Comparative Study on the Lateral Load Resistance of Multi-Storied Structure with Bracing Systems

The vulnerability of seismic forces onto a high rise structure leads to a sudden collapse which is unpredictable. It can also be understood from the provisions of Indian Standards that, it is desired to allow the damage of the structure to certain extent for sudden earthquakes by safeguarding the livelihood. In the present study, a five storied RC building has been modeled and then analyzed considering the combination of gravity and seismic forces. The performance of the same structure has been investigated for different types of bracing system such as cross and diagonal bracings using a concrete section and steel sections respectively. The performance of the same building has been evaluated in terms of lateral displacement of members, storey drift, axial force and bending moment in columns at different critical. The effectiveness of various bracing systems on the structure has also been investigated. More importantly, the reduction in lateral displacement has been found out for different types of bracing system in comparison to building with no bracing for zone-3 and zone-4. From the present study, it has been found that the crossed ‘X’ bracing reduces more lateral displacement and thus significantly contributes to greater structural stiffness to the structure.