A brief description is given of the origins and evolution of seismic design codes and practices in Mexico. The Mexico City Building Code is more deeply examined since, for many years, it has been a reference document in Mexico for the drafting of most of the Mexican codes, which, by law, are of municipal competence. Problems related to the implementation of building codes in Mexico are discusse...

{ XE "Building Codes" }Currently a three-dimensional dynamic analysis is required for a large number of different types of structural systems that are constructed in Seismic Zones 2, 3 and 4 [1]. The lateral force requirements suggest several methods that can be used to determine the distribution of seismic forces within a structure. However, these guidelines are not unique and need further int...

The state-of-the-art of near-fault problems in earthquake engineering is comprehensive reviewed. Strong ground motions in the near-fault region exhibit several new characteristics, which cause the attentions of both seismologists and engineers who zealously studied these ground motions during the last two deceases. The investigation on ground motions can interpret the mechanism of the earthquak...

Bukit Tinggi may experience low earthquake hazard but are still at high risk of substantial damage and loss. Dense concentration of buildings and infrastructure in some areas mainly due to the hospitality industry can generate this high risk level. This study is focused on identify, inventory and rank buildings in Bukit Tinggi to assess seismic vulnerability buildings. The methodology is based ...

Damage status of RC buildings is greatly influenced by the characteristics of the imposed ground motion. Peak Ground Acceleration and frequency contents are considered the main two factors that affect ground motion characteristics; hence, affecting the seismic response of RC structures and consequently their damage state. A detailed investigation on the combined effects of these two factors on ...

This technical note on the banking system structure, performance, and medium-term challenges for Switzerland was prepared by a staff team of the International Monetary Fund as background documentation for the periodic consultation with the member country. It is based on the information available at the time it was completed in May 2007. The views expressed in this document are those of the staf...

The automated processing of multiple seismic signals to detect and localize seismic events is a central tool in both geophysics and nuclear treaty verification. This paper reports on a project begun in 2009 to reformulate this problem in a Bayesian framework. A Bayesian seismic monitoring system, NET-VISA, has been built comprising a spatial event prior and generative models of event transmissi...

One of the main objectives of geophysical seismic analysis is to determine the Earth’s structure. Usually, to determine this structure, geophysicists supplement the measurement results with additional geophysical assumptions. An important question is: when is it possible to reconstruct the Earth’s structure uniquely based on the measurement results only, without the need to use any additional a...

This paper presents a contribution for the safety assessment of historical masonry buildings under seismic loading. Three different simplified safety indexes (in-plan area ratio, area to weight ratio and base shear ratio) are analyzed, taking into account a large sample of fifty-eight Portuguese churches. The sample of building has been organized according to the seismic zonation, from high to ...

This paper discusses the experimental set-up and procedures for the seismic testing and evaluation of a sprinkler system in hospital model. Concrete compression tests are ran to ensure compliance with ACI 355.2 anchor testing qualifications. Maximum shear strength of the anchor is found to include within the piping system model. Frame and piping system within the model is tested under input mot...