Extension of N2 method to plan irregular buildings considering accidental eccentricity

The paper deals with the topic of analyses performed according to modern code provisions, in particular Eurocode 8 (EC8) rules. Non linear static and non linear dynamic analyses of a plan irregular multi-storey r/c frame building designed according to Eurocode 2 (EC2) and EC8 provisions are carried out.The extension of the N2 method to torsionally flexible structures, as applied in previous papers, does not consider the accidental eccentricity, which is prescribed by EC8 also in the case of non linear static analysis. In this paper, three methods combining the accidental eccentricity prescribed by EC8 to the procedure which extends the N2 method to torsionally flexible structures are proposed and discussed. Each of them provides four modal response spectrum analyses (one for each model, corresponding to each position of centre of mass) and eight non linear static analyses (two signs for four models). NLSA(meth. n.2) seems to be the more reliable method of the three proposed, because it better fits absolute displacements obtained by non linear dynamic analysis.In the paper it is also observed that the value of the behaviour factor assigned by EC8 to torsionally flexible systems seems too conservative.

► Three methods combining the accidental eccentricity to the N2 method are discussed. ► The behaviour factor assigned by EC8 to torsionally flexible frames is too great. ► The orthogonal effects evaluated by the SRSS rule on the results of NLSA are negligible.