Normalized response distribution expressions for ground-supported rigid rocking bodies

Kazantzi A.K., Lachanas C.G., Vamvatsikos D. (2022). Normalized response distribution expressions for ground-supported rigid rocking bodies. Proceedings of the 3 rd International Conference on Natural Hazards & Infrastructure (ICONHIC 2022), 5-7 July, 2022, Athens, Greece.

Estimating the seismic response of ground-supported rocking rigid blocks, is a topic that has attracted significant research interest in the past few decades, since it concerns, among others: (a) several modern structures or ancient monolithic columns that utilize rocking as a seismic protection mechanism and (b) numerous free-standing contents (e.g. museum artefacts) located on the ground floor or lower floors of stiff buildings. In the present research work, by means of a parametric study, utilizing two-dimensional rectangular blocks of varying sizes and ordinary earthquake records, the rocking response at increasing intensity levels was assessed through Incremental Dynamic Analyses. Following the demand evaluation and in order to allow for an easier utilization of the findings in practical applications, simplified approximate equations have been obtained via nonlinear regression analysis. The proposed equations provide an estimate of the peak rocking response distribution, expressed in terms of the normalized, to the dimensionless slenderness angle α, peak rocking angle, at increasing ground motion intensity levels.