Earthquake response spectra for performance based design—A critical review

After briefly reviewing the history of the development of design codes and the contemporary performance based objectives for earthquake-resistant structures, this paper considers the linear elastic design spectra exemplified by the Eurocode 8. The amplitudes and shapes of the spectra are examined relative to what is known about strong ground motion and its empirical scaling equations. The estimation of seismic hazard is then discussed, and it is shown that hazard mapping in terms of one scaling parameter (e.g., peak ground acceleration) is neither reliable nor uniformly conservative, and is also in contradiction with the performance based design objectives. It is suggested that a reliable and robust seismic hazard mapping for use with national earthquake-resistant design guidelines (e.g. Eurocode 8) can be carried out using the Anderson–Trifunac Uniform Hazard Spectrum method.

► Earthquake design codes. ► Elastic spectra in Eurocode 8. ► Uniform Hazard Spectra.