Determination of 3D Seismic Performance of Nonstructural Elements in a Collapsed RC Building Considering TBEC-2018

Abstract

The majority of the cost of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings is incurred by nonstructural elements (NSEs). Damage to NSEs has been blamed for a large portion of the deaths and damage caused by recent earthquakes. Furthermore, damage to NSEs has a significant impact on a building's ability to function after an earthquake. As a result, studying NSE seismic behaviour is critical for building engineering. RC structures' seismic performance under three-dimensional (3D) earthquakes will be examined in this study. This paper uses a 3D finite element model of the five-story RC structure that collapsed during the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake. In earthquake analyses, NSE materials include bricks, bookcases, bedrooms, armchairs, washing machines, dishwashers, and refrigerators. NSEs are divided into two categories: those that are anchored to the building and those that are not modelled in accordance with the 2018 Turkish Building Earthquake Code, the building's nonstructural anchored and unanchored elements (TBEC-2018). Special spring elements are also used in the bases of these elements when modelling unanchored NSEs. For the 1999 Kocaeli earthquakes on the far and near faults, separate analyses are carried out. 3D nonlinear seismic analyses show that NSEs have a significant impact on the earthquake behaviour of reinforced concrete structures. NSEs should not be neglected when creating a scale model of a real-world building. This means that whether or not NSEs are attached to RC structures has a significant impact on the nonlinear seismic properties of those structures. In addition, a review of the literature reveals that the seismic behaviour of NSEs has not been studied with TBEC-2018. As a result, the findings of this research add something new to the body of knowledge.