Collapse Simulation of RC High-Rise Building Induced by Extreme Earthquakes
ABSTRACT
Collapse resistance of high-rise buildings has become a research focus due to frequent occurrence of strong earthquakes and terrorist attacks in recent years. Research development has demonstrated that numerical simulation is becoming one of the most powerful tools for collapse analysis in addition to the conventional laboratory model tests and post-earthquake investigations. In this paper, a finite element (FE) method based numerical model encompassing fiber-beam element model, multi-layer shell model and elemental deactivation technique is proposed to predict collapse process of high-rise buildings subjected to extreme earthquake. The potential collapse processes are simulated for a simple 10-story reinforced concrete (RC) frame and two existing RC high-rise buildings of 18-story and 20-story frame-core tube systems. The influences of different failure criteria used are discussed in some detail. The analysis results indicate that the proposed numerical model is capable of simulating collapse process of existing high-rise buildings by identifying potentially weak components of the structure that may induce collapse. The study outcome will be