Seismic performance evaluation of a special concrete core wall volumetric steel modular high-rise system

Modular construction is an emerging technique that enables rapid on-site assembly of prefabricated modular units into complete structures. The application of high-rise modular construction mainly uses prefabricated volumetric steel modular construction systems (PVSMCS). Currently, the use of high-rise PVSMCS in high seismic regions remains limited. This study focuses on the seismic evaluation of high-rise PVSMCS with concrete core wall (CCW) in high seismic zones in Canada. A prototype building named concrete core wall volumetric steel modular high-rise building (CCWVSMHB) designed in accordance with NBCC 2020 by engineering firms in Vancouver was studied. The detailed finite element (FE) models in ABAQUS are used to analyze the nonlinear behavior of modular connections used in the prototype building. The results were simplified to develop connection models suitable for the nonlinear simulation of the prototype building. Then, a prototype building model was developed in OpenSeesPy, and subjected to modal analysis, pushover analysis, and nonlinear time-history analyses. The results demonstrate that the prototype building satisfies code-prescribed seismic performance requirements in terms of level displacements, and local yielding and failures were observed in some connections and modular components, indicating the need for further optimization of the connection and modular unit design to ensure more reliable seismic performance of PVSMCS with CCW buildings.