Seismic design of novel precast walls for high-rise buildings

为了满足加拿大迫切的住房需求，我们必须迅速建造经济、可持续和抗地震等自然灾害的建筑。预制混凝土建筑准备满足这些需求，高质量的工厂建造的结构部件（即，墙板），其可以被运送到现场并快速组装。此外，设计结构部件之间的连接以耗散地震能量而不是损坏部件，从而产生高效的建筑物。不幸的是，在加拿大，尽管在过去的50年里，预制建筑的使用激增，但与预制建筑抗震设计相关的研究非常缺乏。由于缺乏研究，导致加拿大建筑规范缺乏预制具体的抗震设计规定，限制了这种模块化建筑方法的使用。我的总体职业目标是创建加拿大第一个研究中心，为预制建筑开发新的连接，组件和结构系统，以抵御地震，最终为建筑规范提供建议。这个发现补助金（DG）将通过研究预制核心墙，高层建筑的关键组成部分，朝着实现我的愿景迈出关键的一步。核心墙是围绕电梯井和楼梯井的一体化钢筋混凝土墙，在抵抗地震侧向力方面非常有效。核心墙使用昂贵的现浇施工方法，在那里墙是建立在其永久位置现场。目前，核心墙的预制结构是不切实际的，因为缺乏垂直连接面板的功能方法。此外，我们还没有从根本上了解高层预制建筑如何应对地震摇晃。本DG将通过三个目标开发预制核心墙的新抗震设计方法。目标1将开发计算机模型来模拟地震对一系列高层预制建筑的震动，以评估和量化地震反应。目标2旨在通过物理模型的数值模拟和实验测试，为核心墙应用开发新的互连预制墙。最后，目标3旨在使用计算机模拟研究预制核心墙的双向响应。我与预制行业的专业人士合作，致力于解决加拿大建筑规范中预制特定抗震设计规定的需求。这些行业合作伙伴关系将为学生提供与行业专业人士一起培训的独特机会，并最大限度地发挥整体影响。加拿大建筑规范中需要有针对预制件的抗震设计规定，以促进在加拿大各地建造预制件建筑，即使是在地震活动较低的地区。该研究项目的成果将最终为建筑规范提供信息，从而实现更安全，更经济的高层建筑。

To meet Canada's urgent housing needs, we must rapidly construct buildings that are economical, sustainable, and resistant to natural disasters, such as earthquakes. Precast concrete construction is poised to meet these demands, with high-quality factory-built structural components (i.e., wall panels) that can be shipped to the site and rapidly assembled. Furthermore, designing the connections between structural components to dissipate earthquake energy rather than damage the components results in a highly efficient building. Unfortunately, there is an extraordinary lack of research related to the seismic design of precast buildings in Canada, despite a surge of use over the last 50 years. The absence of research has resulted in Canadian building codes lacking precast-specific seismic design provisions, limiting the use of this modular construction method. My overarching career goal is to create the first research centre in Canada that develops new connections, components, and structural systems for precast buildings to resist earthquakes, ultimately advising building codes. This Discovery Grant (DG) will make critical steps towards realizing my vision by studying precast core walls, a key component for the construction of high-rise buildings. Core walls are integrated reinforced concrete walls that surround elevator shafts and stairwells which are highly effective in resisting lateral forces from earthquakes. Core walls use the costly cast-in-place construction method, where walls are built onsite in their permanent position. Currently, precast construction of core walls is not practical, as functional methods to connect panels perpendicularly are lacking. Further, we do not fundamentally understand how high-rise precast buildings respond to earthquake shaking. This DG will develop new seismic design methods for precast core walls through three objectives. Objective 1 will develop computer models to simulate earthquake shaking on a range of high-rise precast buildings to assess and quantify the seismic response. Objective 2 aims to develop new interconnected precast walls for core wall applications through numerical modelling and experimental testing of physical models. Finally, Objective 3 aims to study the bidirectional response of precast core walls using computer simulations. I have partnered with precast industry professionals committed to addressing the need for precast-specific seismic design provisions in Canadian building codes. These industry partnerships will provide students with unique opportunities to train with industry professionals and maximize overall impact. Precast-specific seismic design provisions are needed in Canadian building codes to facilitate the construction of precast buildings across Canada, even in regions of low seismicity. The outcomes of this research program will ultimately inform building codes, which will lead to the implementation of safer and more economical high-rise buildings.