Recent earthquakes and the need for a new philosophy for earthquake-resistant design

TLDR

Modern seismic design permits ductile plastic deformations to prevent collapse, yet large earthquakes can still leave many buildings damaged and cities nonfunctional. The study proposes revising the century‑old earthquake‑resistant design philosophy to prioritize business continuity and rapid restoration of full operation after large earthquakes. Recent large earthquakes show that even properly designed buildings often become nonfunctional and are demolished rather than repaired.

Abstract

Modern seismic design and construction technologies have undergone significant developments over the last 100 years. In order to prevent collapse of buildings under large earthquakes while maintaining reasonable construction costs, structures are allowed to undergo ductile plastic deformations under current design and detailing methods. This implies that large numbers of buildings may be significantly damaged and not only individual buildings but also entire cities may lose their function following extreme earthquake events. In recent large earthquakes, it has been observed that many properly designed and constructed buildings, which did not collapse, were no longer functional and were later demolished rather than being repaired. Considering such situations, the earthquake-resistant design philosophy developed in the previous century should now be revised to meet modern social and economic requirements and Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). The seismic design philosophy for building and infrastructure should be changed from life-saving to business continuity for modern and resilient societies. Structures should be designed to be quickly restored to full operation with minimal disruption and cost following a large earthquake.