Building pounding state of the art: Identifying structures vulnerable to pounding damage

Abstract

Due to recent legislation, the past three years has seen a radical increase in
\nthe evaluation of potentially Earthquake Prone Buildings (EPBs) in New Zealand. Using
\nthe Initial Evaluation Procedure (IEP), EPBs’ vulnerability to seismic pounding must be
\nassessed. Engineers currently have little knowledge of this highly specialised field. This
\npaper aims to assist engineers undertaking either preliminary or in depth assessment of
\nbuildings with pounding potential. An international state of the art review is presented
\nwith particular emphasis on the loadings caused by pounding. Floor-to-floor collisions are
\nidentified as a fundamentally different process to floor-to-column collisions. Current
\nmethods of building pounding assessment are reviewed, specifically assessing each
\nmethod’s applicability and weaknesses. Existing mitigation options are also evaluated in
\nterms of practical application to existing structures. Finally, critical building weaknesses
\nthat are vulnerable to pounding are presented. It is intended that this paper will provide a
\nuseful contextual background on pounding for all engineers using the IEP or higher order
\nanalyses.