Seismic Behavior of Towers and Other Vertical Structures and Design Considerations

Abstract:

INTRODUCTION

Generally, the shallower the earthquake, the stronger the shaking. But there have been strong earthquakes that
caused less damage because the buildings were built to withstand that kind of shaking with other seismic design
consideration. In other cases, moderate earthquakes have caused more damage either because the shaking was
locally amplified, or more likely because the structures were incompetently engineered.

All buildings or structures have a natural resonance‚ frequency. If an earthquake hits the building with this frequency,
it will oscillate with large amplitude that will severely damage the building. If the same building is shaken by the same
earthquake at either lower or higher frequencies, it will oscillate with smaller amplitudes and may withstand
earthquake shaking without significant damage.

The design for seismic resistance has been undergoing a critical reappraisal in recent years, with the emphasis
changing from “strength” to “performance”. Using the performance-based capacity design procedures the seismic
design of tall buildings was developed to verify that these structures performance is acceptable when subjected to
levels of an earthquake.