Software Package for Concrete Buildings in Seismic Regions

Description of Software Package: Marketing Brochure (Pdf)

On January 12, 2010, a shallow earthquake 25 kms from Port Au-Prince in Haiti devastated the region and killed over 270,000 people. On early October 2016, Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew went over the same area, with catastrophic flooding and storm surge resulting in 580 people dead and 35,000 homeless.

Two earthquakes struck Mexico in September 2017, an 8.1 on the 7th on the coast of Oaxaca, and a 7.1 on the 19th near active volcano Popocatepetl right below the city of Puebla, 100 kms from Mexico City. The first event did substantial damage over a widespread area in three states (Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Tabasco); the second event was not expected and did substantial harm to existing buildings in the region, which unless repaired are prone to collapse.

Recent seismic activity begun recently near the city of Ponce in Puerto Rico, with a 6.4 Magnitude EQ taking place on January 7, 2020 which rattled the region still trying to recover from Cat 4 Hurricane Maria (Sept 2017).

This package of NBSD-Software tools are provided for reducing seismic vulnerability of existing or new low rise buildings in highly seismic regions, in either U.S. Customary Units (lbs, inches, psi) or Metric Units (MPa and Mks versions). It provided at a reduced price to make it accessible (not prohibitive), and help design professionals in highly seismic regions (Caribbean Basin, Alaska to Chile, Turkey, etc) reduce the potential for building collapse in large events or damage in moderate events (which then leave building structures compromised for large events).

The following Software Tools are included within:

U.S. Units:

• ASCE 7-10 Earthquake Loads and Criteria;

• RC Shear Wall RDA Loads;

• ACI 318-14 RC Shear Wall Design;

• ACI 318-14 Rebar Development Length;

• ACI 318-14 One-Wall Footing Design;

• Package - Users Guide (Brief Description);

Metric Units:

• ASCE 7-10 Earthquake Loads and Criteria;

• RC Shear Wall RDA Loads;

• ACI 318-14 RC Shear Wall Design;

• ACI 318-14 Rebar Development Length;

• ACI 318-14 One-Wall Footing Design;

• Package - Users Guide (Brief Description);

These software tools are meant for design professionals to provide quick and reliable analysis and design of Simple Buildings in seismic regions, which can be retrofitted with suitable new RC Shear Walls on new RC spread footings. Simple RC building structures retrofitted for EQ loads are expected to be adequate for hurricane loads, as long as impact-resistant cladding is used at building openings to protect against wind borne projectiles.