RESPONSE SPECTRA AS A USEFUL DESIGN AND ANALYSIS TOOL FOR PRACTICING STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS

Although response spectra have been in general use for decades by researchers, academics, and geotechnical professionals, their use by structural design professionals has generally been limited. However, as response spectra and dynamic analysis are being included within the newer building codes and as performance-based design (PBD) techniques are becoming acceptable, there is a need for the design professional to more clearly understand the meaning and usefulness of response spectra. The purpose of this paper is to review the concept of response spectra for design engineers not familiar with their significance and to summarize a variety of uses that can be applied for purposes such as rapid evaluation for a large inventory of buildings, performance verification of new construction, evaluation of existing structures for seismic vulnerability, and post earthquake estimates of potential damage of buildings.