Experimental Investigation of Preventing Collision in Adjacent Structures Using Interconnecting Elements

Today, the increasing density of urban construction has led to a rise in the number of adjacent buildings, primarily due to the scarcity of available land. This scenario necessitates measures to prevent collisions between adjacent structures and mitigate potential property damage and loss of life. This study investigates the dynamic behavior of adjacent buildings with distinct dynamic properties under harmonic ground motion, which closely approximates the effects of seismic activity. Harmonic ground motion with an amplitude of 5 mm and 5 cycles was applied to two adjacent building models with resonance frequencies of 2.15 Hz and 2.75 Hz, respectively. Shaking table experiments were conducted for two scenarios: free-standing models and models interconnected with a rigid element on the top floor. Storey acceleration and relative displacement data were collected for both configurations and analyzed. The experimental results indicated that the rigid interconnection element significantly reduced storey acceleration at all levels and decreased relative displacement between the models. Notably, the reductions were more pronounced in the resonant model due to the effects of the interconnection element. These findings demonstrate that the implementation of a rigid interconnection element is an effective strategy to mitigate the risk of collisions between adjacent buildings, thereby enhancing structural resilience and safety in densely built urban areas.