Analysis of the Influence of Traveling Wave Effect on Flat Grid with Different Three-Dimensional Sizes

To investigate the relationship between the three-dimensional size of a structure and the impact of the traveling wave effect, models derived from an orthographic quadrangle flat grid based on a practical engineering case were established and validated. The plane size (ranging from 30 m to 90 m), height (ranging from 0 m to 9 m), and space of the supporting columns (ranging from 6 m to 12 m for peripheral columns and from 18 m to 24 m for internal columns) were changed. The time history method was used to perform a statistical analysis of the proportion and distribution of special bars and to investigate their seismic response under multiple-support excitation along the length of the structure and single excitation. The results show that an increase in the structural length and decreases in the structural span and the height and distance of the columns lead to an increase in the traveling wave effect, with special bars spreading from the supports to the peripheries and from the edge to the middle along the span. It is concluded that the traveling wave effect can be regarded as an additional dynamic load according to the excitation time differences among supporting columns along the propagation direction of the seismic wave, which spreads from supports to peripheries in a manner similar to energy radiation. The smaller the apparent wave velocity, the larger the time difference, the larger the additional dynamic load, and the larger the degree and range of the traveling wave effect. Increasing the plane and the height and space of the supporting columns to certain sizes will lead to a decrease in the traveling wave effect due to its limited range.