Published Paper Details:

Complex shaped and irregular buildings are getting popular in the present times, but they carry a high risk of sustaining damages during earthquakes. Past earthquakes has proven that the vertical structural irregularities tend to affect the seismic response of the structures. The study investigates these irregularities inherent in the buiding designs owing to the aesthetic and functional utilities. Studies show that the seismic performance can be regularized with the provision of suitable mitigation measures, analysis techniques and appropriate seismic design. The presence of these irregularities causes a significant increase in the structural costs and these may be optimized by introduction of suitable structural elements (e.g. shear walls, transfer girder etc.). The study focuses on the vertical stiffness-strength irregularities, and the several features in the buildings which induce these irregularities. The suggestions provided by the Indian seismic codes and different mitigation techniques for each of the features are discussed.