Earthquake resistant structures

About: Earthquake resistant structures is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1126 publications have been published within this topic receiving 27467 citations.

Seismic design considerations for flat-plate construction

Abstract: Design algorithms expressed in current building codes and practiced in design offices focus attention on earthquake induced lateral forces, and away from earthquake induced lateral displacements. These procedures have led to development of structural systems in which a portion of the structural frame is designed to resist the total seismic design force while a substantial remainder of the structure is proportioned assuming it resists only gravity loads. This approach is commonly applied to design of slab-column systems in regions of high seismicity. For such systems, a displacement-oriented approach has advantages. Applications of the approach are described.

Observations on the Van Earthquake and Structural Failures

Abstract: Turkey is located in one of the most seismically active regions in the world. In the 1999 Marmara earthquake in Turkey, more than 20,000 people died. On October 23, 2011, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale struck the Van and Ercis cities, causing more than 600 casualties. The epicenter was located in Zone 1 in the earthquake zones map of Turkey. In this paper, the results of a field reconnaissance survey of the affected earthquake area were reported and common structural failures in reinforced concrete (RC) structures were summarized. The observed failure modes included weak column–strong beam formations, hinging in the columns, column–beam joint failures, lap splice inadequacies, poor concrete quality, insufficient transverse reinforcement, buckling of longitudinal column reinforcement, pancake type of collapse mechanism, soft- and weak-story failures, and short column formations. The buildings in Van and Ercis have also several undesired architectural features, such as th...

Fiber Reinforced Concrete Joints for Precast Construction in Seismic Areas

Abstract: Six beam type specimens, each consisting of 2 precast reinforced concrete parts joined together by a cast-in-place fiber reinforced concrete connector, were tested by under cyclic third-point loading. The tests were part of a comprehensive study aimed at developing a strong, ductile, and energy-dissipating connection for preacast concrete construction in seismic zones. It was observed that the cast-in-place joints, despite experiencing a localized failure due to the presence of a single major crack, exhibited higher levels of ductility and energy dissipation compared to cast-in-place conventional concrete joints.

The Structural Fuse: An Inelastic Approach to Earthquake-Resistant Design of Buildings

Abstract: An alternative to the empirical approach to earthquake-resistant design of buildings is proposed and illustrated with a design example. Instead of strengthening every member to resist deformation under earthquake loads, the suggested approach deliberately makes some members, mostly beams, weaker, so that they will yield in a controlled fashion during an earthquake. Yielding beams dissipate energy, reducing stress on the more crucial columns and walls. Carefully selected earthquake accelerograms are used as loading, and dynamic inelastic response history analysis is used to determine member forces and deformations.