Parametric bounds for application of push-over analysis to plan irregular buildings

In recent years, many research efforts have been devoted to extending the applicability of non-linear static (pushover) procedures to plan irregular building structures, which require three-dimensional modelling and to account for torsional effects. In this respect, a key problem to be dealt with is the possibility to predict, at least conservatively, the envelope of lateral displacements at the top floor, which, for plan irregular structures, is not uniform. This paper is hence aimed at verifying if the envelope obtained with elastic dynamic analysis constitutes a conservative estimate of the actual one, obtained with inelastic dynamic analysis. It is found that the elastic prediction of the envelope of lateral displacements is generally conservative for frame structures, whereas it becomes unsuitable for shear-wall building structures.