ANALYSIS OF NORTH EL-SUKHNA PORT WATCHING TOWERUNDER EARTHQUAKE LOADING

摘要

North El-Sukhna port is a new port that is built recently in Egypt. A unique watching tower was proposedby the architect of the project with an overhanging cantilever of about 15 meters on one side of its mainshaft that is 40 meters high above ground level. Combined construction of reinforced concrete for themain shaft and structural steel for the elevated floors is considered. The coast of the Red Sea, where thestructure is built, is considered of highest seismicity level in the country of Egypt. This level is equivalentto level 2A on the American scale of the uniform code of building (UBC 1997).The analysis of this tower under the effect of different combinations of loads is described in this paper.The dynamic behavior of the tower under the estimated earthquake loading in the region is emphasized.The analyses are carried out using loads as defined in both the Egyptian code and the UBC 1997 code andusing a dynamic analysis. Comparisons are held between the results of the different parameters of thestudy. Modified equivalent static loads are suggested to match the results from the dynamic analysis. Thesuggested loading values can be used for a fast evaluation of similar structures under earthquake loading.