Energy and Displacement Demands Imposed by Near-Source Ground Motions

This paper examines the effects of near-fault ground motions on the structural behavior by means of energy and displacement parameters. In the present research the effect of long period pulses, present in the near-fault records, which may cause severe damage, has been analysed by means of the elastic and inelastic Seismic Input Energy Spectra, Hysteresis Energy Spectra, Hysteretic to Input Energy Ratio Spectra, Displacement Response Spectra. Two hysteretic models, namely elastic-perfectly plastic and degrading pinching model, have been utilized to describe the nonlinear force/deformation behavior of the examined SDOF systems. Moreover, the response of some RC frame systems when subjected to near-fault strong ground motion has been investigated by means of simplified analysis methodologies.