The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Dynamic properties of a twelve-story prefabricated panel building

Bouwkamp, Jack G.; Kollegger, Johann P.; Stephen, Roy M.

UCB/EERC-80/29, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1980-10, 107 pages (545/B68/1980T)

Results are presented of forced and ambient vibration studies of a twelve-story apartment building, constructed with prefabricated wall panel and slab elements. Dynamic characteristics, such as resonant frequencies, damping, and vertical and horizontal mode shapes of the structure, were determined and correlated with analytical results using the computer program TABS-77. Rigid floor diaphragm action and serious structure-foundation interaction were observed. The inclusion of the foundation flexibility in the analytical model in the form of experimental vibration data resulted in resonant frequencies and mode shapes that showed excellent agreement with the test data. Accounting for the foundation flexibility using actual soil and pile test data did not produce a satisfactory correlation with the dynamic vibration test results.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-80-29.pdf (8 MB)