Interstory drift ratio of building structures subjected to near-fault ground motions based on generalized drift spectral analysis

This paper focuses on the interstory drift ratio (IDR) demands of building structures subjected to near-fault ground motions having different impulsive characteristics based on generalized interstory drift spectral analysis. The near-fault ground motions considered include the idealized simple pulses and three groups of near-fault ground motions with forward directivity pulses, fling-step pulses and without velocity pulse. Meanwhile, the building systems are equivalently taken as shear-flexural beams with representative lateral stiffness ratios. The IDR distribution of continuous beams subjected to three groups of near-fault ground motions is acquired. It is illustrated that the maximum IDR shifts from the upper half to the lower half of buildings with an increase in lateral stiffness ratio. For long-period systems, the average IDR under impulsive ground motions is significantly greater than that under non-pulse motions. Finally, for moment-resisting frame buildings the forward directivity pulses amplify the drift response of higher modes, while the fling-step pulses excite primarily their contribution in the first mode and generate large deformation in the lower stories. The essential reason for this phenomenon is revealed according to the distinct property of near-fault impulsive ground motions and generalized drift spectral analysis.