Nonlinear Static (Pushover)

Analysis
Anindya Dutta, Ph.D., S.E.

Topics
z What

is nonlinear static analysis?

z How is it done?
z What are the drawbacks to its use
z When can (should) it be used?

What is nonlinear static analysis

z One

of four analysis procedures

embodied in FEMA 356 / ASCE 41 and
commonly used in performance-based
design approaches
Linear static
z Linear dynamic
z Nonlinear static (pushover)
z Nonlinear dynamic
z

Advantages
z Intuitive
z

and visual method

Allows engineers to understand structures

nonlinear behavior and progression of
damage with increasing ground motion
intensity

z Simple

to perform (with or without

nonlinear analysis software)
z Does not require selection and scaling of
ground motions

Disadvantages
z Static
z

Can not directly account for dynamic

structural behavior

Nevertheless, nonlinear static analysis can

be effectively used for performance
assessment and design of many types
of structures.

How is it done
z

Basic Steps
z
z
z
z
z
z

Model structure (and important nonstructural

components)
Perform a series of linear analyses on sequentially
degraded models as damage is predicted
Develop pushover curve
Determine effective dynamic properties
Determine demand lateral displacement for design
ground motion
Check adequacy of elements for force and
deformation demands at design lateral displacement

Getting Started
z Understand

the structure before

attempting a nonlinear analysis
Identify:
critical elements
z probable yield/failure modes
z importance of foundation to building
response
z importance of torsional behavior and need
for 3D modeling
z

Identify Critical Elements

z

Nonlinear analysis is
complex and it is
desirable to minimize
the number of
elements modeled
Sufficient elements
must be included to
capture important
behavior modes

Critical elements:
z

all members of
lateral force
resisting system
any members
sensitive to large
lateral
displacements
any elements that
affect the above

Typical Critical Elements

z

Steel frame
structures
z

moment connected
frames
z

z
z
z

Beams, columns,
panel zones

braces and link

beams
masonry & concrete
infills
foundations

Concrete structures
z
z

z
z

girders - column frames

flat slab - column
frames
shear walls
architectural walls,
spandrels & parapets
cast integrally with
structure
foundations

Identify Probable Yield/Failure

Modes
z

Joint Shear
Structures can
exhibit a variety of Column Shear
inelastic behaviors
It is critically
important to model
those that are likely
to occur in the
structure analyzed
Wall Shear
Wall Flexure
Foundation rocking

Identify Importance of Torsional

Response
z

Two dimensional
analyses can be
used for torsionally
regular buildings
Three dimensional
analyses are
required for irregular
buildings

or

Modeling
Element Properties & Strengths
z Best

estimates (expected values) rather

than design or specified strengths should
be used in determining material
capacities
z

use of artificially low nominal strengths will

result in under estimates of strength
demands on some elements
Expected Steel yield - 1.25Fy
z Expected concrete compressive strength 1.33fc
z

Modeling
Steel Moment Frames
z

Before building the

pushover model,
determine where the
yielding will occur:
z

Girder
z
z

z
z

column face
interior span

Column
Panel Zone

Modeling
Steel Braced Frames
z

Tension Braces
Py

Compression Braces
Pc

0.05K

0.3Pc

K = EA L
y =

Fy L

u = 5 y

c
K = EA L
Pc = 17
. Fa A
FL
c = 1.7 a E

u = 3 c

Modeling Concrete Structures

z

Before proceeding determine critical

behavior mode for
each element:
z
z
z

flexure
shear
end connection

Except for lowtensile demand

elements,
use effective
cracked section
properties

Modeling Concrete Structures

Flexure
z

Cracked section
properties-EIcr:
z
z

Beams 0.5EIg
Prestressed Beams
EIg
Columns (no net
tension) 0.7 EIg
Columns (net tension)
0.5EIg
Walls uncracked
0.8EIg
Walls cracked 0.5EIg

Use of MM- relations

obtained from BIAX
and straight mechanics
of materials approaches
will underestimate
stiffness.

Modeling Concrete Structures

Flexure
z
z

Use elastic-plastic
model
Ultimate deformation
determined based on
concrete strain
z

s
c
db
. c
u = 0.005 + 01

u dependent on
z

fy

f 'c < 0.02

or:

confinement
provided
lateral support for
longitudinal steel

u = 0.005 for s d 16
b
u = 0.02 for s d 8
b

Modeling Concrete Structures

Flexure
0.05K
Mp
p

K=4EIc/L
u

lp

y=ylp u=ulp
d
lp=d/2
u=uc
neutral axis depth c can be evaluated at strain of 0.003

Sequential Linear Analysis

1.

