An Introduction

UBC Seismic Code

 Formal Studies of Earthquake design started after 1906
San Francisco earthquake

 In 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake did the same sort of

destruction

 In 1933 act was passed in which a min standard was set for
lateral force resistance in all buildings and it was just 2%
of the dead load
UBC Seismic Code
 Format of the early codes was that the building had to
strong enough to resist a static lateral force, the base shear
“V” of some fraction of weight “W”

 The fraction was known a base shear Co-efficient “C”

 Between 1943 & 1953 the base shear co-efficient was
modified several times based on building period and the
height of the building

 But the equivalent static force concept remained and use to

this day. that is V=CW
UBC Codes
 UBC (Uniform building Codes) contains the most
extensive seismic provision for buildings of any code.
 UBC permits two methods to be used in determining
the seismic loading
 Static Analysis
 Dynamic Analysis
 In general, any structure may be designed using
dynamic method at the option of Structural Engineer,
and some structures must use dynamic method
Static Method
 Static method may be used for following X-istics of
buildings
1. Structure in seismic zone 1 and 2 with standard
occupancy category IV weather they are regular or
irregular
2. Regular structures (240 ft) in height using one of
lateral force resisting system listed in table no 14,
except regular structures located on soil type S4 which
have natural period greater than 0.7 Sec.
3. Irregular structures less than or equal to five stories or
65 ft in height
Static Method
4. Structures with flexible upper portion (towers)
supported on rigid lower portions, if 3 conditions
met
a) Both portions, when considered separately are regular
b) Average story stiffness of lower portion is at least 10
times the average story stiffness of the upper portion
c) Period of the upper portion considered as a separate
structure fixed at base.
UBC Seismic Analysis Parameters
1. Base Shear “V”
2. Seismic Zone factor “Z”
3. Importance factor “I”
4. Base Shear Co-efficient “C”
5. Building Period “T”
6. Site Co-efficient “S”
7. Rw factor
8. Weight on the building “W”
1- Base Shear Calculation

 V = ZICW --------------(1)
Rw

Total lateral inertial force imposed on the structure at its

base by any earthquake. It is the sum of all the inertial story
shears.

Rather than calculating the story shears individually and

then summing them to obtain the base shear, the UBC
calculates the base shear from the total structure’s weight
and then apportions the base shear to the stories.
2- Seismic Zone Factor “Z”
 Accounts for the amount of seismic risk present in the
building's seismic zone.
 There are 6 six zones
UBC Zone Factor (Z)
UBC Table 23-1
Zone Z
0 0
1 0.075
2A 0.15
2B 0.20
3 0.30
4 0.40
3- Importance Factor “I”
 Importance factor “I” is either 1.0 or 1.25
 Depending on how critical it is for structure to survive
UBC Importance Factor (I)

UBC Table 23-L

Occupancy Meaning I
Category
I Essential facility 1.25
II Hazardous facility 1.25
III Special Occupancy Structure 1.00
IV Standard Occupancy Structure 1.00
4- Base Shear Co-efficient “C”
 Account for the period of vibration of the building and the
supporting soil characteristics
 It is calculated from UBC formula 34-2
 C= 1.25 S ------------ (4)
T 2/3
 Min value of C/Rw = 0.075
 C > 2.75 for any building
 C < 2.75
 Value of C effects the base and story shear
 If method “B” is used for calculation of “T” the C cannot be
less than 80 % of value calculated by Eq. 4
5- Building Period “T”
 UBC gives 2 Two methods for calculating the “T”

 Method A - Approximate Method

 Can be used for all the buildings

T = Ct (hn)3/4
 hn = Actual height of the building in feet
 Ct= 0.035 for steel moment resisting frames
 Ct=0.030 for concrete moment resisting frames
 Ct=0.030 for eccentrically braced frames
 Ct=0.020 for all other buildings
5- Building Period “T”
 Method B - Based on the deformation X-teristics
 More rational determination
 Also called Rayleigh method

