Design for seismic torsional forces

Abstract

An analytical study of the responses of a single storey and a multistorey building model to a combined translational and rotational ground motion is presented. The models, which are assumed to be elastic, are eccentric about one plan direction but are symmetric about the perpendicular direction. The ground excitations are represented by idealized spectra.A critical evaluation is made of the torsion provisions of the National Building Code of Canada. It is shown that the code provisions, while not necessarily nonconservative, are somewhat difficult to apply for multistorey buildings. An alternative provision for design eccentricity is proposed. The forces obtained by the use of the proposed method are compared with the analytical results of single storey and multistorey building models and are shown to provide an adequate design basis.