Seismic Evaluation of Tall Buildings Using a Simplified but Accurate Analysis Procedure

A simplified analysis procedure for evaluating the nonlinear seismic responses of tall reinforced concrete (RC) buildings is examined in this study. It is called the Uncoupled Modal Response History Analysis (UMRHA) procedure. It can be viewed as an extended version of the classical modal analysis procedure, where the nonlinear response of each vibration mode is first computed, and they are later on combined into the total response of the structure. The procedure requires the knowledge of the modal hysteretic behavior, which can be obtained from a cyclic modal pushover analysis. The responses of four tall buildings in Bangkok to distant large earthquakes are computed by this procedure and compared with those obtained from the Nonlinear Response History Analysis (NLRHA) procedure. These four buildings have different heights—varying from 20 to 44 stories, different configurations of floor plan, and different arrangement of RC walls. The comparison shows that the UMRHA procedure is able to accurately compute the story shears and story overturning moments, floor accelerations, and inter-story drifts of all these tall buildings. The required computational effort is also extremely low compared to that of the NLRHA procedure. Moreover, since the UMRHA procedure computes the response of each individual vibration mode, it provides more understanding and insight into the complex nonlinear seismic responses of these tall buildings.     

Destination attribute effects on rock climbing tourist satisfaction: an Asymmetric Impact-Performance Analysis

In spite of its importance as an alternative type of tourism, rock climbing has generally been considered a sport activity and investigated by the academics focusing on sports management and medical injuries. This study emphasises the growing popularity of rock climbing in the tourism industry and attempts to examine the quality perceptions of rock climbing tourists on various destination attributes, and the influence of each perception on overall satisfaction by using Asymmetric Impact-Performance Analysis. Results showed that Infrastructure and Accommodation were excitement factors, and low performing in the eyes of tourists who visited the Geyikbayiri area, Antalya to rock climb. However, these factors were the most important determinants of overall satisfaction for first-time visitors, while they were the basic necessities for repeat visitors.