Testing of moment-frame building systems with rocking foundations (first system test)

The purpose of this experiment is to experimentally evaluate the seismic performance of a low-rise moment-frame building when inelastic structural behavior and inelastic rocking foundation behavior coexist. Three different two-story-one-bay building structures were constructed and tested in this program. Those building models were designed with similar structural layout but with different strength of structural fuse and rocking foundation. The first tested model is termed as balanced design configuration, in which structural fuse and rocking footing were designed to yield at the same load. Rocking restrained model was then constructed by fixing the beam column connection at bottom floor, and was shaken the next day after the testing of the first system. The third examined system is foundation rocking dominated configuration, which aims to mobilize rocking foundation prior to structural fuse yielding. The last structural building-foundation system incorporated the opposed mechanism as the third one, wherein structural fuse hinging dominates. Those models were subjected to similar sequence of earthquake input motions. In addition, two bearing failure test were carried out at two different stations to evaluate the undrained shear strength of the overconsolidated clay. Note that the gravitational acceleration at the ground surface was generated to 30-g during spinning and shaking for each event.