Seismic Design

Solved Problems
Sixth Edition

Majid Baradar, PE

Professional Publications, Inc. Belmont, California

Seismology Principles

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PROBLEMS
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6. Which statements are INCORRECT?

(A) S-waves travel more slowly than P-waves.

1. The surface location of an earthquake is known as the

(A) epicenter

(B) S-waves transmit more energy than P-waves.

(B) focal depth

(C) S-waves cause less damage to structures than

P-waves.

(C) dip angle

(D) both A and C

(D) focus
2. There is a footwall facing a hanging wall prior to an
earthquake. The hanging wall moves up during the earthquake. Which type of fault occurred?

7. Which activities occur as seismic sea waves approach

land?
(A) wave velocity increases

(A) strike-slip fault

(B) wave height decreases

(B) reverse fault

(C) both wave velocity and height increase

(C) normal fault

(D) wave velocity decreases and wave height

increases

(D) oblique fault

3. Californias San Andreas fault is a
(A) right-lateral fault
(B) left-lateral fault
(C) normal fault
(D) reverse fault
4. The process where an oceanic plate slides beneath a
continental plate is known as

8. Seismic waves are generated by

I.

volcanic eruptions

II.

deep, artificially induced explosions

III.

sudden dislocations within the earths crust

(A) I and II
(B) II and III
(C) I and III
(D) I, II, and III

(A) sea-floor spreading

(B) plate tectonics

9. A tsunami is a

(C) subduction

(A) seismic sea wave

(D) strike-slip

(B) tidal wave

(C) surface-water wave

5. Which statement is INCORRECT?

(A) Compression, shear, and surface waves are seismic waves.

(D) all of the above

10. What does a seismometer measure?

(B) Shear waves are at right angles to compression

waves.

(A) components of ground motion

(C) P-waves can be expressed as horizontal and vertical components.

(C) attenuation

(D) None of the above are incorrect.

(B) reference points

(D) actual displacement

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S E I S M I C

D E S I G N

S O L V E D

P R O B L E M S

44. Compared with buildings with few stories, high-rise

buildings have greater

SOLUTIONS

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(B) periods

1. The point on the earths surface directly above the

focus is the epicenter. The depth from the earths surface
to the focus is the focal depth.

(C) acceleration

The answer is (A).

(A) frequencies

(D) stiffness
45. Consider the ratio of building acceleration to ground
acceleration. Which statement is INCORRECT?

2. Since the hanging wall is thrust upward and over the

footwall, it is a reverse (thrust) fault.

(A) The ratio depends on the building period.

(B) The ratio is equal to 1.0 for an infinitely stiff
building.
(C) The ratio is equal to 1.0 for buildings with zero
natural period.
(D) Building acceleration is typically lower than
ground acceleration.

spectral acceleration (gs)

46. If W = 160 kips (710 kN) and T = 0.3 sec, what is

most nearly the base shear for the response spectra
shown?

fault line
before movement

after movement
hanging wall
footwall

The answer is (B).

0.8

3. The sudden displacement, or slip, of the crust or rock

along Californias San Andreas fault is right-lateral
movement. When a person stands on either side of a
right-lateral fault and looks across the fault, the fault
movement will be to that persons right.

0.4

The answer is (A).

0.2

0.4

0.6

time (sec)

(A) 40 kips (180 kN)

(B) 70 kips (310 kN)
(C) 110 kips (500 kN)
(D) 140 kips (620 kN)

0.8

4. The term subduction refers to the process where an

oceanic plate drops and slides beneath a continental
plate.
The answer is (C).

5. Compression, shear, and surface waves are all seismic

waves. Compression waves displace materials directly
behind or ahead of their path of travel, while shear waves
(secondary waves or S-waves) displace material at right
angles to their line of travel and reach the surface later.
S-waves (not P-waves) have horizontal and vertical components since their propagation path may be in any
direction from the source.
The answer is (C).

6. From the epicenter, compression waves (primary

waves or P-waves) travel through the earths interior
to reach the surface first. S-waves travel more slowly
and reach the surface after the P-waves. However,
S-waves transmit more energy than the P-waves, thus
causing the bulk of damage to structures.
The answer is (C).

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Design Problems

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PROBLEMS
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For Prob. 1 through Prob. 5, assume the following
scenario.
Two structures, each with the same height and floor
weight, are shown in elevation. Structure I has an
occupancy category of II and is located on a site where
the mapped spectral acceleration parameters, S1 and
SS, are 0.42 g and 1.06 g, respectively. Structure II has
an occupancy category of III and is located on a site
where the mapped spectral acceleration parameters,
S1 and SS, are 0.30 g and 0.75 g, respectively. The
fundamental time period is 0.63 sec for structure I and
0.43 sec for structure II. For both structures, it is less
than the long-period transition period. The penthouse
in structure II is a special moment-resisting frame.

