AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ADEQUACY OF THE INDIAN SEISMIC CODE

Abstract

The computation of the storey forces resulting from earthquake ground motion is the high point of the seismic analysis of multi-storey structures. From available literature, most of the national seismic codes assume the shear frame model for this purpose. This work proposes an improved structural model and shows how to use same to assess the adequacy of the Indian Seismic Code and by extension other national seismic codes that are formulated on the basis of the shear frame model. The improved model considers the effects of flexible horizontal members and column axial loads, two critical factors ignored by the shear frame model. The results show that the effect of flexible horizontal members and column axial loads on seismic response is quite significant and should be incorporated in the seismic codes.