Evaluation of concentric V, inverted V and k-shaped gantries and their impact on the design of a 7-story steel building

Abstract

Introduction: in this study, an evaluation was made between three types of gantries with bracing: V-bracing gantries, Inverted V bracing gantries and K-bracing gantries for seven-story buildings according to national and U.S. codes. Methodology: began with a preliminary design of the structural elements of main and secondary columns, beams, slabs, and crossings, followed by the corresponding design, and first the compressibility and flexibility of each element was checked. Objectives: to finalize the comparative design of a building with steel structure braced concentrically in V, in inverted V and in K. To perform a seismic analysis of a system with concentric bracing in V, inverted V, and k. To identify appropriate structural models that meet the requirements of building design. Results: with the help of finite element software, each structural element is modeled, the properties and specifications of its elements are entered, a static and dynamic analysis is performed, and for this purpose the combinations of load and spectra are determined, as well as the distribution and elevation configuration, as well as the seismic zones according to the revised design,  all of which makes the 7-story structure seismic resistant according to all building inspection standards specified by Ecuadorian regulations (NEC 2015). We also compared the three diverse types of bracing and an analysis of the cost of structures with the three bracing. Conclusions: in the end, it was concluded that inverted V bracing was the best type of design because it had less drift than the two previous designs with a value of less than 2% and had good structural performance compared to other checks in the previous design. In the article, the dynamic analysis corresponds to X and Y more than 80%, the rotation analysis is less than 30%, and the mass participation is more than 90%. General study area: Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Specific study area: Metal structures.