Approximate analysis of tall buildings using sandwich beam models with variable cross-section

In this paper an approximate method is carried out for determining the natural periods of multistory buildings subjected to earthquake. The building resists lateral forces through a combination of lateral resisting systems. These systems could be replaced by a cantilever Timoshenko or a sandwich beam with varying cross‐section that characterizes three kinds of stiffnesses: the global bending stiffness, the local bending stiffness and the shear stiffness. Using appropriate transformations, the differential equations for flexural and shear free vibration of a cantilever beam with variably distributed mass and stiffness are reduced to Bessel's equations and ordinary differential equations. The frequency equations can be solved by selecting suitable expressions such as exponential and power functions for stiffness and mass distribution along the height of the building. The calculated frequencies are combined appropriately by using approximate methods. Based on the fact that shear and bending deformations are all considered, the free vibration frequency of the structure could be calculated. The capability and accuracy of the proposed method are demonstrated by a numerical example in which finite element results are compared with the proposed methodology and other approximate methods. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.