Determination of the critical angle of seismic incidence in standardised procedures for the seismic safety assessment of 3D RC buildings

Abstract

This study proposes an analytical expression for the straightforward determination of the angle of seismic incidence that leads to the maximum structural demand of reinforced concrete buildings when subjected to Lateral Force Analysis. The demand parameter under consideration is the maximum total displacement of single storey and isotropic multi-storey buildings, while the maximum interstorey drift may also be employed. The proposed expression is defined based on the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of the structure. The characteristics of the seismic loading represented by the elastic response spectrum are also integrated into the formulation of the expression.