Estimation of the fundamental period of vibration of the dental clinics and the dental classroom of the Catholic University of Cuenca using environmental vibration recordings

Abstract

In the Faculty of Dentistry of the Catholic University of Cuenca, located in the city of Cuenca, province of Azuay. The lecture hall and the clinics of the faculty are built. These structures were built during 2018 and 2019. Due to the seismic events occurred in recent years, monitoring was carried out to obtain the characterization of the dynamic behaviour. The two structures are formed by a structural system based on structural steel frames (beam-column), the structure for laboratory use has metal columns filled with concrete, while the structure for classroom use has metal columns without concrete filling. The main objective was to obtain the vibration periods experimentally from the recording of environmental vibrations and also to obtain them analytically with mathematical models elaborated in structural analysis programs and environmental vibration tests were performed. The results show that building 1, composed by the dentistry clinic, obtained a vibration period of 0.41 s in X and 0.33 s in Y (Analytical Model); and, in the environmental vibration test it showed a period of 0.46 s in X and, 0.30 in Y. Building 2, composed of the dental faculty classroom, obtained periods of 0.53 s in X and 0.29 s in Y (Analytical Model). While in the environmental vibration studies they gave values of 0.52 s in X and 0.26 in Y.