Material Weight and Constructability Optimization of Multifunction Earthquake Resilient Structures

Optimization of sustainable seismic design (SSD) of building structures has been one of the most challenging and ongoing research subjects in the earthquake and structural engineering worldwide during the past ten years. The purpose of the current research article is to supplement recently developed concepts of sustainable seismic design of building structures through the limitation of damage, repairability, purpose-specific detailing, form optimization, material, and construction optimization, and development of practical technologies to achieve cost-efficient construction and post-earthquake realignment and repairs (PERR). Earthquake resisting moment frames of minimum-weight have been introduced as essential parts of SSD. Global stiffness reduction (GSR) and restoring force adjustment (RFA) concepts have been introduced to facilitate post-earthquake realignment and repairs. The rocking core-moment frame (RCMF) is the key part of the archetype in combination with other structural systems. SSD is a concept that requires a thorough appreciation of the mechanics of structural optimization, sequential failures, recentering, and earthquake-induced P-delta and residual effects. Article results show utilizing the proposed archetype can provide sustainability as well as weight and construction optimization. The archetype components are one of the conventional structural systems with no significant change in the construction procedure. Several cases have been discussed in detail to illustrate the applications of the proposed concepts.