K..

Amonoo-Neizer
BSc(Sc.), BSc(Eng.), MPhil., PhD.
Former Dep. Director, BRRI
Former Head, Structures, Building Design and Planning Div., BRRI
1. Background
1.1 CSIR – BRRI
WABRI(1952) BRRI(1960)
CSIR – BRRI Vision:
“ Commercial- oreinted research and
development organization in the
construction industry”

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1.2 BRRI Divisions

 Administration
 Commercial and Information
 Geotechnical
 Traffic and Transportation
 Structures, Building Design and Planning
 Construction
 Material Development

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1.3 Pursuance of mandate

Structures, Building Design and Planning

Division (SBDP)

 Building Regulations Development

WABRI(1960 ) – Revision of 1940’s Colonial

Regulations; including Part 3:
“Loads” of draft Code for design of
civil and engineering structures.

BRRI/SBDP(1970’s) – Re-examination of Building

Regulations

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 Regulations, by 1980’s, unrealistic
so far as conditions in Ghana were
concerned.

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2. Ghana Building Code
1988 – Draft Building Code by BRRI
2.1 Sections
Part 1 – Administration
Part 2 – Use and Occupancy
Part 3 - Structural Loads and Procedures
Part 4 – Foundations
Part 5 – Housing and Small Buildings
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Part 3 – Structural
Loads and
Procedures

Design Loads and Effects

Dead Loads
Live Loads due to Use
and Occupancy
Dynamic Loading
Effects of Wind
Effects of Earthquake
and Method of Analysis
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Method of Analysis
 Originally based on Uniform Building Code
(UBC) of the Structural Engineering
Association of California (SEAOC)
However,
 Superseded by new developments in
earthquake analysis and design

 Designs to be Performance-based
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 Performance-based design
Behaviour of structure during earthquake
should be as assumed in the analysis and
design

Hence, need for revision of 1988 rules

BRRI(1990) - Code for Seismic

Design of Reinforced Concrete
Structures

 A performance –based design Code

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3.0 - 2006 Seismic Code
 A Revision of 1990 Code

 Also performance-based, using Eurocode

model, with necessary inputs dictated
by local conditions

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Scope of 2006 Code
Publication – The Seismic Design of
Reinforced Concrete Structures

– gives minimum design requirements

when earthquake action is considered
critical,
-in conjunction with other permanent or
variable loads(dead and imposed)

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 Arrangement of Publication:
i. Seismic (Earthquake) Code

ii. Design Guide to use of Code

made up of:
- Regular buildings – by Equivalent Static analysis
Frame system
Wall system
Dual system
- Irregular buildings – by Dynamic analysis
Frame system

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Analysis/ design considerations
of 2006 Code

1. Seismic Actions
Seismic activity of a country is described
by means of:

Seismic Risk Zone Map

Design Seismic Action

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i Seismic Risk Zone Maps

Maps based on:

- historical records and/or geological
and seismotectonic data
Ghana map based on :
- historical data and (for areas in
Accra) also on geological data

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Seismic Zones Risk Map of Ghana
Ghana is divided into a number of zones according
to seismic intensities. In this case, the intensity is
the normalized ground acceleration, which has
been given a constant value, within each zone.
Seismic Assigned Horizontal
Zone Design
Ground Acceleration, A
( g unit of gravity )
0 0
1 0.15
2 0.25
3 0.35
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 Seismic Risk Map of Ghana

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ii. Design Seismic Action

Normalized Elastic Response Spectrum

Defined by the shape of an elastic response

spectrum, normalized to a unit peak ground
acceleration for rocky or firm soil conditions

A 5% damping has been applied to the response

spectrum

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 Normalized Elastic Response Spectrum

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Site Effects on elastic spectrum
Effect of site conditions on building response
based on 3 soil profile types, known by their site
coefficients, S

S1 – Rock
S2 – Deep cohesionless or stiff clay
S3 - Soft to medium stiff clays and sands

Site coefficients, S, are used to modify the

standard/normalized elastic response spectrum
to account for site conditions.
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 Site dependent Normalized Elastic Spectra

Site Soil Profile Type

Coeff.
S S1 S2 S3
1.0 1.2 1.5

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2. Design Actions

a. Reliability Differentiation/ Importance Factor

Target reliabilities are established based on the
consequences of failure of the building, considering
both safety and serviceability.
Consequences of failure( both monetary and
non-monetary) depend on:
use of the building
their contents
importance of their function
both during and after the earthquake.

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Reliability / Importance Levels

Code recognizes two reliability levels.

Class I : Buildings required to remain
functional and with reduced
damage after strong earthquake
Class II : Buildings not included in the above
class

The reliability levels to each Class is obtained

by amplifying the design action with a factor, I,
called importance factor
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 Importance Factor

Class Importance Factor

I 1.4
II 1.O

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b. Ductility Levels
Ductility is the capacity of a member to undergo
large inelastic deformations without
significant loss of strength or stiffness

The Code allows structures to be designed to

possess 3 different “ductility” levels according
to these classifications:

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 Ductility Level I(DL I)
Associated with relatively large design forces so that
little inelastic response should occur; suitable for
small buildings.
Ductility Level II( DL II)
Structures that enter the inelastic range of response
under repeated reverse loading, while avoiding brittle
type failure.
Ductility Level III(DL III)
Associated with the development of selected stable
mechanisms as a result of large energy dissipation
capacities. DL III structures should be preferred
whenever large uncertainties exist.

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3. Structural Analysis
General form of analysis:

Dynamic method is applied in analysis.

Under this may be methods for;

1. Planar models
2. Non – Planar models
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  If a building is regular, analysis can be
simplified by restricting the analysis to the
first mode of vibration of the building
only; also known as “equivalent static
analysis”

 limits for applicability of equivalent static

analysis;
o Height not more than 80m
o Fundamental ( lowest) period shorter
than 2sec.
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4. Design Procedure

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 THANK YOU

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