Nonlinear Time History Analysis of Bam Telephone Center Reinforced Concrete Building

Three-dimensional nonlinear time history analyses were carried out for the Bam telephone center building, with a nonsymmetrical reinforced concrete moment resisting frame structure, subjected to the north-south and east-west recorded strong motions of the 2003 Bam earthquake. The response simulations were implemented in different categories for the bare frame and the infilled frame. An approach was developed for modeling the masonry infill walls with or without openings. The results of the analyses were compared with the observed damages and cracks on the masonry infill walls. A significant effect by infill walls was observed on the structural response of the building. It could be concluded that the Bam telephone center building without the infill masonry walls would suffer large nonlinear deformations and damages during the earthquake. Drift ratios for different damaged infill walls were obtained and compared with the observed responses. In most cases the comparisons lead to an acceptable agreement

Keywords:

bam earthquake , reinforced concrete buildings , nonlinear analysis , time-history analysis , infill masonry wall