THE 7th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

"CIVIL ENGINEERING - SCIENCE AND PRACTICE"

GNP 2020 – Kolašin, Montenegro, 10-14 March 2020

Jasmina Dražić1

ADJUSTED ASEISMIC DESIGN

Abstract
The complex process of a successful and reliable design and construction in seismic conditions
incorporates the agreement and adjustment of multiple components, such as the selection of a
suitable location and the optimal design, or the structural and performance concept of the
structure, requiring participants to find a compromise between diverse, and often conflicting,
demands. Requirements for aseismic design have a decisive influence on the building structure,
though they can simultaneously be more or less restrictive towards the architectural concept of
the building. The traditional approach to the design of earthquake-resistant structures where
structural solutions included later may have economic consequences, require specific design
solutions and significant investments in seismic protection of the building. In contrast to the
traditional approach, adjusted aseismic design implies a tight integration of architectural forms
and designs; on one hand, it allows maintaining the free design of the building and the
flexibility of solution in architectural design, and on the other hand, it provides the necessary
seismic resistance. If the seismic design is used as the architectural term as well (i.e. seismic
architecture), it is possible to obtain structures with high aesthetic value. This approach to the
design of earthquake-resistant buildings emphasizes the importance of cooperation between the
architect and the structure designer, providing aesthetically valuable and reliable structural
solutions, i.e. best seismic performance of the structure at the lowest protection expense.
Key words
Aseismic design, structure, adjustment

1 Full professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering and Geodesy,
Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, Novi Sad, e-mail [email protected]

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1. INTRODUCTION

The philosophy of aseismic design and the realization of aseismic structures is established
on the elements of preventing their collapse, even with the strongest anticipated earthquake, when
the building may suffer significant damage; yet, the structure has to maintain its integrity and a
certain volume of bearing capacity when the earthquake stops. Exceptions are structures whose
functioning is of particular importance after the earthquake, or buildings whose demolition would
indirectly lead to disastrous consequences for the population and material goods. Since the
behaviour of buildings in seismically active areas is difficult to predict reliably due to the
stochastic nature of earthquakes, insufficiently known location parameters and indeterministic
structural properties, it is necessary to take advantage of all aspects of seismic protection of
buildings and achieve the protection not only by calculating the adequate calculations for the
structure, but also through suitable urban solutions and architectural concepts [1]. Seismic risk
reduction and more efficient protection against earthquakes requires a systematic and organized
involvement of all the participants in the realization of buildings in these areas.
The requirements in planning a settlement, i.e. urban planning project, may affect the
outer design of the building, dictate the maximum height of a building, or the profile of the street,
especially in tight urban areas, then the building foundation design, the need for an open ground
floor, for drains or retract in the vertical planes (base compression), or other characteristics of the
architectural form. Regardless the fact that geometric parameters of the construction plot and urban
environment requirements have an impact on the solution for the building foundation, a thorough
study on the final shape of the building is based on the requirements of the interior space planning.
The concept of the internal planning of individual rooms consists of the organization of adequate
areas, in size and shape, as the analysis of the surfaces of the basic content of architectural space.
Different solution variants for the organization of interior spaces in a building, in accordance with
its function, correspond to potential solutions of the planned areas intended for the movement of
people and material, communication zones (corridors, halls, stairs, elevators), and they are based
on the selection of an alternative or a combination of more than one alternative. The space quality
depends primarily on the properly established relationship between individual functional areas in
the facility [2], [3].
The design phase, therefore, includes the selection of spatial and structural solutions, the
adjustment of interrelations between premises, the selection of volumetric structure of the building,
as well as the selection of materials and elements. It is known that the design of buildings in
seismically active areas implies greater contradictions between the function and the structure of the
building, since it includes greater limitations set by the structure in relation to function.
Since the structure configuration (shape and dimensions of the building), on the one hand,
affects the selection of the structural system, while the type, position and dimensions of basic
structural elements (columns, walls, floors, stairs), and the inner partitions, openings in horizontal
structural elements or external façade surface elements, on the other hand, influence the behaviour
of the structure under seismic action, it is clear that, suggesting a configuration of the structure, the
architect directly influences the behaviour of the structure under earthquakes.

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2. THE INFLUENCE OF CONFIGURATION ON THE BEHAVIOUR

OF A BUILDING UNDER SEISMIC ACTION

Planning the interior space of the building is conditioned by the demand for a greater
freedom in the design, adjustment of urban design requirements and the style of the designer, and it
often results in solutions that demonstrate a serious impact on the seismic performance of the
building types such as soft storeys, discontinuity of shear walls, variations in bearing and stiffness
of elements in building foundation, as well as the irregularity of form. The consequences of these
solutions are depicted in Figure 1.
PROBLEM CONSEQUENCES

Soft storey is related to the problem in the

change of bearing and stiffness of vertical
elements of a floor and adequate elements of
other floors. It can occur anywhere, though it is
most common on the ground floor where it is
the most dangerous.

