The construction of structures with curved or irregular geometry is becoming increasingly common as modern architects strive to create iconic buildings. However, the realization of complex building forms creates significant challenges in regions of high seismicity, since this introduces significant uncertainties in the likely plastic mechanism, with questions on the likely performance of connections and doubts about the probable loadpaths. This paper examines the benefits of a novel seismic design strategy that uses isolation devices distributed vertically up a building between the exterior structure (of complex-geometry) and the heavy internal core. An innovative Direct DBD methodology is used to design an 8-storey case study building in which viscoelastic devices are used. Non-linear time-history (NLTH) analyses are then conducted on a 3-dimensional model of the building and the results indicate that the target displacement and drifts for both the internal and external structures are well controlled by the design solution.
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