Decoupling of Lateral Equilibrium Equations for Asymmetric Multistory Structures

Based on a continuous type of solution, an alternative formulation for the decoupling of the lateral‐equilibrium equations in eccentric multistory building structures is presented. By referring the floor displacements to the center of twist at each floor (Tso and Cheung 1986), the original set of three differential equations are decoupled into three independent ones. Closed‐form expressions for the torsional angle and twist center are obtained, enabling the relevant parameters influencing the structural behavior to be detected, as well as a better understanding of the lateral‐torsional coupling effect in eccentric multistory building structures under lateral loads.