Analysis and Design of Symmetrical Buildings Considering Dynamic Pounding Effect in Residential Apartments

Abstract

Earthquakes often cause severe structural damage, particularly in densely populated urban areas where adjacent 
buildings are separated by inadequate seismic gaps. During strong ground motion, neighbouring buildings having 
different dynamic characteristics may vibrate out of phase, resulting in seismic pounding, which can significantly 
increase structural damage, member forces, and the possibility of partial or complete collapse. This study 
investigates the dynamic pounding effect between symmetrical reinforced concrete residential apartment 
buildings using ETABS. Two G+15 symmetrical buildings separated by 20 mm and 25 mm seismic gaps were 
modeled and analyzed under earthquake loading. Dynamic analysis was carried out using time history analysis 
with the El Centro earthquake record as the input ground motion, while static analysis was also performed for 
comparison under medium soil conditions in accordance with IS 1893 (Part 1):2002. The structural response was 
evaluated by comparing important parameters including storey displacement, storey drift, storey shear, storey 
moments, and overturning moments for pounding and non-pounding conditions. The analytical results indicate 
that insufficient separation between adjacent buildings considerably increases seismic response, whereas 
providing adequate seismic gaps effectively minimizes pounding effects and improves structural safety. The study 
demonstrates that dynamic analysis provides a more realistic assessment of pounding behaviour and can assist 
engineers in selecting suitable separation distances for earthquake-resistant building design.