Considerações sobre alguns modelos clássicos para análise estrutural de edifícios de andares múltiplos sujeitos à ação de forças laterais

Abstract

The present work aims to show that the use of different structural models, either plane or spatial, for a structure leads to different results when using the same computational analysis tool. Four different structural models three planar and one spatial - were used to analyzeeach of four different three-dimensional structures carrying only horizontal loads. The spatial structural model was taken as reference to compare the results of the other three plane models since it is more complex and therefore, provides a more accurate simulation of the actual behavior of the structure. All four models considered the linear elastic behavior of thestructures. Furthermore, the spatial structural model considered the existence of diaphragms in each floor. A commercial structural analysis software was used to perform the analysis of the four structures by using each of the four models. The loads applied to the structures werecomputed according to the recommendations of the current Brazilian code that refers to wind loads on structures. The data analysis showed differences among the results. After evaluating the results, potential causes for the similarities and discrepancies among the results wereidentified and the models that provided the best results were discussed. The findings of this study showed that structural engineers must be careful when modeling structures by using plane models since these models do not consider important three-dimensional effects andconsequently, they might lead to unreliable structural analysis results.