The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Seismic analysis of the Charaima Building, Caraballeda, Venezuela

Bertero, Vitelmo V.; Fratessa, Paul F.; Mahin, Stephen A.; Scordelis, Alex C.; Seed, H. Bolton; Sexton, H. Joseph; Wilson, Edward L.; Wyllie, Loring A.; Penzien, Joseph

UCB/EERC-70/04, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1970-08, 86 pages (710.1/B37/1970)

This report presents an analytical study of the seismic response characteristics of the Charaima Building which partially collapsed during the Venezuela earthquake of July 29, 1967. Several ground motion accelerograms, as defined by deterministic and nondeterministic methods, are used to prescribe the free surface ground motion. Time histories of building response are obtained with and without end wall-frame interaction and with and without soil-structure interaction. The adequacy of design loads and structural system are examined and the mechanics of failure, as deduced from the analysis, are described. General conclusions and recommendations are given to aid the future development of seismic-resistant designs.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-70-04.pdf (7 MB)