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Seismic Pounding Response of Adjacent Buildings: Structural Demands under Loading-Induced Bidirectional Eccentricity

Research Authors
Shehata E. Abdel Raheem, Ahmed Youssry, Mohammed Y. M. Fooly , Yasser A. S. Gamal
Research Department
Research Date
Research Year
2025
Research Journal
Innovative Infrastructure Solutions
Research Publisher
Springer Nature
Research Vol
10
Research Rank
Q2
Research_Pages
409
Research Website
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41062-025-02215-3
Research Abstract

Seismic pounding between closely spaced buildings during earthquakes becomes increasingly severe when structures exhibit asymmetrical configurations or misaligned centers of mass and stiffness. Multi-directional seismic forces amplify stresses in such unbalanced buildings, highlighting the necessity to consider both structural movement and irregular geometries or eccentric loadings when determining adequate separation distances. This study investigates the seismic response of two adjacent buildings with off-center floor layouts subjected to various collision scenarios, focusing specifically on asymmetric impacts. The analysis emphasizes seismic forces acting laterally in the x-direction, evaluating configurations with different bidirectional eccentricity combinations (ex, ey). Four eccentricity cases were considered: (+ ex, + ey), (− ex, + ey), (− ex, − ey), and (+ ex, − ey). Nonlinear time history analyses were performed on structural models across three distinct collision scenarios. Nonlinear dynamic analyses and three-dimensional finite element modeling using ETABS software were employed to simulate the interaction between neighboring structures with asymmetric configurations under earthquake loading. Structural response demands including lateral displacements, torsional rotations, and accelerations were compared across cases. Results indicate that the bidirectional eccentricity parameters of adjacent buildings significantly influence seismic response demands. Specifically, asymmetric collisions between buildings with bidirectional eccentricities under x-direction seismic excitation markedly affect their seismic behavior, emphasizing the need to account for such eccentricities in design and evaluation.

Research Rank
International Journal