A Mathematical Approach for Predicting Sufficient Separation Gap between Adjacent Buildings to Avoid Earthquake-Induced Pounding

Studies on earthquake-related damage underscore that buildings are vulnerable to significant harm or even collapse during moderate to strong ground motions. Of particular concern is seismic-induced pounding, observed in numerous past and recent earthquakes, often resulting from inadequate separation gaps between neighboring structures. This study conducted an experimental and numerical investigation to develop a mathematical equation to calculate a sufficient separation gap in order to avoid the collision between adjacent mid-rise steel-frame buildings during seismic excitation. In this study, the coupled configuration of 15-storey & 10-storey, 15-storey & 5-storey, and 10-storey & 5-storey steel frame structures was considered in the investigation. The investigation concluded with a large number of data outputs. The outputs were used to predict structural behavior during earthquakes. The obtained data were categorized into three main categories according to the earthquake's Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) levels. Also, the derived equations were divided into three different equations to estimate the required seismic gap between neighboring buildings accordingly. The derived equations are distilled to empower engineers to rigorously evaluate non-irregular mid-rise steel frame buildings.