Earthquake Response Estimation and Control of Equipment Supported by Frames

Abstract

Dynamic interaction between industrial equipment and its supporting frames should be taken into account in the aseismic design of complex industrial structures such as blast furnaces, chemical reactor vessels, towers, or stacks. This paper aims to examine the effects of dynamic interaction on the maximum base shear distribution between two kinds of sructural components, that is, the equipment and its supporting frames, and on the vibratory energy consumption of the damping devices placed between these two structural components. The random vibration theory is applied to obtain the average peak responses of simplified interaction models placed on a base which is stimulated by ground acceleration having the standard power spectrum. The expected ratio of the maximum rocking moment shared between the two structural components of the dynamic model is obtained as a function of the dynamic characteristics of each constituent component and the interaction spring, and the maximum response is reduced by the intermediate damping devices. These results are presented garaphically for convenience so as to determine the rational aseismic design forces for each structural component.