Seismic performance of a transfer plate structure

In regions without seismic provisions, it is common to use transfer plates as part of the structural system. In this paper, pseudodynamic tests with substructure techniques were conducted on an 1:4 scale test specimen representing the first 2 stories of a 18-story high-rise building with a transfer plate under earthquake actions. Columns of the test specimen were strengthened to prevent failure under the pseudodynamic tests. Three types of time-history records were applied, including triangular waves and a series of El-Centro Earthquakes. Based on the experimental results, it is predicted that the bottom of the transfer plate will be severely damaged when subjected to an El-Centro Earthquake with maximum acceleration at 64% g.