Seismic Principles Home Practice Problems

1. A 4-story hospital, with emergency room, will be built on a site

with SDS=0.45g and SD1=0.15g. The initial plan for the hospital
includes an out-of-plane offset irregularity.

What is the Seismic Design Category (SDC)?

(a) SDC C
(b) SDC D
(c) SDC E
(d) SDC F
Solution

2. A 2-story apartment complex with wood shear walls is in

Seismic Design Category E.

What are the minimum requirements for the sill plate anchors for
the shear walls?

(a) 5/8 in. dia. anchor bolts with plate washers every 4 ft
(b) 5/8 in. dia. anchor bolts with cut washers every 4 ft
(c) 5/8 in. dia. anchor bolts with plate washers every 6 ft
(d) 1/2 in. dia. anchor bolts with cut washers every 6 ft
Solution

3. Two buildings, with the same story heights but different Preview the Book
number of stories, will be constructed next to each other. The
displacements shown below are the expected displacements
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during the design earthquake (including inelastic displacements).

How far apart should the buildings be separated to avoid

pounding?

(a) 3.8 in.

(b) 5.1 in.
(c) 7.2 in.
(d) 7.7 in.
Solution

4. A 200 ft tall steel moment frame is being designed for a site

with SD1=0.6g.

What is the maximum value for the period, T, that can be used
when computing the seismic response coefficient, if a computer
analysis indicates a period of 3.0 seconds?

(a) 1.7 sec

(b) 1.9 sec
(c) 2.7 sec
(d) 3.0 sec
Solution

5. Which brace configurations can be used for an SCBF?

(a) A and D
(b) A, B, and D
(c) A, C, and D
(d) A, B, C, and D
Solution

6. The image below shows a one-story building with a flexible

roof diaphragm. How much of the applied load is resisted by the
frame on grid line A?

(a) 4.5 kips

(b) 15.8 kips
(c) 26.3 kips
(d) 35 kips
Solution

7. Which of the following is not exempt from seismic design

requirements?

(a) Exterior window shades in SDC B

(b) A 1000 lb air handling unit on a roof in SDC B
(c) A 15 lb compressor unit on a roof in SDC D
(d) A 7 ft tall floor-supported cabinet in SDC C
Solution

8. A building roof has 150 kips of the equivalent lateral force

acting at that level. The seismic weight of the roof is 475 kips.
The importance factor for the building is 1.0 and the diaphragms
are all flexible. SDS for the site is 1.7g.

What is the diaphragm design force for the roof?

(a) 150 kips

(b) 161 kips
(c) 247 kips
(d) 323 kips
Solution

9. A cantilevered concrete wall is 25 ft wide, 20 ft tall, and 8

inches thick. The modulus of elasticity of the concrete is 3500 ksi
and the shear modulus is 1500 ksi.

What is the stiffness of the concrete wall?

(a) 1,250 k/in

(b) 2,900 k/in
(c) 4,874 k/in
(d) 6,530 k/in
Solution

10. Can this detail be used for a diaphragm-to-wall connection in

a structure in Seismic Design Category D?

a) Yes.
b) No, because there is not an accepted mechanism for
transferring in-plane wall forces.
c) No, because there is not an accepted mechanism for
transferring out-of-plane wall forces.
b) No, because metal connectors/straps are required at joist-to-
top-plate connections.
Solution

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Seismic Principles Home Practice Problems

11. What Site Class is assumed by the geologists when they

create the maps for Ss and S1?

(a) Site Class A

(b) Site Class B
(c) Site Class C
(d) No Site Class needs to be assumed
Solution

12. A one-story building in Seismic Design Category D is shown

in Figure (a) below. When the equivalent lateral force is applied it
deforms as shown in Figure (b).

Which of the following are true?

(a) The design forces shall be increased 25% for diaphragm Preview the Book
connections, collectors, and collector connections (except when
the overstrength factor has already been applied) Buy on Amazon
(b) The equivalent lateral force procedure cannot be used for
design
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) The building has no penalties for irregularities
Solution

13. The forces shown below are the diaphragm design force, Fp,
distributed in proportion to the mass. The diaphragm is flexible.

What is the maximum diaphragm shear (in plf)?

(a) 500 plf

(b) 800 plf
(c) 1330 plf
(d) 1500 plf
Solution
14. Locate the center of mass relative to the datum.

