Shaking Table Tests of a Four-Story Miniature Steel Building— Model Validation

This paper discusses an analytical model developed to study the linear and nonlinear dynamic response of a four-story steel miniature building subjected to low-level and high-level shake table tests inducing nominally elastic and inelastic response, respectively. The analytical model was calibrated and validated against the results of the experimental program. A comparison of measured and calculated responses is made in the paper. Of particular interest, absolute floor accelerations were found more sensitive to high-frequency content than other response parameters such as base shear force and overturning base moment. The seismic performance of gravity-dominated beams is also examined in this paper. It was found that the cumulative nature of rotation demands in this type of beams should be considered in seismic design. The model is also used to observe differences in dynamic response of buildings when subjected to shake table tests with low fidelity in the reproduction of earthquake records.