2010-52740 / ENG 10 C-4R / AUG 28, 2013

SEPARATION GAP MODELING: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Some journals and articles were reviewed for use in this study.
Separation gap is the space provided between adjacent buildings or
vertical structures. Gill states that in the presence of earthquake loads,
buildings along with their foundations vibrate. He adds that these
vibrations cause stresses and deflections to the buildings. When the
separation gap is less than the required distance for the buildings to
move freely, collision happens as these buildings vibrate out of phase
(Naserkhaki, 2013).
It is known that Philippines experiences many earthquakes, since its
location is along the Pacific Ring of Fire. In fact, Phivolcs (as cited by
The Extinction Protocol) listed 87 earthquakes in the month of January
2012. Also, the US Geological Survey recorded the number of
earthquakes per year with magnitude 5 and greater (2012). It is shown
in the following map.

Figure
1.

It can be seen that almost every area in the country experiences at

least one earthquake with magnitude 5 or greater every year. Thus, in
the design of buildings and vertical structures, it is necessary to design
buildings that would withstand earthquakes with such magnitudes.
In some countries such as Mexico, collision between buildings occurred
because of insufficient separation gap (Gill, n. d.). It occurred in 1985.
In Metro Manila, Philippines, it can be observed that most buildings
have little or no separation gap at all. Thus, they are prone to seismic
pounding.
The International Building Code (IBC) states that the minimum
separation gap must be the square root of the sum of squares of the
maximum inelastic deformation of the adjacent buildings. The National
Structural Code of the Philippines, however, has no provision regarding
minimum separation gap in the design of buildings.
Studies have been made to model pounding effects on buildings.

Naserkhaki made a contact force model; the adjacent buildings

vibrated and deformed up to the gap then pounded (2013). El Centro
earthquake was simulated with the foundations as fixed-based and
interacted as structure-soil-structure. He found out that buildings in
soft soils were more prone to pounding than those in the hard soils.
Sharma performed a non-linear static procedure on a dynamic analysis
(n.d.). He studied models such as four-storey building and eight-storey
building. He utilized SAP2000, a linear and non-linear static and
dynamic analysis and design program for 3D structures. Medium soil
condition was used. He modeled the buildings in such a way that no
pounding would occur. For both models, he found out that 0.012 m gap
should be made available.
Currently, there are several international studies made to model
seismic pounding and its effects to the structures. However, no study
has been made to develop a model for generating separation gaps that
would be suitable for the Philippine setting. It might be beneficial to
generate a model that would be specifically fit for the Philippine setting
since the soil condition, and earthquake magnitudes differ for every
part of the world.
REFERENCES

Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (2010).

National structural code of the Philippines (6th ed). Quezon City: ASEP.
Gill, I. S. (n. d.). Gaps between buildings for earthquake related
movement.
International Code Council (2011). International Building Code.
Illinois: IBC.

Naserkhaki, S., El-Rich, M., Abdul Aziz, F.N.A., Pourmohammad, H.

(2013). Separation gap: A critical factor in earthquake induced
pounding

between

adjacent

buildings.

Asian

Journal

of

Civil

Engineering (BHRC), 14(6), 881-898.

No author. (2011). Philippines: earthquake density map. U.S.
Geological Survey. Retrieved Aug 29, 2013 from
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/philippines/density.php.
Sharma, I. J. (n.d.). Seismic pounding effects in buildings.
(Undergraduate thesis). Rourkela: National Institute of Technology.
Times, Z. (2012). Philippines record 87 earthquakes in the month
of January. The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond.