Seismic Design of Industrial Facilities

Abstract

The design philosophy, codes, practice and experience of Chile are described and compared with other countries, mainly the USA, New Zealand and the (former) USSR. It is shown that, even though the design methods of the four countries are similar, the results in six important earthquakes since 1960 are better in Chile and the US than in New Zealand and the USSR. It is proposed that the reason for this lies in the methodology used to enforce the application of codes and specifications rather than in the design. It is finally concluded that there is a need in most countries to prepare seismic codes for industrial facilities and structures and to stress in them the requirements for compulsory design review and construction inspection. © 1993.