Common Mistakes and Their Fixes in Earthquake-Resistant Buildings

Abstract

The primary way to design building structures refers to the stationary loads specified by the governing laws. However, the load pattern does not guarantee the appropriateness of the seismic design. To make matters worse, old or ancient structures are traditionally reinforced for gravitational loads. This study reveals that the traditional reinforcement, in most cases, harms the seismic performance of buildings. The authors introduced the approach of most computer programs for seismic design, along with their limitations. Then, the ancient Roman approach was explained, and the reasons for the survival of many of these ancient structures were exposed thoroughly. After that, classical advices were summarized briefly for good seismic design of structures and reinforcement. Finally, a few classical mistakes were identified in reinforcement design.