T = 2π √∑ Wi δi2 / g∑ Fi δi
 g = 386 in /Sec2
6- Site Co-efficient “S”
 Determined from the nature of the Soil
 Accounts for the ground motion amplification effect
caused by softer soil
UBC Site Co-efficient(S)
UBC Table 23-J
Profile Description S
S1 Either rock like material with a shear wave velocity in 1.0
excess of 2500 ft/sec, or stiff or dense soil less than
200 ft thick
S2 Stiff or dense soil greater than 200ft thick 1.2
S3 Soil 70 ft or more thick with 20 ft or more of soft to 1.5
medium stiff clay, but not more than 40 ft of soft clay

S4 Soil containing more than 40 ft of soft clay with a 2.00

shear wave velocity less than 500 ft/sec
 7- Rw Factor
 Accounts for the different energy absorbing
characteristics (inelastic and damping effects) of
various types of structures in cyclic loading

 It is determined from the type of the structural system

used

 System with higher ductility have higher Rw values

 UBC recognizes 5 five different types of Structural

Systems
 8- Weight “W”
 Weight (in pounds ) used in Equation No: 1
 Normally the total dead load of the structure
 Weight of ceiling
 Partitions
 Pipes, ducts and equipments
 There are cases in which other loads must be included are
described below
1. A minimum of 25% of the floor live load is added in warehouses
and storage buildings
2. Not less than 10 pounds per square foot must be added when
partition loads are used in the design
3. Snow loads exceeding 30 pounds per square foot must be
included, unless a reduction up to 75% is approved by the local
building official
4. The total weight of the permanent equipment must be included
 Example
 Determine the design seismic force for Four-storey
ductile moment resisting frame Ware house
building in (Zone 3). The storey heights are 12 ft.
The plane area is 48/x 96/. The total dead load is 140
lb/ft2 on all levels. The live load is 125 lb/ft2. Soil
Strata is hard rock. Values of the co-efficient may be
taken from the tables. Find out the storey shear,
lateral displacement, storey drift ,overturning
moment and accidental torsion
 Column sizes on Line A and C
 Bottom 2 stories 12// x 20// and Upper 2 stories 12// x 16//
 Column sizes on Line B
 Bottom 2 stories12// x 24// and Upper 2 stories 12// x 20//

96/
A

48/ B

C
Step #1 Seismic weight Calculation
 Effective loads except roof = 140 + 0.25* 125
= 171.25 psf
 Effective load at roof = 140 psf
Thus;
w1=w2=w3= (4608 ft2*171.25lb/ft2)/1000 = 789.1 Kips
And
W4= (4608*140)/1000 = 645.12 Kips

Total Sesimic weight =W= 789.1*3 + 645.12

= 3,012.4 Kips
Step #2 Calculation of “T”
 Building period = T = Ct (hn)3/4
T = 0.03(48)3/4
 = 0.55 Sec < 0.7 Sec use static method

hn = Actual height of the building in feet = 48’

Ct= for concrete moment resisting frames = 0.03
Step #3 Calculation of Base Shear “V”
 Base Shear = V = ZICW = (0.3 x 1 x 1.862 x 3012.4)/12
 Rw = 140.23 Kips

 Z =0.30 from table

 I = 1.0 from table
 Rw = 12 from table
 C = 1.862 < 2.75 OK
 C= 1.25
2/3
S ------------ (4)
T
 S = 1.0 from table
Step #4 Calculation of Lateral Force “Fx”
 Fx = {(V-Ft)Wx hx } / i=1 to N ∑Wi hi

 Ft = Portion of the base force V at top of the structure

 Ft =0.07 TV < 0.25 V for T > 0.7 Sec
 Ft= 0.0 for T < 0.7 Sec
 N= Total number of stories above base
 Fx, Fi , FN = lateral force applied at level x, i and N
 hx, hi = height of level from base
 Wi, Wx = Seismic weight
 V= Base Shear
Step #4 Calculation of Lateral Force “Fx”
Level Wi (K) hx (ft Wxhx Fx
4 (Roof) 645.12 48 30965 49.5
3 789.12 36 28408 45.4
2 789.12 24 1839 30.3
1 789.12 12 9469 15.1
∑ = 87781
Step #5 Calculation of Shear force “Vx”
 Vx = Ft+ i=1 to N ∑Fx

