Seismic influence of end shear walls in tall buildings with linker bridge systems

Contemporary architectural demands significantly influence structural analysis studies. In this regard, some tall buildings are linked by linker bridge to satisfy the functional demand. However, lateral loads significantly influence the seismic performance of such interconnected systems. This seismic load is a key consideration for structural designers working on tall buildings subjected to earthquake-induced forces. End shear walls in high-rise structures help alleviate stress concentrations caused by increased pressure at the extremities of the walls. In this study, nonlinear time history analysis was employed to compare the seismic effects of end shear walls in two 30-story buildings, one with and one without end shear walls connected by a steel linker bridge. The results showed that the average maximum absolute displacement decreased by 14% under far-field ground motion records at the floor level where the linker bridge is located, specifically in the corner region adjacent to the bridge, in structures incorporating end-positioned shear walls. Additionally, the skewness coefficient of the acceleration record decreased by 65% and 66% due to the presence of end shear walls at the same floor level. In general, the two tall buildings equipped with connecting bridges and end shear walls showed notably better seismic effectiveness under earthquake loading. Previous investigations on linked tall buildings have studied parameters such as bridge location, stiffness, and end conditions, but the specific role of end shear walls within such interconnected systems remains unexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the seismic impact of end shear walls in two 30-story buildings connected by a steel linker bridge.