Abstract

CARRILLO, J; BLANDON-VALENCIA, J  and  RUBIANO, A. A review of conceptual transparency in US and Colombian seismic design building codes. Ing. Investig. [online]. 2013, vol.33, n.2, pp.24-29. ISSN 0120-5609.

The goal of re-examinination of seismic design codes is aimed at making their provisions as transparent as possible for users so that the design would be clear and enriching for structural engineers. This paper presents a transparency evaluation of the codes currently being used in the USA and Colombia for seismic design of buildings. It is demonstrated that the procedures used in most codes do not offer a clear view of buildings' seismic response assessment. The Colombian code should become as conceptually transparent as possible when defining strength modification factors and assessing maximum lateral displacement. In addition, at least two limit states (service and life safety) should be clearly defined, along with allowable story drift thereby better reflect expected structural performance. Otherwise, using current procedures could lead not only to interpretation errors but also inadequate estimation of seismic strength and deformation demands.

Keywords : seismic design; strength reduction; over-strength; ductility; displacement amplification; drift limit.

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