(a) x-bar = 45 ft, y-bar = 35 ft

(b) x-bar = 29.2 ft, y-bar = 32.5 ft
(c) x-bar = 25 ft, y-bar = 27 ft
(d) x-bar = 32.5 ft, y-bar = 29.2 ft

Solution

15. Which of the following is not true about backing bars in steel
moment frame connections?

(a) They were left in place in connections built in the 1970s and
1980s.
(b) They can be removed.
(c) They can act as a fracture trigger.
(d) They are designed to assist in transferring loads between the
beam and column.
Solution

16. Wall A and Wall B are cantilever concrete walls with the same
thickness. The distributed shear force, v, is 1 k/ft.

What is the shear force in Wall A?

(a) 12.7 kips

(b) 14.6 kips
(c) 23.5 kips
(d) 34.3 kips
Solution

17. A site has Ss=0.75g and S1=0.35g. The average shear wave
velocity in the top 100 ft of soil is 2000 ft/s. What is SM1 for the
site?
(a) 0.47 g
(b) 0.51 g
(c) 0.58 g
(d) 0.64 g
Solution

18. A one-story retail building (30 ft tall) will be built on a site with
SDS=0.2g, SD1=0.1g, and Site Class D.

Which of the following seismic force-resisting systems can be

used?

(a) Ordinary reinforced concrete shear walls

(b) Special reinforced masonry walls
(c) Ordinary reinforced masonry shear walls
(d) All of the above
Solution

19. Is the layout shown below permissible if the diaphragm is

rigid?

(a) Yes, because rigid diaphragms can cantilever.

(b) No, because at least two walls are required in each direction
of loading.
(c) No, because rigid diaphragms require interior walls or frames.
(d) No, because rigid diaphragms cannot be used with shear
walls.
Solution

20. A 2-story office building has steel eccentrically braced frames

for the seismic force-resisting system. Each story is 13 ft tall.

What is the story drift limit for the building?

a) There is no story drift limit for this type of building.

b) 2.1 inches
c) 3.9 inches
d) 7.8 inches
Solution

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Seismic Principles Home Practice Problems

21. A building in Seismic Design Category E has special

reinforced concrete shear walls for the seismic force-resisting
system. Which is true regarding the shear reinforcement for a
wall that is 15 ft tall, 6 ft long, and 8 inches thick?

(a) One layer of shear reinforcement should be used.

(b) Two layers of shear reinforcement should be used.
(c) Shear reinforcement is not required.
(d) The number of layers does not matter, as long as the
reinforcement ratio for the vertical bars is greater than 0.0025
and the bar spacing does not exceed 18 inches.
Solution

22. A professional football stadium is being constructed on a site

with SDS = 0.45g, SD1 = 0.15g, and Site Class B. Are structural
observations for seismic resistance required?

(a) No.
(b) Yes, and they must be performed by the engineer of record.
(c) Yes, but they can be performed by someone other than the
engineer of record.
(d) More information is required to know.
Solution

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23. If a building has an importance factor of 1.5, which is true
concerning the importance factors for nonstructural components Buy on Amazon
within the building?

(a) All nonstructural components within the building will have an

importance factor of 1.5.
(b) Nonstructural components that are necessary for safety or
continued operation will have an importance factor of 1.5; other
nonstructural components will have an importance factor of 1.25.
(c) Nonstructural components that are necessary for safety or
continued operation will have an importance factor of 1.5; other
nonstructural components will have an importance factor of 1.0.
(d) All nonstructural components will have an importance factor
of 1.0
Solution

24. A particular story of a building has braced frames around the

perimeter as shown below. Frames 1, 2, and 3 have the same
stiffness. Frame 4 is twice as stiff as the other frames.
Where is the center of rigidity?
(a) Cannot be determined
(b) (0,0)
(c) (100 ft, 100 ft)
(d) (100 ft, 133 ft)
Solution

25. A 1-story building has a rigid diaphragms and the walls

shown below. The rigidity, R, of each wall is indicated. A lateral
force of 100 kips is distributed by the rigid diaphragm to the walls.

How much of the 100 kips force is resisted by the wall on line A
(left side)?
(a) 0 kips
(b) 5 kips
(c) 25 kips
(d) 40 kips
Solution

26. The stability coefficient for the first story of a special moment
frame is 0.11 (based on a first-order analysis). The maximum
allowable coefficient value is 0.15. Which is true about the
design?

