Earthquake resistant design process for residential buildings with reinforced masonry for zones of high seismic hazard

Abstract

An earthquake-resistant design process for reinforced masonry buildings is presented as an option to contribute to the social housing program in the city of Santiago de Cuba, located at the zone of greatest seismic hazard of Cuba and with a significant housing deficit. This design process, based on classical static and dynamic methods, using earthquake resistant construction standards from Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and the United States and a report from the Applied Technology Council (ATC), allowed to make a proposal for a three-story building, of reinforced masonry walls of hollow concrete blocks connected by reinforced concrete beams and confined by interior castles and reinforced concrete columns. A technician-economic valuation appears, comparing it with an earthquake resistant building with ductile space frames, exposing the advantages and disadvantages of both construction options. This project and can be generalized in Caribbean countries with seismicity similar to Cuba.