New Provisions for the Seismic Design of Composite and Hybrid Structures

While there have been significant advances in the design and construction of composite steel-concrete building structures, their use in regions of high seismicity has been hindered by the lack of design criteria in building codes and specifications. This has prompted initiatives in the Building Seismic Safety Council and the American Institute of Steel Construction to develop seismic design provisions for composite structures. The 1997 edition of the AISC Seismic Provisions includes a new section with requirements for composite steel-concrete structures that are cross-referenced by the general seismic loading and design criteria in the 1997 NEHRP Provisions and the 2000 International Building Code (final draft). Intended to complement existing provisions for steel, reinforced concrete and composite structures in the AISC-LRFD Specification and the ACI 318 Building Code, these new provisions provide an important resource for seismic design of composite structural systems, members, and connections.