Stiffness Analysis of the Academy Towers Building Honolulu, Hawaii

Abstract

The Academy Towers Building is located at the corner of Ward Avenue and Green Street in Honolulu, Hawaii.It is a twenty-seven (27) story building consisting of two dwelling units per floor. A special structural feature of this building is that there is a very stiff beam on the roof of the building. This increases the stiffness of the building thus reducing the lateral displacement of different floors due to lateral forces. A stiffness analysis of the structure is the basis of my investigation. The displacement of all floors are computed as the building is subjected to wind or earthquake. Wind load and earthquake load are computed according to the 1973 uniform Building Code,Part VI, Chapter 23, on general design requirements. The period of the building is also computed. The same analysis is done again on the same building with the assumption that there is no stiff beam on the roof. It is concluded that the stiff beam on the roof reduces the displacement due to earthquake load by 40% and also the period is also reduced by 10% to 20%.