Irregularity Of A Structure

Most recent earthquakes have shown that the irregular distribution of mass, stiffness and strengths
may cause serious damage in structural systems Due to several reasons structures acquire
asymmetry. Asymmetry in structures makes analysis of the seismic behaviour very complicated.
Seismic demand in peripheral elements is enhanced. Uniformity in load distribution gets disturbed.
Torsional behaviour of asymmetric building is one of the most frequent causes of structural damage
and failure during strong ground motions. At present scenario many buildings are asymmetric in plan
and/or in elevation based on the distribution of mass and stiffness along each storey throughout the
height of the building. However an accurate evaluation of the seismic behavior of irregular buildings
is quite difficult and a complicated problem Due to the variety of parameters and the choice of
possible models for torsionally unbalanced systems, there is as yet no common agreement or any
accurate procedure advised by researchers on common practice in order to evaluate the torsional
effects. Seismic damage surveys and analyses conducted on modes of failure of building structures
during past severe earthquakes concluded that most vulnerable building structures are those, which
are asymmetric in nature. Asymmetric building structures are almost unavoidable in modern
construction due to various types of functional and architectural requirements. Torsion in buildings
during earthquake shaking may be caused from a variety of reasons, the most common of which are
non-symmetric distributions of mass and stiffness Modern codes deal with torsion by placing
restrictions on the design of buildings with irregular layouts and also through the introduction of an
accidental eccentricity that must be considered in design. The lateral-torsional coupling due to
eccentricity between centre of mass (CM) and centre of rigidity (CR) in asymmetric building structure
generates torsional vibration even under purely translational ground shaking during seismic shaking
of the structural systems, inertia force acts through the centre of mass while the resistive force acts
through the centre of rigidity .

In order to design buildings in earthquake prone regions, seismic codes present different torsional
provisions according to the seismicity of the region. Seismic provisions introduce design eccentricity
to estimate the value of the torsion in buildings as accurately as possible. The dynamic eccentricity
results from the irregular mass, resistance or stiffness distribution of the system, while the
accidental eccentricity is expected to account for factors not explicitly considered, such as uncertain
estimation of the mass, stiffness and rotational component, which is believed to play a highly
important role. This accidental eccentricity, ea, which is a fraction of the plan dimension, b, is
considered in design to be on either side of the center of stiffness .

The Indian Standard code provides the classification and definition of Irregularities as :

Definitions of Irregularities as per Indian Standard Code —

Plan Irregularities
a)Torsion Irregularity

To be considered when floor diaphragms are rigid in their own plan in relation to the vertical
structural elements that resist the lateral forces. Torsional irregularity to be considered to exist.
when the maximum storey drift, computed with design eccentricity, at one end of the structures
transverse to an axis is more than 1.2 times the average of the storey drifts at the two ends of the
structure .

b) Re-entrant Corners

Plan configurations of a structure and its lateral force resisting system contain re-entrant corners,
where both projections of the structure beyond the re-entrant corner are greater than 15 percent of
its plan dimension in the given direction .

c) Diaphragm Discontinuity

Diaphragms with abrupt discontinuities or variations in stiffness, including those having cut-out or
open areas greater than 50 percent of the gross enclosed diaphragm area, or changes in effective
diaphragm stiffness of more than 50 percent from one storey to the next .

d) Out-of-Plane Offsets

Discontinuities in a lateral force resistance path, such as out-of-plane offsets of vertical elements .

Vertical Irregularities
a) Stiffness Irregularity —Soft Storey

A soft storey is one in which the lateral stiffness is less than 70 percent of that in the storey above or
less than 80 percent of the average lateral stiffness of the three storeys above .

Stiffness Irregularity —Extreme Soft Storey

A extreme soft storey is one in which the lateral stiffness is less than 60 percent of that in the storey
above or less than 70 percent of the average stiffness of the three storeys above. For example,
buildings on STILTS will fall under this category.

b) Mass Irregularity

Mass irregularity shall be considered to exist where the seismic weight of any storey is more than
200 percent of that of its adjacent storeys. The irregularity need not be considered in case of roofs .

c) Vertical Geometric Irregularity

Vertical geometric irregularity shall be considered to exist where the horizontal dimension of the
lateral force resisting system in any storey is more than 150 percent of that in its adjacent storey .

d) In-Plane Discontinuity in VerticalElenrentsResisttng Lateral Force

A in-plane offset of the lateral force resisting elements greater than the length of those elements .
e) Discontinuity in Capacity— Weak Strorey

A weak storey is one in which the storey lateral strength is less than 80 percent of that in the storey
above, The storey lateral strength is the total strength of all seismic force resisting elements sharing
the storey shear in the considered direction.

While performing structural analysis by response spectrum method , the design eccentricity edi to be
used at floor I shall be taken as :

Edi = 1.5esi + 0.05bi , esi – 0.05 bi

Whichever gives more severe effect on lateral force resisting elements .

Where,

esi = static eccentricity at floor I

= distancebetween the centre of mass and centre of resistance

bi = floor plan dimension of floor i , perpendicular to the direction of force .

Lateral force in wall due to eccentricity

where ,

ri =distance of wall from the centre of rigidity