Title: Traditional and viscous dissipative steel braced top addition strategies for a R/C building

Authors: Stefano Sorace; Gloria Terenzi; Mattia Licari

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Florence, Via di Santa Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy ' Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy

Abstract: A study concerning a double-storey extension on top of an existing reinforced concrete (R/C) apartment building is carried out for two different steel structural solutions. A traditional bracing configuration, and a dissipative bracing technology incorporating pressurised fluid viscous spring-dampers, are selected for the two hypotheses. The gravity load-bearing system is assumed to be coincident, in order to directly compare the seismic response capacities of the bracing systems. Furthermore, the following mutual design objectives are fixed: attaining operational, and immediate occupancy non-structural performance levels at frequent design earthquake and serviceability design earthquake levels, respectively; and limiting strengthening interventions on the R/C structure to jacketing maximum 20% of columns, and adding a thin R%C slab over the foundations. These objectives are reached at virtually coinciding costs. On the other hand, the viscous-dissipative bracing design shows substantially higher seismic performance at basic design and maximum considered earthquake levels, as well as lower architectural intrusion, as compared to the traditional bracing solution.

Keywords: top addition; steel structures; seismic performance evaluation; traditional bracing; ductility-based design; viscous dissipative bracing; damping; earthquakes; reinforced concrete buildings; apartment buildings; existing buildings; pressurised fluid viscous spring dampers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTRUCTE.2015.072472

International Journal of Structural Engineering, 2015 Vol.6 No.4, pp.332 - 353

Received: 17 Jan 2015
Accepted: 11 May 2015
Published online: 14 Oct 2015 *

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