Performance Based Earthquake Design of Buildings and Structures

In Performance Based Earthquake Design of Buildings and Structures, you'll learn ...

• Expected performance of buildings and components when designing to code
• How to define performance objectives for a given earthquake intensity level
• The definitions of FEMA’s Basic Safety Earthquake 1 (BSE-1) and BSE-2
• The four basic Target Building Performance Levels

Overview

Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 27 pages

This course provides the fundamentals of performance-based earthquake design of buildings. It is intended primarily for civil and structural engineers, although the course also addresses seismic performance levels for architectural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

All buildings must follow specified design codes. Current code provisions for non-essential facilities are intended to provide no damage in a minor earthquake, limited structural damage in a moderate earthquake, and resistance to collapse in a major earthquake. Even code compliant buildings could suffer substantial cracking, spalling, yielding, buckling, and localized failure (but not collapse) in a major earthquake and the structure may not be safe for continued occupancy until repairs are completed.

Performance-based earthquake design goes beyond code requirements. The primary function of performance-based seismic design is the ability to achieve a building design that will reliably perform in a prescribed manner under different levels of earthquake intensity. The fact that alternative levels of building performance are being defined and can be chosen as performance objectives is a relatively new concept in seismic design and is the basis of performance-based seismic design.

This course defines and discusses different target performance levels for structural elements (such as, wood, metal and concrete diaphragms, frames and walls), non-structural elements (such as, stairs, fire escapes, partitions, cladding, glazing. light fixtures, fire alarms, plumbing, fire sprinkler systems, door, file cabinets, book shelves), elevators and mechanical/electrical equipment.