Earthquake Simulation Tests of a Ten-Story Reinforced Concrete Frame with a Discontinued First-Level Beam

A small-scale, ten-story, reinforced concrete frame structure with relatively flexible lower stories was subjected successively to simulated earthquakes of increasing intensity on the University of Illinois Earthquake Simulator. The test structure comprised two frames situated opposite one another with strong axes parallel to a horizontal base motion and with story-masses spanning between. The frames had relatively "tall" first and last stories and a discontinued first floor-level, exterior-span beam. Earthquake simulation tests were complemented by free-vibration tests and steady-state sinusoidal tests at a series of frequencies bounding the apparent fundamental frequency. This report docuents the experimental work, presents data (including time-response histories), and discusses the observed dynamic response in relation to stiffness, strength, and energy-dissipative capacity.National Science Foundation Research Grant ENV74-2296