The satisfactory structural behavior observed during large earthquakes and the high seismicity of the country has conditioned the Chilean society to expect immediate occupancy performance level for their buildings under these extreme events, although the seismic design code in Chile mandates only a scope of life safety performance level. Based on observational and statistical evidence from recent strong earthquakes in Chile, it is concluded that the observed seismic resilience of buildings is a consequence of limiting damage, considering that operational performance and life safety are different challenges that require different approaches; furthermore, to provide society with resilient and safe buildings, both challenges must be met simultaneously and not alternatively. The present article describes the concepts, strategies, and future challenges in the context of the Chilean practice, and the authors describe several lessons learned from the design of thousands of concrete buildings that have experienced earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.0 and higher with limited damage; these lessons have proven to be effective in ensuring resilient structural performance under extreme seismic events.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
February 01, 2021
The quest for resilience: The Chilean practice of seismic design for reinforced concrete buildings
René Lagos, M.EERI;
René Lagos, M.EERI
1
René Lagos Engineers, Santiago, Chile
Search for other works by this author on:
Mario Lafontaine;
Mario Lafontaine
1
René Lagos Engineers, Santiago, Chile
Search for other works by this author on:
Patricio Bonelli;
Patricio Bonelli
2
Patricio Bonelli y Asociados, Santiago, Chile
Search for other works by this author on:
Rubén Boroschek;
Rubén Boroschek
3
RBA Engineers, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
Search for other works by this author on:
Tomas Guendelman;
Tomas Guendelman
4
I.E.C. Engineering, Santiago, Chile
Search for other works by this author on:
Leonardo M Massone;
Leonardo M Massone
5
University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
Search for other works by this author on:
Rodolfo Saragoni, M.EERI;
6
SyS Ingenieros Consultores, Santiago, ChileRodolfo Saragoni, M.EERI, SyS Ingenieros Consultores, Santiago, Chile. Email: rsaragoni@sysingen.cl
Search for other works by this author on:
Fabián Rojas;
Fabián Rojas
5
University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
Search for other works by this author on:
Earthquake Spectra (2021) 37 (1): 26–45.
Article history
received:
04 Sep 2020
accepted:
18 Sep 2020
first online:
21 Jul 2021
Citation
René Lagos, Mario Lafontaine, Patricio Bonelli, Rubén Boroschek, Tomas Guendelman, Leonardo M Massone, Rodolfo Saragoni, Fabián Rojas, Fernando Yañez; The quest for resilience: The Chilean practice of seismic design for reinforced concrete buildings. Earthquake Spectra 2021;; 37 (1): 26–45. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/8755293020970978
Download citation file:
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Email alerts
Index Terms/Descriptors
- aseismic design
- building codes
- buildings
- Chile
- concrete
- consolidation
- construction materials
- damage
- design
- ductility
- earthquakes
- geometry
- histograms
- instruments
- lateral loading
- loading
- practice
- preventive measures
- reinforced materials
- seismicity
- shear
- South America
- statistical analysis
- stiffness
- structures
- walls
- Maule earthquake 2010
Latitude & Longitude
Citing articles via
Related Articles
Performance of Reinforced Concrete Buildings during the 1985 Chile Earthquake: Implications for the Design of Structural Walls
Earthquake Spectra
Identifying the Dynamic Characteristics of a Dual Core-Wall and Frame Building in Chile Using Aftershocks of the 27 February 2010 (Mw = 8.8) Maule, Chile, Earthquake
Earthquake Spectra
Sub-Paneling of Masonry Walls Using Precast Reinforced Concrete Elements for Earthquake Resistance
Earthquake Spectra
Behavior and Design of Reinforced Concrete, Steel, and Steel-Concrete Coupling Beams
Earthquake Spectra
Displacement-Based Seismic Design for Coupled Wall Systems
Earthquake Spectra
Low-Rise Shear Wall Ultimate Drift Limits
Earthquake Spectra
Related Book Content
Increasing resilience to earthquakes through educating community builders: Teaching earthquake-resistant building techniques in Guatemala
Geoscience for the Public Good and Global Development: Toward a Sustainable Future
Chapter 2 Seismic hazard
Geological Hazards in the UK: Their Occurrence, Monitoring and Mitigation – Engineering Group Working Party Report
Geotechnical aspects in the epicentral region of the 2011 Mw 5.8 Mineral, Virginia, earthquake
The 2011 Mineral, Virginia, Earthquake, and Its Significance for Seismic Hazards in Eastern North America
Behavior and damage of the Washington Monument during the 2011 Mineral, Virginia, earthquake
The 2011 Mineral, Virginia, Earthquake, and Its Significance for Seismic Hazards in Eastern North America
Does it make sense from engineering and economic perspectives to design for a 2475-year earthquake?
Continental Intraplate Earthquakes: Science, Hazard, and Policy Issues
Chapter 6 Collapsible Soils in the UK
Geological Hazards in the UK: Their Occurrence, Monitoring and Mitigation – Engineering Group Working Party Report