Investigation of pounding effects on the structural behavior of reinforced concrete buildings: A case study on the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquakes

During an earthquake, adjacent buildings with different dynamic characteristics may vibrate out of phase, and if there is insufficient separation distance, collisions can occur. Past earthquakes have shown that such collisions can cause significant structural damage and, in some cases, total collapse. Therefore, considering pounding effects on structural behavior is crucial in the design and analysis of adjacent buildings. This study investigates the seismic behavior and damage mechanisms of a reinforced concrete building that sustained severe damage during the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes using nonlinear time-history analysis. During the earthquakes, contact occurred between the building and an adjacent boundary wall, causing significant damage to the impacted column. Four interaction scenarios representing pounding at both the column and slab levels were defined. The building's finite element model was created in SAP2000, and real ground motion records from nearby stations were used. Analyses were conducted in two stages: with and without pounding effects. Relative displacements, floor accelerations, shear forces at the impact region, and other response parameters were compared. The results showed that pounding significantly affects structural responses and that different configurations produce distinct impacts.