International

Journal of Research and Engineering

ISSN: 2348-7860 (O) | 2348-7852 (P) | Vol. 05 No. 1 | January 2018 | PP. 296-302
Digital Object Identifier DOI® http://dx.doi.org/10.21276/ijre.2018.5.1.2
Copyright © 2018 by authors and International Journal of Research and Engineering
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 | |

Evaluation of Story Drift under Pushover Analysis in Reinforced

Concrete Moment Frames
ORIGINAL
Author(s): 1*Ramin Taghinezhad, 2Arash Taghinezhad, ARTICLE
3
Vahid Mahdavifar, 4Vafa Soltangharaei
Affiliation(s): 1Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida
International University, USA. 2Dept. of Construction Management,
Louisiana State University, USA. 3Dept. of Environmental Conservation,
University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. 4Dept. of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina, USA
*Corresponding author: rtagh001@fiu.edu

Abstract: The accurate prediction of story drift and its of the structure to this loading using experimental and
distribution along the height of the structure is very numerical methods [9-12]. There are two numerical methods
critical for seismic performance evaluation since the stand out among others, which consider nonlinearity of
non-structural damage is directly related to the story materials during loading: nonlinear time history analysis and
drift. Pushover analysis is an accepted method for pushover analysis [13-16]. In nonlinear time history
seismic evaluation of existing structures as well as analysis, several earthquakes excitations records are utilized
performance-based design of new structures. Regarding as the base-excitation forces, and then the seismic responses
assumptions and limitations in pushover analysis, there of the structure are calculated using a numerical method for
is a need to estimate the error that would affect the solving the differential motion equations. Despite the
accuracy of story drift. This paper investigates the accuracy of nonlinear time history analysis, it is time-
validity of pushover analysis to predict story drift under consuming and sensitive to numerical and modeling
different lateral load patterns. For this purpose, several parameters [17-19]. Pushover analysis is the other analysis
reinforced concrete moment frames with different technique that potentially would overcome the attributed
heights were analyzed using pushover and nonlinear problems for nonlinear time history analysis. In this method,
time history analyses and obtained results were lateral loads are increased monotonically in accordance with
compared to evaluate the error level. a predefined pattern, and then nonlinear responses and
failure modes of the structure are investigated in each
Keywords: Lateral load pattern; nonlinear time history loading step. In pushover analysis, lateral load pattern plays
analysis, pushover analysis; reinforced concrete moment a key role in the estimation of structure behavior. Therefore,
frame; story drift. a lateral load pattern should be selected in a way that the
structural responses become as close to the nonlinear time
I. INTRODUCTION history analysis results [20-25].
Using experimental testing is a precise way of obtaining the
structural response of the structural elements and full-scale Previous studies have shown that uniform lateral pattern
structures [1-4]. Even though experimental methods provide resulted in the structural global responses far from the time
an accurate simulation of the real behavior of structures, history analysis [21]. In this paper, other load patterns based
there are several inhibited limitations in its application. High on structural mode shapes are investigated. The accuracy of
construction and instrumentation costs are one of the major lateral load patterns for pushover analysis is investigated by
limitations. In addition, there are restrictions regarding the determining story drift distribution along the height of
size of structure replicate under investigation. Therefore, structures and calculating the result deviations from the
attentions have been drawn toward the numerical methods. nonlinear time history analysis. Performing a nonlinear time
The numerical methods have been used for different types history analysis is very time-consuming and complicated
of structures subjected to different loading scenarios [5-8]. technique. Therefore, in some cases, pushover analysis can
Lateral loading due to ground motion during earthquake is capture the nonlinear lateral response of structures
one of the major loads would be potentially imposed on the accurately and it can be substituted instead of nonlinear time
structures. Many researches have investigated the response history analysis to determine lateral displacements, story
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297

Figure 1: Cross sections of columns and beams (C=column, B=beam).

drifts, and to predict global and local seismic demands at

desired performance level. Accurate estimation of target
displacement for desired performance level, selection of
suitable lateral load patterns, and determining the correct
failure mechanism due to higher modes affect the quality of
pushover results.

