Dynamic identification for representative building typologies: Three case studies from Bucharest area

Abstract

The paper presents results from an experimental program implemented for three representative buildings in Bucharest metropolitan area and aimed to explore the potential of various dynamic identification methods in providing information about building state changes. The objective is to establish reference values of potential use in rapid earthquake damage detection systems. Each of the selected buildings was designed according to a different seismic code, in force at the time of its construction. The methods employed for this study were: the analysis of Fourier spectra, the analysis of the transfer function and the random decrement technique. To validate the results, the fundamental periods of vibration determined experimentally were compared with the corresponding values predicted by the empirical formulas specified in the corresponding editions of the Romanian seismic code. The results revealed consistent values for both the fundamental period and the damping ratio of the buildings. However, small variations of the two parameters were identified, depending on the time the recordings were performed, noise sources and levels and building occupancy. The results, in terms of validated data on the dynamic characteristics of Romanian building stock and of assessment of methods performance, add up to the information pool needed for the development of countrywide pre- and post-earthquake assisted decision tools.