Seismic protection of high-rise buildings by aluminum shear panels: A design application

A study case of a tall steel building seismically protected by means of both pure aluminum shear panels and buckling restrained steel braces is presented in the current paper. The proposed solution is based on the employment of anti-seismic systems able to guarantee a far lateral stiffness of the frames in which they are installed. Thus lateral vibrations of structures under wind or seismic actions may be significantly reduced. On the other hand, the peculiarity of the proposed system is that is based on the use of dissipative devices able to protect by damage, also under severe earthquakes attacks, other structural parts. The main results obtained by both linear and non linear analyses are discussed in order to put in evidence the effectiveness of the proposed devices. The final solution is also critically discussed from the architectural point of view. The arrangement of shear panels is visible both externally and internally, in order to valorize the building architecture.