Architectural Design of Building Components for Earthquakes: Fid-Bau Portal

Architectural Design of Building Components for Earthquakes

G. M. McCue / A. Skaff / J. W. Boyce

Review of the dynamic principles governing site and building response provides the basis for a conceptual model of building and component interaction during earthquakes. This conceptual model consists of: (1) a four-part Dynamic Model, which describes the various elements of a building, their interactive relationships during earthquakes, and the effect of their interaction on overall building response; and (2) the Dynamic Environment, which describes the nature of the seismic motions that a component will be subjected to in a particular location of a building. Any given component will have its own particular Dynamic Environment. The conceptual model is then applied to architectural design procedures. Two studies illustrate the design of building components according to the principles of the model: In a case study of an enclosure wall system, design objectives are defined, alternative design concepts studied, and the wall designed to meet the given seismic design criteria. A study of selected ceiling and partition systems defines generic ceiling systems and partitions, discusses their possible responses to input motions, identifies potentially damaging responses, and suggests means of achieving compatibility between interacting systems.