Evaluation of the Influence of Diaphragm Flexibility on the Seismic Response of Asymmetric Buildings with Slab Openings

Abstract: Diaphragm is a structural component of the building system that resists lateral forces. In general, diaphragm is considered rigid whereas in practical scenario it impacts the behaviour of the structure to a considerable extent. Therefore, there is need to study diaphragm flexibility to understand the actual behaviour of the structure. This study uses slab openings to compare rigid and flexible diaphragms with 25% and 50% flexibility in the asymmetric plan model (T and L shape). This study takes into account slab apertures between 1 and 2% at the centre and corners of the plan. Utilizing the Etabs 20 version, response spectrum analysis is done to assess seismic parameters such as inter-story drift, maximum story displacement, and story shear. Also, axial force in the column, shear force and bending moment in the beam were evaluated. The findings demonstrate how changing the flexibility alters the dynamic response. It is observed that T shape with centre opening in plan is the crucial case.