Impact of Seismic Codes on Building Performance in the Caribbean

Abstract eng:
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a strong reminder of the seismic hazard in the Caribbean and the fact that many buildings in the region are inadequately designed for earthquake loads. Although the Caribbean islands have very similar seismic and hurricane hazard, the design practices across the islands vary greatly. In some regions, building codes are specified and engineer’s designs are checked by an authoritative body. In other regions, engineers can choose from among several different codes, and code compliance may not be enforced at all. Finally, there are some countries which do not specify design codes or hazard maps, and the prevailing belief is that designing for the region’s large wind forces without considering earthquake design is adequate for the low to mid-rise structures typical of the region. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of different building code choices on the expected performance of mid-rise buildings in the Caribbean. The influence of code provisions on the design and performance of structures is characterized by conducting an analytical study of a single concrete moment resisting frame designed by each of the codes permitted in the Caribbean. A total of twelve different building designs were modeled in ETABS and each was subjected to the same suite of ground motions using records with similar period and amplitude characteristics to the present hazard maps from Trinidad. The physical differences between the designs with regard to member sizes and rebar sizes are discussed and the performance of each building as a result of the suite of ground motions is highlighted. The results suggest that all modern code provisions reviewed have similar capacities and seismic performance and if older seismic codes are used to obtain design forces, the design of typical low to mid rise structures in the Caribbean may be sufficient if seismic detailing from a modern concrete code is followed.

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