Seismic Performance Improvement of a Reinforced Concrete Structure with Inter-Story Isolation

This study investigates improving the seismic performance of a 6-story residential reinforced concrete building converted into a hospital using inter-story isolation. Lead rubber bearing was employed, with parameters optimized in accordance with the 2018 Turkey Building Earthquake Code for DD-1 and DD-2 earthquake ground motion levels. Three structural models were analyzed using nonlinear dynamic analysis, incorporating soil-structure interaction (SSI). Four earthquake records were scaled to DD-1 and DD-2 spectrum levels. Subsequently, 1D equivalent-linear site response analyses were conducted on these ground-motion records scaled to the design spectrum. The results demonstrate that inter-story isolation significantly enhances the seismic performance of the building, making it suitable for hospital use under seismic loadings.