Performance-Based Seismic Design of Concrete Buildings: State of the Practice

Abstract

PROJECT SCOPE AND COMPLEXITIES

The Lower Sproul Plaza project redeveloped one of the busiest areas in UC Berkeley campus, and included work in multiple adjacent structures that were separated by seismic joints from each other.

The following factors contributed to complexity to the project: new construction, retrofit of existing structures, use of different construction materials, desire for a higher seismic structural performance for the buildings, reduction of impact on the existing structures, and the close proximity among these different buildings in a limited construction site (including the adjacent Zellerbach Hall and Cesar Chavez Student Center, which remained open during construction).

Given the large number of different goals for the use of concrete in various elements and buildings, including elaborate board-formed patterns in the exposed concrete walls, the project had nearly 20 different concrete mix designs