type buildings has been studied by comparison to uncoupled structures. Three cases are considered, including two similar asymmetric structures, two adjacent asymmetric structures with different dynamic properties and a symmetric system adjacent to an adjacent asymmetric one. After an acceptable validation against the actual earthquake, the traditional random vibration method has been utilized for dynamic analysis under Ideal white noise input. Results demonstrate that rigid coupling may increase or decrease the rotational response, depending on eccentricities, torsional-to-lateral stiffness ratios and relative uncoupled lateral stiffness of adjacent buildings. Results are also discussed for the case of using identical cross section for all columns supporting eachplan. In contrast to symmetric systems, base shear increase in the stiffer building may be avoided when the buildings lateral stiffness ratio is less than 2. However, the eccentricity increases the rotation of the plans for high rotational stiffness of the buildings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.2
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• pp.145-155
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• 2020

This paper investigates the influence of spatial varations of accidental mass eccentricities on the torsional response of inelastic multistorey reinforced concrete buildings. It complements recent studies on the elastic response of structural buildings and extends the investigation into the inelastic range, with the aim of providing guidelines for minimising the torsional response of structural buildings. Four spatial mass eccentricity configurations of common nine story buildings, along with their reversed mass eccentricities subjected to the Erzincan-1992 and Kobe-1995 ground motions were investigated, and the results are discussed in the context of the structural response of the no eccentricity models. It is demonstrated that when the initial linear response is practically translational, it is maintained into the inelastic phase of deformation as long as the strength assignment of the lateral resisting bents is based on a planar static analysis where the applied lateral loads simulate the first mode of vibration of the uncoupled structure.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.119-132
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• 1992

The objective of this study is to perform extensive parametric studies of the lateral-torsional buckling of short 1-beams under repeated loadings, and to gain a further insight into the lateral-torsional beam buckling problem. A one-dimensional geometrically (fully) nonlinear beam model is used, which includes superposed infinitesimal transverse warping deformation in addition to finite torsional warping deformation. A multiaxial cyclic plasticity model is also implemented to better represent cyclic metal plasticity in conjunction with a consistent return mapping algorithm. The general response for the lateral-torsional buckling of short I-beams under repeated loadings is examined through several parametric studies around the standard case : the material yield strength, the yield plateau, the strain hardening, the kinematic hardening, the residual stresses, the load eccentricity with respect to the shear center, the height of the load with respect to the cross-section of the beam, the location of the load along the length of the beam, the dimensions of the cross-section of the beam and the fixity of the supported end remote from the load.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.255-272
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• 1995

The paper considers aspects of the energy dissipation response of selected realistic forms of torsionally balanced and torsionally unbalanced building systems, responding to an ensemble of strong-motion earthquake records. Focus is placed on the proportion of the input seismic energy which is dissipated hysteretically, and the distribution of this energy amongst the various lateral load-resisting structural elements. Systems considered comprise those in which torsional effects are discounted in the design, and systems designed for torsion by typical code-defined procedures as incorporated in the New Zealand seismic standard. It is concluded that torsional response has a fundamentally significant influence on the energy dissipation demand of the critical edge elements, and that therefore the allocation of appropriate levels of yielding strength to these elements is a paramount design consideration. Finally, it is suggested that energy-based response parameters be developed in order to assist evaluations of the effectiveness of code torsional provisions in controlling damage to key structural elements in severe earthquakes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.483-492
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• 2019

In the current study, the influence of the initial lateral (sweep) shape and the cross-sectional twist imperfection on the lateral torsional buckling (LTB) response of doubly-symmetric steel I-beams was investigated. The material imperfection (residual stress) was not considered. For this objective, standard European IPN 300 beam with different unbraced span was numerically analyzed for three imperfection cases: (i) no sweep and no twist (perfect); (ii) three different shapes of global sweep (half-sine, full-sine and full-parabola between the end supports); and (iii) the combination of three different sweeps with initial sinusoidal twist along the beam. The first comparison was done between the results of numerical analyses (FEM) and both a theoretical solution and the code lateral torsional buckling formulations (EC3 and AISC-LRFD). These results with no imperfection effects were then separately compared with three different shapes of global sweep and the presence of initial twist in these sweep shapes. Besides, the effects of the shapes of initial global sweep and the inclusion of sinusoidal twist on the critical buckling load of the beams were investigated to unveil which parameter was considerably effective on LTB response. The most compatible outcomes for the perfect beams was obtained from the AISC-LRFD formulation; however, the EC-3 formulation estimated the $P_{cr}$ load conservatively. The high difference from the EC-3 formulation was predicted to directly originate from the initial imperfection reduction factor and high safety factor in its formulation. Due to no consideration of geometric imperfection in the AISC-LFRD code solution and the theoretical formulation, the need to develop a practical imperfection reduction factor for AISC-LRFD and theoretical formulation was underlined. Initial imperfections were obtained to be more influential on the buckling load, as the unbraced length of a beam approached to the elastic limit unbraced length ($L_r$). Mode-compatible initial imperfection shapes should be taken into account in the design and analysis stages of the I-beam to properly estimate the geometric imperfection influence on the $P_{cr}$ load. Sweep and sweep-twist imperfections led to 10% and 15% decrease in the $P_{cr}$ load, respectively, thus; well-estimated sweep and twist imperfections should considered in the LTB of doubly-symmetric steel I-beams.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.145-171
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• 2015

Due to earthquakes, many structures suffered extensive damages that were attributed to the torsional effect caused by mass, stiffness or strength eccentricity. Due to this type of asymmetry torsional moments are generated that are imposed by means of additional shear forces developed at the vertical resisting structural elements of the buildings. Although the torsional effect on the response of reinforced concrete buildings was the subject of extensive research over the last decades, a quantitative index measuring the amplification of the shear forces developed at the vertical resisting elements due to lateral-torsional coupling valid for both elastic and elastoplastic response states is still missing. In this study a reliable index capable of assessing the torsional effect is proposed. The performance of the proposed index is evaluated and its correlation with structural response quantities like displacements, interstorey drift, base torque, shear forces and upper diaphragm's rotation is presented. Torsionally stiff, mass eccentric single-story and multistory structures, subjected to bidirectional excitation, are considered and nonlinear dynamic analyses are performed using natural records selected for three hazard levels. It was found that the proposed index provides reliable prediction of the magnitude of torsional effect for all test examples considered.