Structural Influence Due to the Elevator Shaft under the Response Spectrum Analysis

Elevators are essential in urban infrastructure, not only providing a critical means of vertical transportation in high-rise buildings but also ensuring accessibility for individuals with disabilities. In typical office buildings, elevator shafts are commonly integrated into a single core, where their associated shear walls play a key role in enhancing the structural seismic resistance. Conversely, many modern public buildings, such as shopping malls and conference centers, adopt multi-core designs with distributed elevator shafts, offering improved convenience and spatial flexibility. This research analyzes a real construction project, the public commercial hub in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan, by utilizing response spectrum analysis based on actual testing data from Almaty. By comparing two configurations of the RC (Reinforced Concrete) structure (CASE-1 without elevator shafts and CASE-2 with elevator shafts) through SAP 2000, this research examines a range of critical parameters, including base reaction, structural period, frequency, acceleration, layer displacement, layer radians, and drift ratio. The comprehensive evaluation reveals the structural benefits of incorporating elevator shafts, as well as potential challenges, thereby providing valuable insights and design references for optimizing multi-core, multi-elevator systems in RC structures to achieve enhanced seismic performance and overall safety.