Analysis of the global second-order effects on irregular reinforced concrete structures using the natural period of vibration

Abstract The χT parameter, a simplified method recently presented, allows to estimate the global second-order effects on reinforced concrete frames using the natural period of vibration. This parameter was developed based on the fact that both natural period of vibration and global second-order effects depend essentially on the stiffness and mass matrices of the structure, being thus related. In this paper, numerical analyses are conducted on nine models with different patterns of irregularity in terms of geometry in plan and stiffness. The main purpose of these analyses is to evaluate the applicability of the χT parameter in asymmetric structures as well as that can present torsional modes as the fundamental mode of vibration. In addition, different hypotheses are tested in order to verify the influence of the different modes of vibration in the structural sensitivity to global second-order effects. Results of the simplified analyses were compared to the final bending moment values obtained through a nonlinear numerical analysis considering the P-Δ effect. It is observed that the parameter χT is a promising indicator for a simplified estimation of the global second-order effects for concrete frames, especially when higher modes of vibration are taken account in the analysis.