Analytical Model for the Identification of Lateral Stiffness Eccentricity of Shear Building Structures

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This paper proposes a time–domain approach to identify eccentricity in three-dimensional multi-storey structures exhibiting nonaxial stiffness eccentricity. Improved lateral–torsional coupled equations of motion are employed to identify the location of the center of rigidity for each storey, using horizontal acceleration measurements in two orthogonal directions obtained from multiple points across each storey. This study mitigates errors typically associated with Fourier transformation by applying a time–domain approach and redefines the dynamic equations for calculating structural eccentricities, with a detailed formulation of the torsional stiffness matrix. Additionally, a novel objective function, based on the root-mean-square of the residual force in the time–domain equations of motion, is proposed to simultaneously identify bidirectional eccentricities of the structure. A numerical example illustrates the implementation and effectiveness of the proposed method. The feasibility of the method is demonstrated using a traditional Chinese timber benchmark structure. This approach overcomes several limitations in current methods and provides a streamlined solution for eccentricity identification in complex asymmetric structures.