Designing for near-field earthquakes, using the NSCP 2001

If you are familiar with the NSCP 2001 earthquake loading provisions (ELPs), you know it is based on UBC 1997.  Some people think it is "copied" from UBC 1997, but copied "poorly."  It is not copied!  It is based on UBC 1997 but it had to be suited to "local" conditions.

Anyway some of the features of the NSCP 2001 ELPs that are in contrast with similar ones in the UBC 1997 are as follows:

CE 256 Pre-Finals Grade (UPDATED, OFFICIAL)

To CE 256 students, these are your final grades unless you are not exempted from taking the final exam (i.e. your Grade is marked "FINALS"). These are the OFFICIAL results.

Tallest Trends and the Burj Khalifa

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat ratifies official height and “World’s Tallest” status of the Burj Khalifa

CE 256 Pre-Finals Grade

To CE 256 students, for your advanced info these are your final grades unless you are not exempted from taking the final exam (i.e. your Grade is marked "FINALS"). Official results will be posted at the UP ICE bulletin board.

Earthquake and Severe Wind Exposure and Vulnerability Workshop

I talked about two topics at the recent Earthquake and Severe Wind Exposure and Vulnerability Workshop held on 12-13 March 2010 in Tagaytay City, Philippines, organized by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Geoscience Australia (GA).  The 3 proponents aim to better understand and reduce risks associated with natural hazards in the Philippines, building upon existing tools and methods to estimate impact for local natural hazard events.

Appropriate "retrofit" designs save lives from earthquakes, typhoons, and floods

This download <http://www.unesco-ipred.org/gtfbc/DWf_10_key_points_Hurricane_resistant_construction.pdf> provides a pretty simple enough starting point on what things owners could do to protect life and property.  It appears to have been prepared by Development Workshop France.

UBC or IBC? Revisiting the justifications for moving from UBC to IBC as basis for new NSCP earthquake loading provisions

UPDATE: Please refer also to my newer article entitled, "Designing for near-field earthquakes."


1. Introduction

The National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) has been the primary code that provides guidance to civil and structural engineers on the design and evaluation of buildings, towers, and other vertical structures around the Philippines since its first edition was published in 1972 (then as National Structural Code for Buildings or NSCB). It includes provisions for steel, concrete, timber, and masonry design as well as for estimating combined effects of dead, live, earthquake, wind, and other loads.