AN APPROXIMATE METHOD FOR STATIC AND DYNAMIC ANALYSES OF SYMMETRIC WALL-FRAME BUILDINGS

In this study an approximate method based on the continuum approach and transfer matrix method for static and dynamic analyses of symmetric wall-frame buildings is presented. The whole structure is idealized as a sandwich beam in this method. Initially the differential equation of this equivalent sandwich beam is written; shape functions for each storey can then be obtained by the solution of differential equations. By using boundary conditions and storey transfer matrices obtained from these shape functions, system modes and periods can be calculated. The reliability of the study is shown using several examples. A computer program has been developed in MATLAB and numerical samples have been solved for demonstration of the reliability of this method. The results of the samples show the agreement between the present method and other methods given in the literature. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.