Simplified seismic assessment of RC buildings in Hong Kong under occasional earthquake action

Abstract

Seismic design of buildings will be implemented in Hong Kong (HK) in the near future. A versatile Timoshenko beam model integrated with modal response spectrum analysis is proposed for assessing the seismic performance of low-rise reinforced concrete (RC) frames and high-rise RC wall buildings with or without transfer structures. Occasional earthquake design spectra with a return period of 475 years for different site conditions in HK have been constructed. A set of design charts correlating the seismic demands (e.g. response spectral acceleration, shear area ratio, roof drift ratio and interstorey drift ratio) to the translational fundamental period of buildings has been developed as a convenient preliminary seismic checking and assessment tool. This generalised tool can provide a rapid checking of the seismic performance of an immense volume of existing and new buildings and can easily be implemented by engineers without any prior knowledge of seismic design.