Seismic Design Aids for Nonlinear Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structures

The Advances in Earthquake Engineering series is intended primarily for the transformation of frontier technologies, research results, and state-of-the-art professional practices. This volume comprehensively explores seismic design aids and nonlinear properties of RC elements in a form that enables practicing engineers and researchers to readily use it without solving complex equations. With step-by-step numerical procedures and supplemental online material, the text clarifies the complexities involved in estimating basic input parameters required for nonlinear analysis of RC beam and frame structures under seismic loads until collapse. With several case examples of beam and frames, this superior reference is ideal for academicians and graduate engineering students.

Nonlinear analysis methods such as static pushover or limit analysis until collapse are globally considered reliable tools for seismic and structural assessment. But the accuracy of seismic capacity estimates—which can prevent catastrophic loss of life and astronomical damage repair costs—depends on the use of the correct basic input parameters.

Tools to Safeguard New Buildings and Assess Existing Ones

Seismic Design Aids for Nonlinear Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structures simplifies the estimation of base structural parameters and enables accurate evaluation of proper bounds for the safety factor. Many design engineers make the relatively common mistake of using default properties of materials as input to nonlinear analyses without realizing that any minor variation in the nonlinear characteristics of constitutive materials, such as concrete and steel, could result in a solution error that leads to a disastrously incorrect assessment or interpretation. To achieve a more accurate pushover analysis and improve general performance-based design, this book:

• Reviews relevant literature to help engineers conduct structural seismic assessment



• Includes design curves, alleviating the need for complex mathematics



• Offers supplementary online tools to aid in computing any parameter



• Provides complete computer coding used to obtain building collapse multipliers

Reassessing key inputs, this book analyzes boundaries using a detailed mathematical model based on international codes. It proposes design curves and tables derived from the authors’ studies, detailing modeling numerical procedures step by step. The authors include analytical bounds of the structural safety factor for some typical frames, making this work a sound and valuable tool for assessment or desi