Abstract:

Effects of multiple earthquakes are frequently observed after conducted reconnaissance studies in the earthquake affected region. Many structures withstand the main shock without having intense damage. However, when an aftershock hits the previously deteriorated structure, the observed damage is generally altered. There are some cases where the structure withstands the main excitation, however collapsed when an its subjected to a ground sequence. Fewer studies in the literature have focused on the seismic behavior of irregular reinforced concrete structures subjected to multiple earthquakes. This research investigates the effects of multiple earthquake sequences on residual displacement values of irregular reinforced concrete structures. For that reason, three irregular existing reinforced concrete structures are selected, and nonlinear time history analysis are conducted under multiple earthquake sequences. To demonstrate the effect of deteriorations on the material, the selected structures were analyzed using both non-degrading and degrading material models. The results of the analyses revealed the fact that non-degrading models are incapable of estimating the seismic response under multiple earthquake sequences. Hence, degrading material models should be used to capture the deterioration effects accurately. Further, it is concluded that irregularity effects increase the values of the residual displacements.

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