Experimental Investigation of Preventing Collision in Adjacent Structures Using Interconnecting Elements

Year 2025, Volume: 38 Issue: 3, 1191 - 1201, 01.09.2025

Yunus Emre Kebeli , Güven Sayın , Ersin Aydın

https://doi.org/10.35378/gujs.1615949

Abstract

Today, the increasing density of urban construction has led to a rise in the number of adjacent buildings, primarily due to the scarcity of available land. This scenario necessitates measures to prevent collisions between adjacent structures and mitigate potential property damage and loss of life. This study investigates the dynamic behavior of adjacent buildings with distinct dynamic properties under harmonic ground motion, which closely approximates the effects of seismic activity. Harmonic ground motion with an amplitude of 5 mm and 5 cycles was applied to two adjacent building models with resonance frequencies of 2.15 Hz and 2.75 Hz, respectively. Shaking table experiments were conducted for two scenarios: free-standing models and models interconnected with a rigid element on the top floor. Storey acceleration and relative displacement data were collected for both configurations and analyzed. The experimental results indicated that the rigid interconnection element significantly reduced storey acceleration at all levels and decreased relative displacement between the models. Notably, the reductions were more pronounced in the resonant model due to the effects of the interconnection element. These findings demonstrate that the implementation of a rigid interconnection element is an effective strategy to mitigate the risk of collisions between adjacent buildings, thereby enhancing structural resilience and safety in densely built urban areas.

Keywords

Adjacent structures , Collision , Harmonic loads , Collision at storey level , Shaking table tests

Ethical Statement

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

Supporting Institution

Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of the University of Nigde Omer Halisdemir

Project Number

MMT 2023/7-BAGEP

Thanks

This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of the University of Nigde Omer Halisdemir with the project number MMT 2023/7-BAGEP.

References

• [1] Aydın, E., and Güney, M., “Bitişik tarz yapıların rölatif deplasman davranış spektrumları kullanılarak çarpışma riskinin azaltılması”, 7. Ulusal Deprem Mühendisliği Konferansı Bildiri Kitabı, İstanbul, Türkiye, (2011).
• [2] Doğan, M., and Günaydın, A., “Pounding of Adjacent RC Buildings During Seismic Loads”, Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Mühendislik ve Mimarlık Fakültesi Dergisi, 22(1): 129-145, (2009).
• [3] Stavroulakis, G. E., and Abdalla, K. M., “Contact between adjacent structures”, Journal of Structural Engineering, 117(10): 2838-2850, (1991). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1991)117:10(2838)
• [4] Chau, K. T., Wei, X. X., Guo, X., and Shen, C. Y., “Experimental and theoretical simulations of seismic poundings between two adjacent structures”, Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, 32(4): 537-554, (2003). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eqe.231
• [5] Hameed, A., “Mitigation of seismic pounding between adjacent buildings”, Pakistan Journal of Science, 64(4): 326-333, (2012).
• [6] Abdel Raheem, S. E., “Mitigation measures for earthquake induced pounding effects on seismic performance of adjacent buildings”, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, 12: 1705-1724, (2014). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-014-9592-2
• [7] Farsangi, E. N., and Azlan, A., “Seismic performance evaluation of various passive damping systems in high and medium-rise buildings with hybrid structural system”, Gazi University Journal of Science, 25(3): 721-735, (2012).
• [8] Tubaldi, E., “Dynamic behavior of adjacent buildings connected by linear viscous/viscoelastic dampers”, Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 22(8): 1086-1102, (2015). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/stc.1734
• [9] Abdeddaim, M., Ounis, A., Djedoui, N., and Shrimali, M. K., “Pounding hazard mitigation between adjacent planar buildings using coupling strategy”, Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring, 6: 603-617, (2016). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-016-0177-4
• [10] Xu Y, Chen J, Ng C, Qu W., “Semiactive seismic response control of buildings with podium structure”, Journal of Structural Engineering, 131(6): 890–899, (2005). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(2005)131:6(890)
• [11] Aydın, E., “A simple damper optimization algorithm for both target added damping ratio and interstorey drift ratio”, Earthquakes and Structures, 5(1): 83-109, (2013). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12989/eas.2013.5.1.083
• [12] Aydın, E., Öztürk, B., and Dikmen, M., “Optimal damper placement to prevent pounding of adjacent structures considering a target damping ratio and relative displacement”, Omer Halisdemir University Journal of Engineering Sciences, 6(2): 581-592, (2017). DOI: https://doi.org/10.28948/ngumuh.341807
• [13] Karabörk, T., “Optimization damping of viscous dampers to prevent collisions between adjacent structures with unequal heights as a case study”, Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 45(5): 3901-3919, (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-019-04307-6
• [14] Karabörk, T., and Aydın, E., “Optimum design of viscous dampers to prevent pounding of adjacent structures”, Earthquakes and Structures, 16(4): 437-453, (2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/eas.2019.16.4.437