(a) The design is permissible without considering P-Delta effects.

(b) The design is permissible if a second-order analysis is used.
(c) The design is permissible if there are no vertical irregularities.
(d) The design is not permissible.
Solution

27. Which of the following can cause overstrength in buildings?

(a) Structural elements with sizes that are rounded-up from the
minimum required for strength
(b) Load factors associated with strength design load
combinations
(c) Strain hardening
(d) Material strengths greater than minimum assumed values
Solution

28. Loads used to compute diaphragm demands and loads used

to compute demands on the walls/frames in a building are:

(a) The same, because the forces are transferred from the
diaphragm to the walls/frames.
(b) The same, but the maximum force that occurs at any time
during the earthquake should also be considered and may
govern in the overall design.
(c) Possibly different, because the maximum diaphragm forces
may occur at different points in time than the maximum base
shear force.
(d) Possibly different, because some of the force in the
diaphragm will be transferred to nonstructural elements of the
building that are connected to it.
Solution

29. A wood shear wall with blocking is 6 ft wide and 10 ft tall. The
sheathing is 7/16 in. thick Structural 1. The edge nailing is 8d
nails at 4 in. spacing.

What is the capacity of the wall for allowable stress design?

(a) 790 plf

(b) 395 plf
(c) 263 plf
(d) This wall is not permitted
Solution

30. A special masonry shear wall is 10 ft tall, 20 ft long, and has

blocks laid in running bond.

What is the maximum spacing for the vertical reinforcement?

(a) 18 in.
(b) 24 in.
(c) 40 in.
(d) 48 in.
Solution

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Seismic Principles Home Practice Problems

31. What is the Risk Category for a 20-story condominium

building with a maximum occupancy of 1000 people?
(a) I
(b) II
(c) III
(d) IV
Solution

32. A building is 100 ft by 60 ft in plan. The flat roof snow load is

25 psf. How much snow weight should be included in the seismic
weight?

(a) 0 kips
(b) 25 kips
(c) 30 kips
(d) 150 kips
Solution

33. What makes a seismic force-resisting system "special"?

(a) Extra strength

(b) Extra stiffness Preview the Book
(c) Extra ductility
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Solution
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34. A 3-story building, with a period of 0.2 seconds, has a roof

weight that is half of the floor weights. The story heights are all
equal.

What is Cvx for the roof level?

(a) 0.25
(b) 0.33
(c) 0.50
(d) 0.67
Solution

35. For the plan below all frames have the same stiffness.

What is the force in Frame A if the diaphragm is rigid?

(a) 40.7 kips
(b) 42.2 kips
(c) 52.5 kips
(d) 75.3 kips
Solution

36. What is the response modification coefficient for steel storage

racks?

(a) 1.5
(b) 4
(c) 6
(d) 8
Solution

37. A special moment frame in an office building experiences the

displacements shown below when subjected to the equivalent
lateral force. All stories are 14 ft tall.

(a) The frame has adequate stiffness

(b) The frame needs increased stiffness
(c) The frame needs increased strength
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Solution

38. The picture below shows a braced frame from a football

stadium built in 1982. The braced frame is 60 ft tall. The site has:
SDS=0.9g.
If this stadium were being built today at the same site, could the
same type of bracing be used?

(a) Yes, if R=6 is used during design

(b) Yes, if R=3.25 is used during design
(c) No
(d) More information is required
Solution

39. Which of the following is not true about site parameters for
particular sites?

(a) SDS=(2/3)SMS
(b) SDS could be greater than SS
(c) SDS is always greater than SD1
(d) SM1=FaS1
Solution

40. A chimney extends 4 ft above the roof of a house. There is no

bracing, so it is considered a cantilever chimney. The portion of
the chimney above the roof weighs 400 lbs. The site has
SDS=0.9g.

What is the seismic design force for the chimney?

(a) 58 lbs
(b) 173 lbs
(c) 405 lbs
(d) 432 lbs
Solution

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Seismic Principles Home Practice Problems

41. A heavy exterior concrete wall of a one-story building is 18 ft

tall, 90 ft wide, and weighs 115 psf. SDS = 0.32g and Ie = 1.0.

