Performance Based Seismic Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures with ACI 318-14

Abstract

The Performance Based Seismic Design (PBSD) philosophy was introduced and first gained popularity in the United States about 20 years ago. Since then, seismic design guides, and some building codes, have increasingly adopted PBSD methodologies. Although the current nationally-recognized building code for new structures in the United States, the International Building Code, and its reference standards have incorporated certain facets of PBSD, seismic design of new structures in the United States is still based primarily on prescriptive rules rather than a performance-based philosophy. With each new edition of the American Concrete Institute building code, the ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, new and revised seismic provisions are introduced. To date, however, few of the recently-adopted changes in the ACI 318 code have directly supported implementation of the PBSD approach. The 2014 edition of ACI 318 has been completely revised into a format that is organized around the design and behavior of individual member types. This paper provides an overview of the current state of seismic design provisions in the ACI 318 code, and describes possible future ACI 318 developments that would further promote the implementation of PBSD for concrete structures. PERFORMANCE BASED SEISMIC DESIGN