SEISMIC RESPONSE OF MULTISTORY BUILDING STRUCTURES WITH FLEXIBLE FLOOR DIAPHRNGMS

An efficient model for three-dimensional analysis of multistory structures with flexible floor diaphrgms is proposed in this paper. Three-dimensional analysis of a building structure using a finite element model requires tedious input data preparation, longer computation time, and larger computer memory. The model proposed in this study is developed by assembling a series of two-dimensional resisting systems and is considered to overcome the shortcomings of a three-dimensional finite element model without deteriorating the accuracy of analysis results. Static and dynamic analysis results obtained using the proposed model are in excellent agreement with those obtained using three-dimensional finite element models in terms of displacement, periods, and mode shapes. Effects of floor diaphragm flexibility on seismic response of multistory building structures are investigated.