Proposal for the future design code for seismic isolation of buildings in Colombia

Abstract

There are no local regulations in Colombia for the design of buildings with seismic (base) isolation; the limited number of base isolated buildings that exist in Colombia have been designed with some of the American documents endorsed by the Colombian seismic design code (NSR-10). However, using in Colombia foreign regulations without a detailed analysis of their suitability for the local conditions, might generate serious technical inconsistencies and economic overheads that prevent the expansion of seismic isolation, despite its great advantages. This work discusses the most recent two versions of the American regulation ASCE 7 (2010 and 2016), identifies disagreements with the NSR-10 regulation, and proposes criteria for analysis and design of buildings with seismic isolation in Colombia.