Select a loading pattern for the

structure
z

Loading pattern should produce a

deflected shape in the structure similar to
that it would undergo in earthquake
response

Sequential Linear Analysis

z Loading

Pattern Alternatives

Inverse triangular
z Rectangular
z First mode
z Modal dynamic
z Modal dynamic variant
z Multi-mode
z

10

Inverse triangular
z

Approximates first
mode response
shape of regular
structures
Forces distributed
with height by:

Fx =

Fx

wx hx
V
wi hi

Rectangular
z

Approximates first
mode response of
structure with very
soft stories, or postyield response of
structrues with weak
first stories

Fx =

wx
V
wi

Fx

11

First Mode
z

First mode response

obtained from a
modal analysis

w
Fx = x x V
i hi

Fx

Modal dynamic
z

Deformed shape of
combined modes

Fx =

wx x
V
h

ii

Fx

12

Loading Pattern
z FEMA

356 requires use of at least:

Inverse triangular or first mode

z Rectangular
z

z FEMA

440 found that there is not

substatnial difference in the accuracy
produced by the various load patterns

Applied Shear V

Develop Pushover Curve

V5
V4
V3

V7

V6

V9

V8
V2
V1
8
7
1

5
6

Displacement at
Reference Point

13

Determine Effective Dynamic

Properties
z Initially,

perform elastic modal analysis to

determine fundamental period of
structure, T
z Determine initial stiffness, ki from
pushover curve as V1/1
z Determine effective stiffness, ke at 60%
of yield force from pushover curve

Applied Shear V

Determine Initial Stiffness

V5
V4
V3

V7

V6

ki

V9

V8

0.6Vy-j

V2
V1

8
7
1

5
6

Displacement at
Reference Point

14

Applied Shear V

Determine Effective Stiffness

Judgmentally selected yield
force level- Vy-j

V5
V4
V3

V7

V6

ki

V9

V8

0.6Vy-j

V2
V1

ke
8
7

1
1

5
6

Displacement at
Reference Point

Determine Effective Period

ke
T
Te =
ki
15

Determine Demand Lateral

Displacement
z

FEMA 356 permits two alternative methods

z
z

Coefficient (displacement modification) method

Capacity spectrum (equivalent linearization)
method
z
z

As presented both are significantly flawed

FEMA 440 suggests important improvements to both
methods

Only coefficient method as modified by FEMA

440 presented here

Determine Demand Lateral

Displacement
2

T
T = C0C1C2 e 2 S a (Te ) g
4
C0 = modal shape factor obtained from modal analysis
C1 = modifier to account for difference between elastic
and elastic-perfectly plastic response
C2 = modifier to account for effects of hysteretic pinching
(stiffness degradation)
Sa = spectral acceleration from design spectrum at
effective period of structure
g = 386.4 in/sec2

16

Coefficient C1
C1 = 1 +
R=

R 1
aTe2

Vy j

S a (Te )W

For periods of 1 second

or greater, C1 may be
taken as having a value
of unity

= modal mass participation factor

a = coefficient dependent on site class:
130 for site class B
90 for site class C
60 for site class D

Coefficient C1

From FEMA 440

17

Coefficient C2

For periods greater

than 0.7 seconds,
C2 may be taken as
unity.

From FEMA 440

Check element adequacy at t

z

Once the target displacement for a given

spectrum is determined, each element must
be evaluated at the demand displacement to
assure that neither its strength demand or
deformation demand exceeds permissible
capacities for the desired performance level
Capacities can be obtained from FEMA 356
hysteretic tables, or directly off laboratory test
data

18

What are limitations of nonlinear

static analysis
z An

approximate procedure
z Can not directly account for:
Cyclic behavior
z Certain types of strength degradation
z Dynamic collapse
z Behavior of multiple degree of freedom
structures
z Randomness of response related to ground
motion characteristics
z

Randomness of response
2.5
AZA270
I-ELC180
ELC270
B-ICC000
CLW-T050
DZC-180
DZC-270
HAGR003
Average

Sa - g

2.0
1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
0

Period Seconds

8 motions, all Class D sites, large strike slip events

Scaled to same spectral acceleration at 1.1 second

19

When is pushover analysis

appropriate
z Generally,

structures with initial

periods of 1 second or less.
Only use if significant nonlinearity
expected
z If torsion is significant, pushover analysis
may give an overly pessimistic
understanding of structural behavior
z

20