 V4 = 0+49.5
 V3 = 0+ 3 to 4 ∑ (49.5+45.4)=94.9 Kips
 V2 = 0+ 2 to 4 ∑ (49.5+45.4+30.3)=125.2 Kips
 V1 = 0+ 1 to 4 ∑ (49.5+45.4+30.3+15.1)=140.3 Kips
Step #6 Calculation Lateral displacement δx
and story drift Δx
 K= 12E I/ L3
 L =12 ‘ (Distance between two floors)
 E = 3x 10 3 Ksi
 For Bottom Two Stories (Exterior Columns) 12” x 20”
 I = bh3/12 = 12 x 203 /12 = 8000 In4
 K1= (12 x 3x103x8000)/1443 = 96.4 Kip/ in
 For Bottom Two Stories (Interior Columns) 12” x 24”
 I = bh3/12 = 12 x 243 /12 = 13824 In4
 K2= (12 x 3x103x13824)/1443 = 166.667 Kip/ in
 Total Stiffness K1=K2 =
96.45 (18) + 166.667 (9) =3236.1 Kip/in
Step #6 Calculation Lateral displacement δx
and story drift Δx
 For Top Two Stories (Exterior Columns) 12” x 16”
 I = bh3/12 = 12 x 163 /12 = 4096 In4
 K3= (12 x 3x103x4096)/1443 = 49.38 Kip/ in
 For Top Two Stories (Interior Columns) 12” x 20”
 I = bh3/12 = 12 x 203 /12 = 8000 In4
 K4= (12 x 3x103x8000)/1443 = 96.4 Kip/ in
 Total Stiffness K3 andK4 =
49.38 (18) + 96.4(9) =1756.44 Kip/in
Step #6 Calculation Lateral displacement δx
and story drift Δx
 Formula of Δx= Vx /Kx
 And Δmax =(0.04/ Rw) Storey height
 = (0.04/12) 144 = 0.48 “
 Or Δmax =(0.005) Storey height = 0.005 x 144 = 0.72”

Level Vx (K) Ki (K/in) Δx δx

4 (Roof) 49.5 1757.7 0.028 0.164
3 94.9 1757.7 0.054 0.136
2 125.2 3236 0.039 0.082
1 140.2 3236 0.043 0.043

Values for Δx are well below the max permissible drift

Step #7 Calculation of “T” by method “B”
T = 2π √∑ Wi δi2 / g∑ Fi δi
 g = 386 in /Sec2
T = 2π √38.72 / 386x 17.42 = 0.48 Sec
Level Wi (K) δi (in) Fi Wiδi 2 Fiδi

4 (Roof) 645.12 0.164 49.5 17.35 8.12

3 789.12 0.136 45.4 14.60 6.17
2 789.12 0.082 30.3 5.31 2.48
1 789.12 0.043 15.1 1.46 0.65
∑=38.72 ∑=17.42

Value of T calculated now is not less than 80 % of Value of T already

calculated so it is OK
Step #8 Calculation of Overturning Moment
 Mx = Fx (hN – hx) + i=1 to N ∑Fi (hi – hx)

Level Fx (K) hx (ft) Mx(K-ft) Vx(K) Tx (K-ft)

4 (Roof) 49.5 48 49.5 238

3 45.4 36 49.5x12= 594 94.9 456
2 30.3 24 49.5x 24 + 45.4 x12 =1724 125.2 601
1 15.1 12 49.5 x36 + 45.4 x24 + 3.3 x 12 = 14.3 673
3235
Base -- 0 49.5x48+45.4x36+30.3x24+15.1 ---- ----
x12= 4919

Tx = Accidental Torsion = 0.05 x Dx x Vx and Dx = 96