Concepts of Seismic Resistant Design

Structural Configuration 1
Concept of Competent Load Path
Structural Configuration 2
Plan
Elevation
Which System is Better?
Structural Configuration 3
System A
System B
+ +
Overall Strength of System A = System B
Systems Have Same Overall Deformation Capacity
Which System is Better?
+ +
+
+
System A
System B
What is the effect of a premature loss of one element?
Structural Configuration 4
Increase Local Redundancy by Designing Hinge Sequence
Hinge Sequence
Force
Deformation
Structural Configuration 5
Versus Simultaneous Hinging
Hinge Sequence
Force
Deformation
Structural Configuration 6
Distributed vs Simultaneous Hinging
Force
Distributed
Simultaneous
Deformation
Structural Configuration 7
Simultaneous: Less apparent overstrength
Less post-yield stability
Avoid Undesirable Mechanisms
Force
Deformation
Structural Configuration 8
Structural Configuration 9
Structural Configuration 10
Avoid Accidental Mechanisms
V
design
= 2M
p
/L
L
V
actual
= 2M
p
/L
L
Masonry Wall
Structural Configuration 11
Avoid Accidental Mechanisms
Structural Configuration 12
Avoid Accidental Mechanisms
Structural Configuration 13
Avoid Situations Where the Loss of One
Element is Catastrophic
Structural Configuration 14
Avoid Re-entrant Corners
(Or Reinforce Accordingly)
Structurally: Improved
Architecturally Dubious
Structural Configuration 15
Structural Configuration 16
Protect Nonstructural Elements
Structural Configuration 17