What is the out-of-plane design force that the wall imparts on the
diaphragm?

(a) 22.7 kips

(b) 23.8 kips
(c) 35.4 kips
(d) 37.3 kips
Solution

42. The forces shown below are the diaphragm design force, Fp,
distributed in proportion to the mass. The diaphragm is flexible.

What is the maximum collector force? Preview the Book

(a) 13.5 kips
(b) 27 kips Buy on Amazon
(c) 36 kips
(d) 72 kips
Solution

43. A 15-story office building in Seismic Design Category D has

partition walls that weigh 8 psf. In calculating the seismic weight,
how much partition wall weight should be considered?

(a) 0 psf
(b) 4 psf
(c) 8 psf
(d) 10 psf
Solution

44. A building will have special reinforced concrete shear walls

for the seismic force-resisting system. The shear walls will not be
carrying gravity loads.

What is the response modification coefficient that should be used

for design?

(a) 4
(b) 5
(c) 6
(d) 7
Solution

45. A braced frame building has two braced bays on each side of
the perimeter and no plan irregularities. However, if one brace
were removed, the resulting system would have a torsional
irregularity.

What value should be used for the redundancy factor?

(a) 0
(b) 1.0
(c) 1.3
(d) More information required
Solution

46. A two-story shopping center will be constructed with typical

light-frame wood construction on top of concrete footings.

Are special inspections required for the concrete work?

(a) No.
(b) Yes, if the Seismic Design Category is D, E, or F; No,
otherwise.
(c) Yes, regardless of Seismic Design Category.
(d) More information is required.
Solution

47. Cross-grain bending failure is a concern for:

(a) Ledgers
(b) Chords
(c) Collectors
(d) Sill plates
Solution

48. The figure below shows constant ductility spectra generated

from an earthquake time history.

Which of the spectra corresponds to the highest ductility

demand?

(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
Solution

49. Which is considered the most dangerous form of

construction?

(a) Steel buildings that pre-date modern requirements.

(b) Wood-framed buildings that pre-date modern requirements.
(c) Masonry buildings that pre-date modern requirements.
(d) Reinforced concrete buildings that pre-date modern
requirements.
Solution

50. The forces shown below are the diaphragm design force, Fp,
distributed in proportion to the mass. The diaphragm is flexible.

What is the maximum chord force?

(a) 5.6 kips

(b) 87 kips
(c) 152 kips
(d) 253 kips
Solution

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Seismic Principles Home Practice Problems

51. A 1-story commercial building has a flexible roof diaphragm

with a seismic weight of 300 kips. The equivalent lateral force is
95 kips. The site has Ss = 1.0g and a geotechnical report
indicates soft clays.

What is the diaphragm design force?

(a) 95 kips
(b) 88 kips
(c) 72 kips
(d) 36 kips
Solution

52. Which system has the lowest overstrength factor?

(a) Steel eccentrically braced frames

(b) Steel special moment frames
(c) Ordinary reinforced concrete moment frames
(d) Special reinforced masonry shear walls
Solution

53. How are typical new buildings, designed according to the Preview the Book
IBC, expected to respond to a design-level earthquake?

(a) Buildings may have severe damage resulting in some loss of Buy on Amazon
human life
(b) Buildings may have severe damage, but occupants should
not die
(c) Buildings may have minor damage and occupants may have
minor injuries
(d) Building may have minor damage but occupants will not have
injuries
Solution

54. The plan below shows framing that needs to be enhanced to

resist out-of-plane wall forces.

The concepts below show modified versions of the plan that

include special connections for transmitting axial forces between
members (indicated with heavy lines).
Which of the plans reflects the idea of using: three sub-
diaphragms to resist out-of-plane forces from the east wall, three
sub-diaphragms to resist out-of-plane forces from the west wall,
one sub-diaphragm to resist out-of-plane forces from the north
wall, and one sub-diaphragm to resist out-of-plane forces from
the south wall?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Solution

55. Can aspect ratios greater than those listed in SDPWS-AWC

Table 4.2.4 be used for wood diaphragms?

(a) Yes, but the the diaphragm capacity is penalized

(b) Yes, but the diaphragm demand is penalized
(c) There are no aspect ratio limits in SDPWS-AWC Table 4.2.4
(d) No
Solution

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