2. For structure II, the seismic base shear required by

ASCE/SEI7 is most nearly
(A) 80 kips (350 kN)
(B) 140 kips (620 kN)
(C) 200 kips (890 kN)
(D) 300 kips (1300 kN)
3. Based on ASCE/SEI7 requirements, the allowable
elastic interstory displacement (drift) for structure I is
most nearly
(A) 0.30 in (8.0 mm)
(B) 0.40 in (11 mm)
(C) 0.50 in (13 mm)

special steel
concentrically braced frame
structure II
penthouse
30 kips (133 kN)
10 ft
100 kips (445 kN)
(3 m)
100 kips (445 kN)
100 kips (445 kN)
100 kips (445 kN)
typical
100 kips (445 kN)
10 ft
100 kips (445 kN)
(3 m)

special moment-resisting
reinforced concrete frame
structure I

(D) 0.60 in (15 mm)

4. Based on ASCE/SEI7 requirements, the allowable
elastic interstory displacement (drift) for structure II
is most nearly
(A) 0.30 in (8.0 mm)
(B) 0.40 in (10 mm)
(C) 0.50 in (15 mm)
(D) 0.70 in (20 mm)

hard rock
material
S1 = 0.42 g
SS = 1.06 g

soft clay

55 ft
(16.8 m)

S1 = 0.30 g
SS = 0.75 g

5. Determine the seismic loading, Fp, for the penthouse,

which is rigidly attached to the main building.
(A) 10 kips (50 kN)
(B) 20 kips (70 kN)

1. For structure I, the seismic base shear required by

ASCE/SEI7 is most nearly

(C) 40 kips (200 kN)

(D) 70 kips (300 kN)

(A) 20 kips (100 kN)

(B) 30 kips (120 kN)
(C) 40 kips (190 kN)
(D) 50 kips (220 kN)

For Prob. 6 through Prob. 10, assume the following

scenario.
For an office building in a high seismic area, an architectural firm proposes the special steel concentrically braced
frame structure shown. The SD1 and SDS values are given
as 1.04 g and 0.522 g, respectively. Ignore vertical structural irregularities for this building. Use the equivalent
lateral force procedure. The importance factor is 1.0.

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D E S I G N

54. The design torsional moment in the east-west direction, assuming the torsional amplification factor, Ax, is
1.0, is most nearly
(A) 800 ft-kips (1100 kN
m)
(B) 1000 ft-kips (1300 kN
m)
(C) 1200 ft-kips (1600 kN
m)
(D) 1400 ft-kips (1900 kN
m)

P R O B L E M S

5-9

SOLUTIONS
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1. SI Solution
Structure I sits atop hard rock material. Therefore, from
ASCE/SEI7 Table 20.3-1, the site class is A. The mapped
MCE spectral response acceleration parameters are
given. To convert these parameters into site-specific spectral response acceleration parameters, SMS and SM1, the
values of the site coefficients, Fa and Fv, will need to be
determined.
ASCE/SEI7 Table 11.4-1 provides the value of site
coefficient Fa. For SS = 1.06 and site class A, Fa = 0.8.
ASCE/SEI7 Table 11.4-2 provides the value of site
coefficient Fv. For S1 = 0.42 and site class A, Fv = 0.8.
ASCE/SEI7 Sec. 11.4.3 gives the equations for SMS
and SM1.
S M S F a S S 0:81:06 0:848
S M 1 F v S 1 0:80:42 0:336
ASCE/SEI7 Sec. 11.4.4 gives the equations for the design
spectral acceleration parameters.
S DS 23S M S
S D1

2
3S M 1

2
3

0:848 0:565

0:336 0:224

2 

The design base shear, V, is determined by ASCE/SEI7

Eq. 12.8-1: V = CsW. Cs is the seismic response coefficient determined in accordance with ASCE/SEI7
Sec. 12.8.1.1. R is the response modification factor
given in Table 12.2-1. For a special moment-resisting
concrete frame, R is 8. The importance factor, I, for
occupancy category II is 1.0 [ASCE/SEI7 Table 11.5-1].
Use ASCE/SEI7 Eq. 12.8-2 to compute Cs.
Cs

S DS 0:565
0:071

8
R
1
I

Check that this value is within the maximum and minimum allowed values. Use ASCE/SEI7 Eq. 12.8-3 to
check the maximum Cs value, as the fundamental time
period, T, does not exceed the long-period transition
period.
C s;max

S D1
0:224
  0:044
 
8
R
0:63 s
T
1
I

governs

Use ASCE/SEI7 Eq. 12.8-5 to check Cs against the

minimum value.
C s;min 0:01

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