Investigation of Applicable Seismic Response Modification Factor For Three-Hinge Glulam Tudor Arches Using FEMA P-695

The objective of this research project involves determining a seismic response modification factor for three-hinge glulam Tudor arches. In an attempt to meet this objective, the methods and procedures outlined in FEMA technical document P-695 were implemented on the provided arch designs. Computational models were created using finite elements within OpenSees to accurately depict the behavior of the arch. Incremental dynamic analyses were conducted on each of the provided designs and collapse margin ratios were determined allowing performance groups to be evaluated for each of seven design R-values within two gravity load cases. With the performance groups evaluated, it was determined that only groups within the low gravity load level designs were successfully able to pass, none of the groups designed for high gravity loads passed the evaluations. Within P-695, all performance groups associated with a given design R-value must pass the evaluations for that R-value to be deemed acceptable for use in designs. Because of the implications of this requirement, a seismic response modification factor could not be determined for this type of structural system within the scope of this project.