Mexico earthquake of September 19, 1985 - consequences, lessons, and impact on research and practice

Abstract

Shortly after the main earthquake in 1985 it was known that its intensity had largely exceeded the provisions of the current building code, but also that many cases of collapse or severe damage would have been avoided had very little additional effort been spent in detailing and quality control. The requirements of the 1987 code take this lesson into consideration. Besides confirming previous lessons, the earthquake raised new questions and stressed others formerly asked concerning the ability of engineers to predict the response of complex systems. Questions along this line range from our imperfect knowledge about the behaviour of structural members and systems under alternating loads to the influence of irregularities in the distribution of masses, stiffnesses and safety factors on the distribution of ductility demands.