Implications of the Choice of Structural System for Earthquake Resistant Design of Buildings

An evaluation of the implications in the structural system selected for reinforced concrete buildings with three different plan layouts and four different heights -- 5, 10, 15, and 20 stories -- was performed as part of the calibration of the update of the Colombian Seismic Code. The buildings had varying amounts of structural walls. In total, 72 buildings were studied. Expected performance of the buildings under the Code design earthquake was evaluated using elastic and inelastic procedures. Using the amount of concrete and reinforcing steel for all the buildings, and prevalent material and labor prices, a cost of the structure per unit area was determined. Conclusions with respect to behavior and cost implications were obtained for the parameters studied for the different buildings.