An uncoupled dual-mechanism system for seismic resilience of high-rise buildings: Parametric analyses and preliminary design procedures

Abstract

As urban densification accelerates, high-rise construction has been adopted worldwide to meet increasing housing needs, including in earthquake-prone regions. High-rise buildings are particularly vulnerable to higher-mode effects, which can cause substantial and unintended damage even if code provisions are followed. To address this challenge, the authors have developed a novel dual-mechanism system, named MechRV3D, consisting of uncoupled rocking and shear mechanisms integrated at the base of structures. This system achieves low-damage response by controlling both first mode-governed and higher mode-dominated seismic demands. The MechRV3D system allows the superstructure to remain essentially elastic under Maximum Considered Earthquakes, minimizing structural and non-structural damage. This performance has been validated through nonlinear time history analyses and analytical studies. To support practical design, this paper conducts parametric numerical analyses on a series of generic high-rise buildings incorporating the MechRV3D system. Key design parameters, including the rocking moment, the lateral yield strength, and the lateral stiffnesses, are systematically varied to evaluate their impacts on the seismic response. The resulting families of seismic performance spectra provide clear relationships between design inputs and critical response metrics, such as peak inter-story drift ratio and maximum base displacement. These spectra are synthesized into design charts and procedures to guide engineers in proportioning the MechRV3D system in the early design stage. By uncoupling overturning and shear demands, this system offers a rational and resilient approach to high-rise seismic design. The findings lay a foundation for generalizing this low-damage design for high-rise buildings and informing future experimental validation.