II. DESCRIPTION OF CASE STUDY FRAMES

Three 2-dimensional reinforced concrete frames with
different heights (with 3, 6 and 9-story) were utilized to
cover a broad range of fundamental periods. Rigid floor
diaphragms were assigned at each story level. The effective
gravity loads consisting of dead loads and 25% of live loads.
The dead and live loads have been taken to be 2750 kg/m Figure 2: Deformation levels in the hinges.
and 800 kg/m along the beam length, respectively. The
reinforced concrete frame elements have been designed
according to the ACI318-99 [26] using CSI SAP2000 III. ANALYSIS METHODS
program [27]. The span length and height of all stories are 4
In this section, the utilized numerical analyses are
m and 3.2 m, respectively. The column base connections are
introduced, and associated procedures are explained.
assumed to be fixed. Columns and beams cross sections are
shown in Figure 1. To consider nonlinearity of material in
the analysis, the property of plastic hinges was defined A. Nonlinear time history analysis
according to ASCE 41-06 [28] and assigned at the critical
locations of structural elements. P-M2-M3 hinges were Nonlinear responses of structures using nonlinear time
assigned at two ends of columns and flexural hinges were history analysis are very sensitive to their modeling method
assigned at two ends of beams. Figure 2 shows Immediate and the characters of chosen earthquake excitations.
Occupancy (IO), Life Safety (LS) and Collapse Prevention Therefore, to predict the modes of deformation of the
(CP) acceptance criteria on a force-displacement diagram structures, a series of time history ground motions with
for a plastic hinge. different intensity, frequency, and various time history
features were used in this research.
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Earthquake Name Scale Factor Year Station Name Magnitude

San Fernando, US 4.5126 1971 Santa Felita Dam 6.61
Imperial Valley, US 2.6095 1979 Cerro Prieto 6.53
Loma Prieta, US 4.7077 1989 Anderson Dam 6.93
Northridge, US 3.3594 1994 Sunland - Mt Gleason Ave 6.69
Duzce, Turkey 4.2724 1999 Lamont 1061 7.14
Manjil, Iran 0.9641 1990 Abbar 7.37
Table 1: Summary of selected ground motion.

Figure 3: Target response spectrum and response spectra of scaled earthquake motions.

All the time history analyses for the different ground motion Uniform load pattern: The lateral force in each story is
records were conducted by using CSI SAP2000 [27]. The proportional to the mass of the same story.
response spectrum of selected ground motion records was
scaled based on ASCE 7-10 design response spectrum for
the city of Los Angeles in the United States for stiff soil and
Fi = m i / ∑m i (1)

risk category III [29], [30]. Six earthquake ground motions where Fi is the lateral force of the story i, and mi is mass of
were selected for nonlinear time history analysis (Table 1). story i.
The scaled response spectra for the selected ground motions
are shown in Figure 3. First elastic mode load pattern: The lateral force in each
story is proportional to the multiplication of the first elastic
mode in the mass of that story.
B. Pushover analysis

Pushover analysis is a nonlinear static analysis method in Fi = miφi / ∑ miφi

(2)
which the structure is subjected to gravity loads and
where φi is the amplitude of elastic first mode in the story i
consequently will undergo a monotonic displacement-
and mi is mass of story i.
controlled lateral load pattern which will increase to reach
the ultimate condition. In pushover analysis, lateral load
patterns should be selected carefully and per the Inverted triangular pattern based on ASCE 7-10: This lateral
recommendations of the building codes. In this research, load pattern has been defined in the ASCE 7-10. The lateral
four different lateral load patterns have been used in force in each story is obtained according to Equation 3.
k
pushover analyses to simulate the distribution of the inertia Wi hi
forces through the stories. Considered lateral load patterns Fi = n
k
were described in the following:
∑W h i i
i =1 (3)
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Figure 4: Distribution of the lateral load patterns along the height of frames.

