IRREGULAR STRUCTURES

 VERTICAL STRUCTURAL IRREGULARITIES

1. STIFFNESS IRREGULARITY-SOFT STOREY

 SOFT STOREY
The lateral stiffness is less than 70% of that in the storey
above or less than 80% of the average stiffness of the
three stories above.
 EXTREME SOFT STOREY
The lateral stiffness is less than 60% of that in the storey
above or less than 70% of the average stiffness of the
three stories above.

SOFT STOREY EFFECT:

The most prominent of the problems caused by severe stress concentration is that of the “soft”
storey.
COMPUTATION FOR THE SOFT STOREY

SOLUTIONS
FOR THE SOFT STOREY IRREGULARITIES
 In case it is necessary, irregularities can be eliminated by increasing the lateral rigidity of
this storey by putting up additional walls between single structural elements on the soft
storey, placing diagonals between the columns and shear walls, increasing the rigidity of
the soft storey by increasing beam-column size of the soft storey. 
2. Weight (Mass) Irregularity
 Mass irregularity shall be considered to exist where the
effective mass of any storey is more than 150% of the
effective mass of an adjacent storey. A roof that is lighter
than the floor below need not be considered.

 AS
PER CODE RECOMMENDATION:
In buildings located in the Seismic Zone ll and lll, it shall be ensured that the first three modes
together contribute at least 65 percent mass participation factor in each principal plan
direction. And, in buildings located in Seismic Zones IV and V, it shall be ensured that,
1) The first three modes together contribute at least 65 percent mass participation factor in
each principal plan direction, and
2) The fundamental lateral natural periods of the building in the two principal plan directions
are away from each other by at least 10 percent of the larger value.

3. Vertical Geometric Irregularity

 Vertical Geometry irregularity shall be considered to exist where the horizontal dimension of
the lateral force-resisting system in any story is more than 130% of that in an adjacent storey.
  Vertical

Geometric irregularity when L2 >1.3 L1

 In buildings with vertical geometric irregularity and located in Seismic Zones III, IV and V,
the earthquake effects shall be estimated by Dynamic Analysis Method

4. In-Plane Discontinuity in Vertical Lateral-Force-Resisting Element Irregularity

 An in-plane offset of the lateral force resisting element greater than the length of those
element or reduction in stiffness in the storey below.
  In buildings with in-plane discontinuity and located in Seismic Zones II, the lateral drift of
the building under the design lateral force shall be limited to 0.2 percent of the building
height; in Seismic Zones III, IV and V, buildings with in-plane discontinuity shall not be
permitted.

5. Discontinuity in Capacity- Weak Storey Irregularity

 A weak storey is one in which the storey lateral strength is less than 80% of that in the storey
above. The storey strength is the total strength of all seismic-resisting elements sharing the
storey shear for the direction under consideration.

 Earlier
code: Story Lateral Strength is Less Than
80% of That in The Story Above, are the
Weak Storey. When Lateral Strength of
F1<0.8 F2 then F1 is the weak Storey
 Revised code: Story Lateral Strength is Less
Than of That in The Story Above, are the
Weak Storey. When Lateral Strength of F1<
F2 then F1 is the weak Storey

 STOREY SHEAR STRENGTH= total of all elements of the SFRS in the direction considered.
 VERTICAL STRUCTURAL IRREGULARITIES

6. Torsional Irregularity- To be considered when Diaphragms are Not Flexible

 Torsional irregularity shall be considered to exist when the maximum storey drift, computed
including accidental torsion, at one end of the structure transverse to an axis is more than 1.2
times the average storey drifts of the two ends of the structure.

 Indian Code Specifies Five Types of Plan Irregularities

1) In torsional irregular buildings, when the ratio of maximum horizontal displacement at
one end and the minimum horizontal displacement at the other end is,
i. in the range 1.5 -2.0, (a) the building configuration shall be revised to ensure that
the natural period of the fundamental torsional mode of oscillation shall be
smaller than those of the first two translational modes along each of the principal
plan directions, and then (b) three dimensional dynamic analysis method shall be
adopted; and
ii. More than 2.0, the building configuration shall be revised.

7. Re-Entrant Corner Irregularity

 Plan configurations of a structure and its lateral-
force-resisting system contain re-entrant corners,
where both projections of the structure beyond a re-
entrant corner are greater than 15% of the plan
dimension of the structure given direction.
 

 Plan has a projection in direction of size > 15% of its overall plan dimension in that
direction.

 There are two problems created by these shapes. The first is that they tend to produce
differential motions between different wings of the building that, because of stiff elements that
tend to be located in this region, result in local stress concentrations at the re-entrant corner.
 The second problem of this form is torsion. Which is caused because the center of mass and the
center of rigidity in this form cannot geometrically coincide for all possible earthquake
directions. The result is rotation. The resulting forces are very difficult to analyze and predict.

 There are two basic alternative approaches to

the problem of re- entrant-corner forms:
structurally to separate the building into
simpler shapes, or to tie the building together
more strongly with elements positioned to
provide a more balanced resistance. The latter
solution applies only to smaller buildings
Separation Stiff resistant elements In case of
separation building must be sufficiently away
to ensure they do not pound together and
damage each other in an earthquake
 The use of splayed rather than right angle re-
entrant corners lessens the stress
concentration This is analogous to the way a
tapered beam is structurally more desirable
than an abruptly notched one

8. Diaphragm Discontinuity Irregularity

 Diaphragms with abrupt discontinuities or variations in stiffness, including those having cutout
or open areas greater than 50% of the gross enclosed area of the diaphragm, or changes in
effective diaphragm stiffness or more than 50% from one storey to the next.
  In buildings with discontinuity in their in-plane stiffness, if the area of the geometric cut-
out is,
a) Less than or equal to 50 percent, the floor slab shall be taken as rigid or flexible
depending on the location of and size of openings; and
b) More than 50 percent, the floor slab shall be taken as flexible.

9. Out-Of-Plane Offsets Irregularity

 Discontinuities in a lateral force path, such as out-of-plane offsets of the vertical elements.

 In a building with out-of-plane offsets in vertical elements,

a) Specialist literature shall be referred for design of such a building, if the building is located in
Seismic Zone II; and
b) The following two conditions shall be satisfied, if the building is located in Seismic Zones III, IV
and V:
1) Lateral drift shall be less than 0.2 percent in the storey having the offset and in the
storeys below; and
2) Specialist literature shall be referred for removing the irregularity arising due to out-
of- plane offsets in vertical elements.
10. Non-parallel Systems Irregularity
 The vertical lateral-loading-resisting elements are not parallel to or symmetric about the
major orthogonal axes of the lateral force-resisting systems

 Buildings with non-parallel lateral force resisting system shall be analyzed for load
combinations mentioned.
 When lateral load resisting elements are not oriented along mutually orthogonal
horizontal directions, structure shall be designed for the simultaneous effects due to full
design earthquake load in one horizontal direction plus 30 percent of design earthquake
load along the other horizontal direction.