Quasi-static Experimental Study On Seismic Performance Of Cliff-structure With Pull-beam

Cliff- structure is widely used in mountain city owing to its unique architectural style. C liff-structure is supported by foundations with different horizontal levels, so its force characteristics and earthquake deformation, failure characteristics will be different from the conventional structure supported by foundations with the same horizontal levels. Compared with the conventional seismic designed structure, it ’s more complex within existing norms to be used, which makes it a need to take further research. Currently, there have been many studies on cliff-structure seismic performance computational analysis by our research group and other scholars. However, there is still a lack of experimental verification, and have not yet reached any consensus in the earthquake damage model and seismic design index.In this paper, a ratio of 1:4 scale-reduced RC cliff-structure specimens with 5 storeys and 3 spans has been conducted in displacement controlled quasi-static experiment with experimental phenomena, mechanical characteristics, failure characteristics, hysteretic behavior and deformation properties analyzed. Pushover analysis and the corresponding original test structure model of elastic-plastic time history analysis has been conducted, verified the correctness of analysis model by the comparison with test results; proved the comparability between the tests of no-pull-beam and pull-beam structure by analyzing with tow different material properties. The main conclusions of the study are as follows:(1) Comparison with experimental results showed that OpenSEES can simulate nonlinear response of cliff-structure under strong earthquake.(2) The test results show that bottom of the column on upper floors serious damage, the upper floor has great deformation which makes it weakness part; the failure mode can be generalized as “pillar hinge destruction ”of the failure mechanism; the relationship of hysteretic of the overall structure shows the test model has significant reduction of the carrying capacity. The failure mode of no-pull-beam cliff-structure can be generalized as “beam-column mixed hinges”, the relationship of hysteretic of the overall structure shows not significantly reducing the carrying capacity.(3) The column on upper floors of no-pull-beam structure consists the main part of energy consumption, while two columns that linked by the pull-beam of pull-beam structure composes the large part of consumption. Stiffness degradation of pull-beam structure is slower than no-pull-beam structure at first.(4) Different foundations of Cliff-structure make two starting points when calculating the drift of upper floors. More attention should be taken when designing no-pull-beam structure.