Development of Seismic Design for Reinforced Concrete and Steel Structures to Chinese Codes and Standard

This chapter discusses the evolution of seismic design standards in China, specifically the development of seismic design codes and standards for reinforcement concrete and steel building structures. The seismic design objectives are outlined, tracing the philosophy and evolution of these objectives from a single objective phase to a dynamic multiobjective phase. The article also delves into seismic hazard analysis, highlighting deterministic and probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, as well as the different generations of seismic zoning maps. Site effects and soil-structure interactions are also discussed, with relevant requirements of different versions of seismic codes and standards given. This chapter further explains the evolution of lateral earthquake force calculation methods, including the equivalent static analysis method, modal response spectrum analysis, time history analysis, and the horizontal distribution of seismic forces. Torsional effects, structural irregularities and restrictions, and vertical seismic load effect considerations are also discussed, with control countermeasures for regular, irregular, especially irregular, and severely irregular structures given. Building deflection and drift limit are discussed as well, including deformation controlling measures and seismic deformation verification requirements. Finally, evolution of seismic detailing requirements for RC and steel building structures are also briefly discussed as the development of TJ11-74, TJ11-78, and GBJ11-89, through to the modern generation seismic design code GB50011-2001 and GB50011-2010. This chapter provides valuable insights into the development of seismic design codes and standards in China, outlining the evolution of these codes and standards over the past decades.