Influence of connections modeling on the seismic behaviour of industrial buildings

Abstract

Many industrial buildings with a precast concrete structure have been designed in accordance with non-seismic provisions by considering only gravity loads or, in some other cases, in accordance with not adequate seismic detailing requirements. In particular, seismic events that occurred in the recent past have shown that the connections between the main structural elements play an important role on the dynamic and seismic behaviour of the precast concrete structure. Nowadays, the more advanced technical standards require mechanical connections between the precast elements; however codes do not furnish exhaustive information about the design and modelling of these connections neither in the seismic vulnerability assessment of existing buildings nor in the design of new constructions. In this work, the role of dowel connections between beams and columns elements in the seismic behaviour of one-storey precast concrete industrial building is investigated and a simple modelling procedure is proposed for both the seismic vulnerability assessment of existing buildings and the design of new constructions. The applicability of the proposed methodology is tested through linear dynamic analysis and non linear static analysis carried out on two real case studies. In particular, different finite elements models are developed for the benchmark cases, both considering or omitting the rigid floor constrain and both assuming rigid or flexible connections. The results show that the modelling strategy strongly influences the seismic response and thus the safety verifications of the structural typologies considered.