Verifying the periods of vibration for different structural systems using earthquake data and simulation

Large fundamental period data from two sources are collected and compared with expressions from building codes and previous studies. The first data set is collected from 147 instrumented buildings with various lateral force resisting systems (LFRSs). The second set is obtained from the inelastic dynamic response simulation of 26 multi-story structures. Seven LFRSs are considered, including steel moment-resisting frames (SMRFs), reinforced concrete moment-resisting frames (RCMRFs), concentrically braced frames (CBFs), eccentrically braced frames (EBFs), RC shear walls (RCSWs), masonry buildings and pre-cast structures. It is concluded that the design provisions are conservative enough for SMRFs, RCMRFs, and CBFs. For low-to-medium rise RCSWs and EBFs along with low-rise masonry and pre-cast structures, recently proposed expressions in previous studies provide conservative estimates for the fundamental periods. More data is highly needed to arrive at a reliable formula for the design of high-rise RCSW structures in earthquake-prone regions.