The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Identification of research needs for improving aseismic design of building structures

Bertero, Vitelmo V.

UCB/EERC-75/27, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1975-09-01, 97 pages (620/B37/1975)

This report discusses research needs in earthquake engineering for improving the earthquake-resistant (aseismic) design of building structures. Present knowledge is reviewed regarding problem areas of design and construction for achieving an economical, serviceable, and "safe" building located in an area of high seismic risk. After briefly discussing the importance of some aspects involved in the construction of an earthquake-resistant building, the report is devoted to reviewing the state-of-the-art in the following aspects involved in the design of such buildings: the establishment of design earthquakes; the selection of structural materials and structural systems; the prediction of the mechanical (dynamic) behavior of the structure which involves modeling of the structure, structural and stress analyses, and the proportioning and detailing of members, as well as their connections and supports; and the analysis of the reliability of the final design. In examining the state-of-the-art in each of the above aspects, the problems involved and the research needed are identified and discussed.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-75-27.pdf (8 MB)