EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE FOR NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS

MAJOR ERATHQUAKES CAN CAUSE SEVERE DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS RESULTING IN THOUSANDS OF FATALITIES AND CONSIDERABLE SOCIETAL DISRUPTION. AND INNOVATIVE EARTHQUARE RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION CONCEPT, THE FRICTION PENDULUM SYSTEM (FPS), SHOWS EXCELLENT POTENTIAL FOR REDUCING EARTHQUARE DAMAGE FORNEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS. THE TECHNIQUE USES STEEL CONNECTIONS TO ACHIEVE A SMALL AMPITUDE PENDULUM MOTION OF THE SUPPORTED STRUCTURE. RESEARCH IS PROPOSED TO INVESTIGATE APPLYING THIS EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT TECHNIQUE TO BUILDINGS. DYNAMIC ANALYSES WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY THE DESIGN PARAMETERS APPROPRIATE FOR DIFFERENT BUILDING APPLICATIONS, AND TO INVESTIGATE THE PERFORMANCE OF BUILDINGS WITH THE FPS WHEN SUBJECTED TO DIFFERENT EARTHQUAKE STRENGHTS. MATERIALS WHICH COULD ACHIEVE THE DESIRED DYNAMIC COEFFICIENTS OF FRICTION WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND TESTED. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE FPS CONNECTIONS COULD INCREASE THE EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE OF BUILDINGS BY 100PERCENT TO 300 PERCENT, WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS. THE CONNECTIONS COULD ALSO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS WITH LESS DISRUPTION AND AT A LOWER COST THAN OTHER METHODS. BECAUSE OF THE INHERENT SIMPLICITY, VERSATILITY, STABILITY AND DURABILITY OF THE FPS CONCEPT, IT SCHOULD BECOME A MAJOR TOOL FOR SEISMIC RESISTANT DESIGN ONCE THE ISSUES ADDRESSED IN THE PROPOSED RESEARCH ARE RESOLVED.