A SIMPLE EVALUATION METHOD FOR SEISMIC RESPONSE UPPER LIMITS OF PLANE FRAME BUILDING MODEL CONSIDERING VARIATIONS IN DAMPING PERFORMANCE OF OIL DAMPERS

Abstract

A new uncertainty analysis method is developed for planar frame structure models equipped with oil dampers of linear and nonlinear force-velocity relationships. The structural analysis software SNAP^® is collaborated with previously proposed uncertainty analysis method called NURP to obtain the maximum structural response when the damper characteristics are varied. In order to consider the uncertainties in the input, the critical double impulse is employed in addition to standard design ground motions, and we proposed the practical solution to use it in the structural analysis software. The validity of the proposed uncertainty method for frame structure models is investigated by comparing the result with maximum response derived by genetic algorithms. As a simplified method to evaluate the maximum value of the frame structure response, a method that uses a shear model equivalent to the frame structure model is also proposed.