Discontinuity of stiffness related to the height

of the building leads to the interruption of
direct route of load transmission from
horizontal elements via walls to foundation.
The change in bearing and stiffness on the
vertical elements produces stress concentration
at the junction of the first and second floors as
the most dangerous position.

Discontinuity of stiffness in the foundation

causes the occurrence of torsion, since the
centre of mass and the centre of stiffness do not
coincide.

Irregularity in the shape of the building in its

foundation (complex forms) causes the stress
concentration on the places of foundation
bending (corners). Another problem is torsion,
due to the impossibility of matching the centre
of mass and the centre of stiffness in all
directions of earthquake action.
Figure 1. Consequences of inadequate solutions

The impact of building configuration on its behaviour under the influence of the earthquake
classifies structures as regular and irregular. Regular, adequate building configurations imply
simple and spatially balanced solutions that can be relatively well included in seismic analyses, or

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structural systems that are easier to model and analyse, and thus these buildings demonstrate better
and safer behaviour, with minor damage, during strong earthquakes. Irregular building structures
imply the application of more complicated, dynamic analysis methods or the bearing increase in the
implementation of simple calculation methods. Structural treatment often requires the introduction
of unjustified simplifications for modelling and analyses, leading to errors in the assessment of the
actual structural action under seismic impact. Behaviour of irregular structures is difficult to
predict, and too simplified or inappropriate assumptions in calculations may lead to insufficiently
reliable or uneconomic solutions [3].

3. ASEISMIC DESIGN

Figure 2 depicts two approaches in aseismic design. The traditional approach, prevailing in
architectural practice, implies the method and flow of design in which the structural design is
excluded in the initial stages of design, due to the fact that architectural design (considering the
concept and shape) is an independent process, and the structure is considered at the later stage.
Architectural design is complemented by structural adjustments. The relatively late inclusion of
structural design solutions can have economic consequences, require specific structural design
solutions and significant investments in seismic protection, or threaten the architectural ideas, and
even return the design flow a step backwards.

Figure 2. Approaches to aseismic design

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Contrary to the traditional approach, the seismic resistant architectural approach firmly
integrates structural considerations considering both the implementation of the architectural
concept and the development of the architectural form and planning. Seismic resistant architecture
[4] relies on the interaction of each building subsystem during the earthquake action in order to
achieve and preserve the total capacity of the seismic resistance of the building. This design
approach, implemented in the realization phase, provides reliable and economical solutions. If the
seismic design is also utilized as an architectural term (seismic architecture), it is possible to
achieve the objects with high aesthetic value.
The approach of seismic resistant architecture strives for the compatibility of architectural
and structural projects so architecture can provide adequate answers from morphology, supported
by the demands of seismic resistance. If the seismic limitations are altered into the morphological
constraints of the architectural project, architects take responsibility for the seismic problem from
the very architecture (morphology), and not from the seismic resistant structural design
characteristic for earthquake-resistant engineering. On the other hand, the knowledge necessary for
the understanding and application of this approach is the knowledge arising from the basic design
of seismic resistant structures, though it does not require performing structural analyses or complex
analytical methods and calculations. Instead, it requires an adequate selection of content and their
systematic understanding through favourable concepts.
The basic goals of seismic resistant architectural design are the following:
 understanding the reasons why inadequate architectural solutions can reduce the
capacity of seismic resistance of the building, which can cause a partial or even total
collapse of the building,
 preventing irregularities which could jeopardize the seismic resistance of the building,
and
 acquiring the ability to create architectural and construction concepts which ensure
that during the earthquake all structural items (structural elements, non-structural
elements, installations, formal space, etc.) have a positive effect on each other, thus
promoting the positive response (behaviour) of the entire building.
This approach of adjusted aseismic design [5], thus joins the architect and the structural designer
and ensures team work obliging them to cooperation, respect and understanding (Figure 3).
The architect should be familiar with the nature and character of the behaviour of the
structure that admits seismic loads as well as with the design principles for earthquake resistant
structures in order to work together with the structural designer and accept the responsibility for the
realization of objects in these conditions.
The influence of the configuration on the behaviour of the building under the action of
earthquake and the regularity criteria related to the configuration of the building open the
possibility of the evaluation of architectural designs [6]. If the evaluation is performed in the
conceptual design phase, the effect of the proposed solution on the behaviour of the building (the
analysis, modelling and dimensioning of the structure) [2], [7], [8] can be observed even in the
initial design phase. In this context, the paper [9] proposes the application for faster and more
qualitative evaluation of project solutions, aiming to formulate recommendations for the design of
buildings at the conceptual design level. The application for the defined function, form and
dimensions of the building, based on defined regularity criteria, provides information on the
structural treatment of the proposed project solution.

