Considering that in recent decades, the discussion of earthquake engineering for better understanding of earthquakes and their destructive effects on structures built in seismic areas has made significant progress, which has led to changes in building design regulations against earthquakes. In some cases, structures designed based on initial revisions of seismic codes and standards have lower seismic resistance than structures designed with newer revisions. As a result, constructed structures need to be retrofitted. In this paper, the reduction of seismic damage of six-stories steel moment frames having CLT infill walls has been investigated. The system is modeled with ABAQUS software. The S4R element has been used to model steel beams and columns with a yield strength of 350 MPa. Cross-sectional vertical panels with C3D8 R element according to NDS 2018 are modeled elastically in the software. Contact modeling was performed between the vertical panel with the steel frame by assigning the behavior of the Hard Contact type in the direction perpendicular to the plates in contact with each other and the Tangential type in the direction of the tangent of the two plates with friction coefficient. Also, the gap between the steel frame and the CLT is crossed to deform the brackets during an earthquake to dissipate the earthquake energy during the vibration. Frame behavior has been investigated using incremental dynamic analysis. The results showed that CLT infill walls play a major role in reducing maximum inter-story drift and various structural damages. The results also showed that the addition of CLT infill walls reduces the possibility of the collapse of the structure at various damages.

Open space in residential complexes is a context for the generation of social relations along with environmental performance. Thermal comfort and appropriate architectural features attract people to these spaces. Airflow is one of the most fundamental parameters of outdoor thermal comfort, which is influenced by various factors, including the geometry of buildings. The present study investigated the effect of geometric modifications of buildings on wind flow pattern around the blocks in a residential complex. The case study is a residential complex consisting of 9 midrise blocks. The geometric shape of the blocks was modified and simulated in three steps and the effect of these modifications on the outdoor wind performance was evaluated. The main research method was descriptive analytical method with numerical simulation strategy and analysis of the results was conducted by logical reasoning. The models were simulated in Ansys Airpak 3. 0. 16 and their results were presented in the form of quantitative outputs, graphic contours as well as several charts. The results of numerical simulations proved the effect of building geometry on the outdoor wind flow pattern around the buildings. The results indicated an increase of 13. 83% and 6. 76% in average and maximum outdoor air velocity under the influence of buildings geometry modification. Among the studied geometries, the T-shaped form with proper wind flow conduction improved wind behavior in inter-block and inter-row domains. However, L-shaped forms (M3 model) significantly reduced the flow velocity in the inter-block areas by blocking the wind flow.

Introduction Recent earthquakes in Iran have caused considerable damage to building façades. This has resulted in economic, social, and building function losses. Moreover, this occurrence poses a threat to human life [1]. Given the progress made in the field of improving the seismic performance of structural systems and the trend of new design approaches toward damage control levels rather than life safety [1], the role of architectural components such as façades in maintaining building performance and reducing damages and casualties is more crucial than ever. The structural stability of facades must be considered as a top priority in their design in in earthquake-prone areas. However, their design is complex, and it is difficult to achieve earthquake resistance because too many variables affect their performance during seismic events [2]. This study aims to identify the design parameters that affect Mid-Rise building façade seismic stability. This study examined all English-language studies published in this field until 2023, utilizing a scoping review method to answer the following exploratory questions. What years had the most studies? Which countries conduct the most research? How many architecture schools have conducted studies? Most studied façade types? What research methods were used? What design parameters improve façade seismic performance? What factors are the most frequently cited in the literature? Materials and methods This study followed Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review model. From March 2022 to February 2023, three bibliographic databases—Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest—and two search engines—Google and Google Scholar—retrieved English-language sources published until 2023. 'Façade or Cladding or Enclosure or 'Building skin' or Envelope' and 'Seismic design' or 'Lateral load' or 'Earthquake' yielded 526 sources. Thirty-five studies were eligible for analysis. Discussion and results The majority of research—57.1 %—was published after 2015. Most studies were conducted in the United States (13), Australia, Italy, and New Zealand (each of them; 4 studies). Furthermore, 11.5% were completed in collaboration between universities in different countries. Studies in Iran accounted for 5.7% of the research. Participation from architecture schools was 17.2% of the total. There were 51% experimental setups, 26% numerical modeling, 20% combined methods, and 3% case studies. Most research has centered on curtain façades (57%), dry connection façades (60%) and glass and brick façades. The studies were divided into two groups based on the façade examined. Seven categories of variables were identified based on the data from each group. They are organized into three levels at the stage of façade design. The most frequent factors stated in the literature involved connections and their characteristics. The proportions of materials, connections, movement joints, and facade component dimensions, aspect ratio, and slenderness were shared in the seismic vulnerability of midrise building facades. Conclusion The findings indicate that the scientific community has paid more attention to this issue in recent years than in the past. Iran's high seismicity and the need to consider certain parameters during the preliminary design phase to achieve a seismically resistant façade for Mid-Rise buildings highlight the need for collaboration between architects and engineers and between Iranian and leading international universities. Due to the complexity and interdisciplinarity of the façade design, it may be advantageous to employ multi-criteria decision-making techniques.