SEISMIC DESIGN OF EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE CORE PANEL BUILDINGS

Abstract

Sandwich composite panel system is an upcoming, modern day construction technology that has many advantages like low-cost, light-weight and better seismic performance. Among the different types of sandwich composite panels, the expanded polystyrene (EPS) core panel based building system is the main focus of this dissertation work. A literature review is carried out on the EPS core panel system, which includes the various numerical modelling and experimental investigations carried out on the EPS core panels. The main objective of the study was to find out the seismic performance of buildings constructed using the EPS core panels. To find out the in-plane shear strength of the EPS core panels, diagonal compression test has been performed. To find out the out-of-plane bending strength of the EPS core panels, four-point flexural load test has been performed on the panels. Finite element modelling has been performed to investigate the behaviour of the EPS core panels due to in-plane shear loading and out-of-plane flexural loading using solid element in ABAQUS and layered shell element in SAP 2000. In order to assess the seismic performance of buildings constructed using the EPS core panels, finite element model of a G+3 building constructed using the eps core panels has been developed in SAP 2000. Response spectrum analysis has been carried out on the developed model considering Design Basis Earthquake (DBE), Zone V and medium soil conditions. The building has been subjected to all possible load combinations according to IS 1893 (Part 1): 2002. Demand forces of all the critical sections at each storey of the building due to the most critical load combinations are computed and plotted on the P-M interaction curves of the sections. It has been observed that the demand-capacity ratios of all the sections are less than 1 by a high margin, thus indicating very good seismic performance of the building. Non-linear static pushover analysis has been performed to evaluate the performance of the building due to seismic forces.