SEISMIC LOAD FACTOR OPTIMIZATION FOR TURKISH SEISMIC DESIGN CODE

Abstract eng:
The uncertainties involved in structural design process necessitate the use of reliability based design approaches. Most of the structural design codes in use today are level I codes; they are deterministic in application, although calibrated based on reliability theory. Deterministic load and resistance factors used in these codes are supposedly product of a reliability study accounting for uncertainties both in loading and material properties. These deterministic load factors reflect the safety level of a structural design code. Mostly code bodies decide on these load factors through the current practice experience in lieu of the rational input available during calibration process. Mostly, predetermined target safety levels, which are deduced from the current code are used in calibration process to determine the load factors,. In this study it is attempted to study Turkish Earthquake Resistant Design Code in the perspective of load factor optimization. Using three different size R/C buildings representing, short-, mid-, and high-rise buildings, current average safety levels are estimated. The optimum levels for these buildings in terms of load factors are then investigated. Objective function is based on minimizing the ratio of seismic capacity to seismic demand. During the optimization process, dead and live load factors are kept constant and the seismic load factor is varied for searching an optimum safety level. 10 recorded earthquake data are used in optimization process and PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration) is determined as the controlling parameter.

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