Outline of the Seismic Provisions on both Japan and U.S. Building Codes
By T. Shimazu
Concrete Journal, Vol.44, No.8, Aug. 2006
- Synopsis
- This paper outlines seismic guidelines of both Japan and U.S. Building Codes. Each country has its own types of seismic provisions. Japan has the allowable stress-based design and the performance-based design, while the U.S. has 1997 UBC seismic provisions and IBC 2000 seismic provisions. Each item shown below as keywords is further explained for each of the four types of Japan and U.S. seismic provisions. Both of Japan two provisions are two-step design methods for moderate and major earthquakes, while both of two U.S. provisions are single-step methods for major earthquakes, based on elastic analysis combined with response modification factors. Finally it is stated that design base shear coefficient levels are much higher in Japan than in U.S., reflecting the difference of building damages caused by past earthquakes as well as structural characteristics of buildings used for each country, and that the comparison will be, in a separate article, made on the seismic resistance of two approximately 45 high multi-story office buildings designed by Japan and U.S. seismic provisions respectively.
- Keywords:
- loads combinations, seismic zone coefficients, site coefficients, design base shear coefficients, response modification factors, building periods, drift limitations