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Figure 3. Adjusted aseismic design

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When designing buildings in seismically active areas, even with smaller buildings, the
architect is obliged not only to be thoroughly familiar with the requirements arising from the set
task, but also to consult with the structural designer in order to avoid unnecessary
misunderstandings and to propose adequate architectural solutions that will ensure a favourable
behaviour of the building during the earthquake. The structural designer, on the other side, should
at all times uphold the idea of the architect and, respecting the requirements of the organization and
design, together with the designers for technology and organization of construction, provide greater
flexibility of space and the feasibility of construction [10].
While building in seismically active areas, it is necessary to find a compromise between the
architectural and structural requirements, often conflicting, which implies a serious approach in
design and construction in these areas. The combination and the application of the principles of
architectural and aseismic design has developed into seismic architecture, in response to what
extent the aseismic structure can be used as a possible architectural expression. Seismic
architecture can be defined as a set of elements of visual, conceptual and symbolic nature that
connect architecture and earthquake engineering. Each architectural concept based on earthquake
engineering (aseismic structure) and each seismic intervention which improves the aesthetic quality
of the building may be considered the seismic architecture [2], [10], [11]. Seismic architecture
unifies the best of both fields and establishes a new type of approach to construction in earthquake
prone areas.

4. CONCLUSION

The protection of human lives and property from natural disasters has conditioned the way
of construction in seismic areas, which should provide the situation where, even with the greatest
possible earthquakes, there are no human casualties, while material damage can be kept within
economically acceptable boundaries. The development of earthquake engineering is moving
towards the introduction of more complex methods both in the field of structural design and
detailing, and the analysis methods, which is followed by the more complex regulations in this
area. In order to achieve an adequate seismic protection, the knowledge on seismic actions is
necessary, as well as the knowledge on structure and equipment behaviour in the facilities,
knowledge in the field of seismology, soil dynamics and structural dynamics, and also in the field
of design and the education of architects for aseismic design.
Designing buildings in seismically active areas emphasizes the importance of team work of
the architect and the structural designer and obliges them to respect, understanding and
cooperation. If the problem of seismic protection and the responsibility is transferred solely to the
structural designer, their role would be reduced to design seismically resistant structures for a
predefined structure, which can result in a specific structural design solutions and significant
financial investment in seismic protection of the building.
Adjusted aseismic design connects the concept, program, and planning, and tightly integrates
architectural form and structure. This approach ensures the continuity of the design process,
aesthetically valuable and reliable structural solutions, and during the implementation phase, it
provides the best possible seismic performance of the structure at the lowest protection expenses.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The work reported in this paper is a part of the investigation within the research project “A
comprehensive approach to improvement of interdisciplinary researches in construction education
and science“ supported by the Department for Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Faculty of
Technical Sciences in Novi Sad. This support is gratefully acknowledged.

LITERATURE

[1] J. Dražić, R. Folić "Konceptualno projektovanje aseizmičke konstrukcije", Internacionalni naučni

skup GNP-2006, Knjiga 1, Univerzitet Crne Gore, Građevinski fakultet u Podgorici, Žabljak, 2006,
str. 297-303.
[2] J. Dražić: "Building Design in Seismically active areas", 14. International Scientific Conference,
iNDiS 2018, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering
and Geodesy, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning in cooperation with Association of
Structural Engineers of Serbia, Proceedings, Novi Sad, November (21-23), 2018, pp. 523-530.
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15th International scientific conference “Underground Urbanisation as a Prerequisite for Sustainable
Development”, Journal Procedia Engineering, Science Direct, Elsevier, vol.165 (2016), pp. 883-890
[4] H. Giuliani: "Seismic Resistant Architecture: A theory for the Architectural Design of Buildings in
seismic zones",12WCEE, 2456, 2000, pp. 1-8
[5] Č. Carleson: "Seismic Design for architects", Elsevier, 2008., pp. 1-281.
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[8] J. Dražić: "Vrednovanje projektnih rešenja aseizmičke konstrukcije u fazi konceptualnog
projektovanja", Konferencija Savremena građevinska praksa Zbornik radova, Novi Sad, 2006,str.85-
101
[9] J. Dražić: "The Analysis of Interaction of Functional and Structural Building Properties in Aseismic
Designing", Doctoral dissertation, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Novi Sad,
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[10] J. Dražić: "The architect in the seismic buildings protection", 18-th International Symposium of
MASE, Društvo na gradežnite konstruktori na Макеdonija (DGKM), Macedonian Association of
Structural Engineers (МАSE), Proceedings, October (2-5), Ohrid, 2019, pp.583-592.
[11] М. Lunji: "Seizmička arhitektura pitanja vizuelne, konceptualne i simboličke prirode", Časopis
Inženjerske komore Crne Gore-Pogled, br17, Inženjerska komora Crne Gore, 2016, str.48-55.

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