Engineering and Construction

Pounding damage can occur when two buildings are constructed close to each other and as they rock back-and-forth during the earthquake, they collide into each other. Even when two buildings having dissimilar construction materials or different heights are constructed adjacent to each other, it does not necessarily mean that they will be subjected to pounding damage.

The common situation for pounding damage is when a much taller building, which has a higher period and larger amplitude of vibration, is constructed against a squat and short building that has a lower period and smaller amplitude of vibration. Thus during the earthquake, the buildings will vibrate at different frequencies and amplitudes, and they can collide into each other. The effects of pounding can be especially severe if the floors of one building impact the other building at different elevations, so that, for example, the floor of one building hits a supporting column of an adjacent building.

It is very difficult to model the pounding effects of two structures and hence design structures to resist such damage. As a practical matter, the best design approach to prevent pounding damage is to provide sufficient space between the structures in order to avoid the problem. If two buildings must be constructed adjacent to each other, then one design feature should be to have the floors of both buildings at the same elevations, so that the floor of one building does not hit a supporting column of an adjacent building.