Review on Seismic Performance Comparison of Multistorey Buildings: Floating Columns Vs. Regular Columns

The seismic performance of multistorey buildings is a critical concern in earthquake- prone areas, as structural design directly impacts resilience and safety. Among various structural configurations, floating columns (FCs) and regular columns (RCs) present distinct behaviors under seismic loads. This paper provides a comprehensive review of studies analyzing the seismic response of buildings with FCs compared to those with RCs. Floating columns, often used in architectural designs for space efficiency and aesthetic appeal, can significantly influence a building’s lateral strength and stability due to the transfer of loads onto beams rather than directly to the foundation. This review focuses on key parameters such as lateral displacement, base shear, inter-storey drift, and natural period, comparing their impact on overall building stability in both FC and RC configurations. Results from various analytical and simulation-based studies reveal that buildings with FCs exhibit increased lateral displacement and inter- storey drift, resulting in higher vulnerability to seismic events. In contrast, buildings with RCs generally demonstrate better seismic performance and structural integrity. This comparative analysis provides insights into optimizing structural design to improve seismic resilience, offering guidance for engineers and architects in designing safer, more robust multistorey structures.