Seismic upgrade of the Canadian parliament building: Part 4 – Analytical modelling

The seismic upgrade of Centre Block will include the installation of a seismic isolation system within its basement level and beneath the Peace Tower. Similar to that required by the National Building Code of Canada for new buildings, a three-dimensional non-linear dynamic analysis was performed to establish the satisfactory performance of the seismic isolation system design. Two suites of 11-time history ground motions were assessed, including project specific vertical ground motion components. This paper provides an overview of the analysis and a summary of the seismic isolation bearing system developed, and the system base shear and displacement results. The targeted system response curve is discussed along with some additional considerations for isolated buildings located in cold climates.