Seismic performance evaluation of an irregular and slender skyscraper utilising stiff dampers

In the last decade, there has been a growing trend in the popularity of skyscrapers characterised by their slender and irregular designs. This trend has introduced fresh challenges with regards to their seismic performance and safety considerations. This paper presents a comprehensive examination of the seismic design complexity and performance assessment for an irregular and slender skyscraper incorporating stiff dampers. The building consists of different separated blocks interconnected by a steel truss. Located in the high seismic activity region of Guadalajara, Mexico, the building meets the requirements of the ASCE 7-22 and Mexican design codes. The stiff dissipating devices (SLB) have been implemented to ensure protection against earthquake events. A set of 11 Non-Linear Time History Analyses were used to determine the performance of the structure with and without SLB devices. The results showed that the use of SLBs allowed reducing up to 15% the fundamental period of the structure, a considerable reduction in the number of elements forming plastic hinges and over 50% reduction of the inter-story drift ratio for some of the signals studied. Finally, the effectiveness of the SLB devices in reducing the impact of earthquakes on slender and irregular-shaped skyscrapers located in areas of high seismic activity is discussed.