huangyhg

seismic design in un-coded foreign lands
a coworker is researching seismic design for a potential overseas project. usgs data indicates the area has experienced earthquakes as large as 7.6 on the richter scale. historically, this is similar to the seismic activity in the san francisco area. no codes or seismic design information is available for the site.
does anyone know if using the san fransico design parameters and ibc 2000 sufficient for this scenario?
i suppose you could since building codes are prescriptive in nature, employing factors of safety to provide a reasonable level of protection without incurring an inordinate cost for the construction. i would suggest using the army corps of engineers manual on seismic design, ti 809-4 since it is not based on any particular region in the us.
as far as using us codes in foreign countries, i have worked with engineering ministries international, a christian organization which does design and construction management for mission work overseas. they quite often use the ubc for countries where there is no code.
i would second that advice to consult with the corp manuals but would also like to mention or at least clarify one issue.
you need to look into the definitions of the maximum credible event, maximum serviceable event, and the maximum design event. all are quite different and show the various levels of performance that is expected of the building in each seismic event. defining each, on the other hand, will be quite a task especially on foreign soil.
in one you are using the largest event expected for that area which means defining several known faults and noting the attenuation of such an event over the distance of the site with respect to the fault. keeping in mind that some parameters are influenced more by acceleration others by velocity and still others by displacement. the above analysis will be quite specific.
another you are expecting the building to be serviceable following a seismic event and in the last you expect damage but no loss of life.
you really have a handful and should consult with a geotech or earthquake engineer.

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