Improving Seismic Resistance of Flat-Plate Buildings

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Flat-plate is one of the most widely used forms of construction among the low-to-medium-rise residential or office buildings. Recent earthquakes such as the Armenian (1988) and Mexican (1985) earthquakes have proven the susceptibility of such buildings to severe damage. In situations where an independent lateral load resisting system is not present or is rendered ineffective, the survival of such buildings in the event of an earthquake depends entirely on the performance of slab-to- column connections. The use of high strength concrete and fiber reinforced concrete in the connection region or the addition of shear caps can possibly improve the shear strength of slab-column connections without resorting to other relatively more expensive alternatives. Eight one-half scale two-bay flat- plate subassemblies will be tested under simulated earthquake- type loading to investigate the promise of such alternatives in improving the seismic resistance of flat-plate buildings. This study should provide the basis for improved safety of flat-plate buildings to include the use of high strength and fiber reinforced concrete and for further improvements in analytical modelling of the unbalanced moment transfer mechanism at the slab-column connections.