Architecture Commons^™

Approximating The Seismic Amplification Effects Experienced By Solar Towers Mounted On The Rooftops Of Low-Rise Industrial Buildings, Peter Luiz Balla

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the acceleration amplification experienced by solar towers mounted on the rooftops of low-rise industrial buildings during a seismic event. Specifically, this thesis looks to assess the validity of using amplification factors adopted by the ASCE 7-05Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures to approximate seismic acceleration amplification for roof-mounted solar towers. To investigate the validity of the ASCE 7-05 amplification factors, this thesis conducts timehistory analyses of three theoretical solar towers mounted on the roof of a case study building. The time history analyses are conducted in the finite element computer modeling program SAP 2000 using …

Seismic Performance Comparison Of A Fixed-Base Versus A Base-Isolated Office Building, Nicholas Reidar Marrs

Master's Theses

The topic of this thesis is base isolation. The purpose of this thesis is to offer a relative understanding of the seismic performance enhancements that a typical 12-story steel office building can achieve through the implementation of base isolation technology. To reach this understanding, the structures of a fixed-base office building and a base-isolated office building of similar size and layout are designed, their seismic performance is compared, and a cost-benefit analysis is completed. The base isolation system that is utilized is composed of Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP) bearings.

The work of this thesis is divided into four phases. First, …