Criticism of Current Seismic Design and Construction Practice in Venezuela: A Bleak Perspective

During a recent visit to Caracas, Venezuela, the authors discovered that while Venezuela has adopted a building code with modern seismic provisions (Norma Covenin 1756-98) and does in fact enforce a majority of these provisions, significant conceptual errors in the design of the lateral force-resisting systems of new buildings are recurring on a near-universal level, often as a result of ignoring the potential adverse effects of nonstructural elements on the structural system. In the event of a large earthquake, this design philosophy will have substantial economic and life-safety repercussions unless the typical design philosophy of Venezuelan engineers and architects changes. It is hoped that this paper will serve as a call to action for engineers of all countries to recognize the potential adverse effects of nonstructural elements on the behavior of the lateral force-resisting system.