Figure 5: The story drift profile along the height of frames.

where Fi is the lateral force of the story i, hi is the height of 1. calculating the lateral force Fin in the story i for the mode
the story i, Wi is weight at floor level i, n is the total number n from the Equation 4.
of stories, k is an exponent related to structure period that is Fin = Γn miφin An (4)
unity for the structures having a period of 0.5 seconds or
less. Moreover, it is 2 for structures having a period of 2.5 where Гn is the modal contribution coefficient for the mode
seconds or more. n and Øin is the mode shape of n in the story i, An is the
pseudo-acceleration in the mode n from the elastic system of
Multimode lateral load pattern: This lateral load pattern a single degree of freedom.
considers the effects of the higher elastic modes as well as
the effect of potential irregularity in 3-dimensional 2. Calculating the story shear (Vin) in the story i for the
structures [31]; and as following, the lateral force in each mode n, where N is the total number of stories.
story is combined as the square root of the sum of the N
squares (SRSS) of modal responses. The steps for Vin = ∑ F jn
calculating the applied force at each story level are j !i (5)
described below:
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Figure 6: The percentage of error profile along the height of frames.

3. Combining the modal shear stories by using the SRSS V. CONCLUSION

method.
Several reinforced concrete moment frames with different
4. Recalculating lateral force of the story, Fi, in the story heights were modeled, designed, and analyzed. The
levels from the combination of story shears, Fma, starting differences between the nonlinear time history analysis, as
from the top. an exact response, and pushover analysis with different
In this study, three first elastic vibrational modes have been lateral load patterns in term of the story drift distributions
used for calculating the multimode lateral load pattern. In along the height of frames were investigated. The following
Figure 4, the lateral load distributions along the height were conclusions have been made from the analytical results in
presented. this study.
1-None of the lateral load patterns can propose the story
drift distribution close enough to the nonlinear time history
IV. DISCUSSION analysis;
The effect and accuracy of the different lateral load patterns 2-For 3-story frame, all the considered lateral load patterns
were investigated to predict the story drift distribution in the resulted in a very similar story drift distribution. Their
reinforced concrete moment frames. In Figure 5, the profiles associated errors regarding the nonlinear time history
of story drift along the height of frames based on inverted analysis results were negligible. The percentage of errors
triangular, first elastic mode, multimode, and uniform load was limited to maximum of 7.5%;
patterns are presented. In addition, nonlinear time history
3-The resulted story drift from different lateral load patterns
analyses were conducted on case study frames for the
was more similar at higher story levels (for example in the
selected ground motions. The maximum story drifts for each
9-story frame, at top three stories);
story occurred at the different times during nonlinear time
history analyses. Therefore, for each ground motion, the 4-Higher values of error for all frames were reported for
maximum story drifts were derived for all story levels and uniform lateral load pattern compared to the other loading
then averaged for the considered ground motions. The story patterns. For example, for 3, 6 and 9-story frames, the
drifts calculated from each lateral load pattern in pushover attributed errors were 7.5%, 19.1%, and 22.6%;
analyses were compared to the average results obtained
5-It was observed that the errors have been increased by
from nonlinear time history analyses to estimate the value of
increasing the number of stories due to the higher mode
error. The error profiles for the lateral load patterns are
contribution in the response;
illustrated in Figure 6.
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301

6-The story drift resulted from uniform load pattern was [11] Li, S., Zuo, Z., Zhai, C., Xu, S. and Xie, L., 2016.
about 0.021 for the first three story levels in the 9-story Shaking table test on the collapse process of a three-
frame which was about 40% larger than the average story reinforced concrete frame structure.
Engineering Structures, 118, pp.156-166.
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[12] Yang, Y., Yang, Y.B. and Chen, Z.X., 2017. Seismic
7-The values of drifts for the inverted triangular load damage assessment of RC structures under shaking
patterns are often consistent with the first elastic mode load table tests using the modified direct stiffness
calculation method. Engineering Structures, 131,
patterns especially for 3 and 6-story frames;
pp.574-586.
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frames were in good correlation with averaged story drift in 2018. Approximate two-component incremental
nonlinear time history analyses with the lowest error values. dynamic analysis using a bidirectional energy-based
pushover procedure. Engineering Structures, 157,
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[14] Soltangharaei, V., Razi, M. and Gerami, M., 2016.
VI. DECLARATION Comparative evaluation of behavior factor of SMRF
structures for near and far fault ground motions.
All authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Periodica Polytechnica. Civil Engineering, 60(1),
p.75.
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