A comparison of IBC with 1997 UBC for modal response spectrum analysis in standard-occupancy buildings

This paper presents a comparison of the seismic forces generated from a Modal Response Spectrum Analysis （MRSA） by applying the provisions of two building codes, the 1997 Uniform Building Code （UBC） and the 2000-2009 International Building Code （IBC）, to the most common ordinary residential buildings of standard occupancy. Considering IBC as the state of the art benchmark code, the primary concern is the safety of buildings designed using the UBC as compared to those designed using the IBC. A sample of four buildings with different layouts and heights was used for this comparison. Each of these buildings was assumed to be located at four different geographical sample locations arbitrarily selected to represent various earthquake zones on a seismic map of the USA, and was subjected to code-compliant response spectrum analyses for all sample locations and for five different soil types at each location. Response spectrum analysis was performed using the ETABS software package. For all the cases investigated, the UBC was found to be significantly more conservative than the IBC. The UBC design response spectra have higher spectral accelerations, and as a result, the response spectrum analysis provided a much higher base shear and moment in the structural members as compared to the IBC. The conclusion is that ordinary office and residential buildings designed using UBC 1997 are considered to be overdesigned, and therefore they are quite safe even according to the IBC provisions.

Comparative Analysis of High-Rise Reinforced Concrete Structures According to International Seismic Design Codes

The field of earthquake engineering and seismology is of great importance to structural engineers around the world. The location, size and consequences of an earthquake are variable depending on several conditions. Surface conditions, boundary/fault type, distance from the boundary and hypocenter are all elements that dictate the outcome of a seismic event. The paper presents a comparison of seismic provisions of two seismic design codes--EC8 （Eurocode 8） and IBC （International Building Code） 2006, to a high-rise reinforced concrete building. The building is irregular and composes of 20 floors. The equivalent lateral force analysis was performed using the well-known structure program--ETABS （Extended 3D Analysis of Building Systems）. Based on the analysis results （inter-storey index, global damage index, storey displacement, inter-storey drift ratio and base shear）, EC8 was found to be conservative when compared with IBC 2006. The conclusion is that for the design and analysis of high-rise reinforced concrete buildings with certain irregularity, EC8 provisions were considered to be conservative.

A comparative study of seismic provisions between International Building Code 2003 and Uniform Building Code 1997

This study focuses on the comparison of the Uniform Building Code （UBC） 1997 and International Building Code （IBC） 2003 in relation to the seismic design and analysis of special steel moment resisting frame buildings （SMRF）. This paper formulates a numerical study of a steel SMRF building, studied in four different situations, namely： as an office building in San Francisco; as an office building in Sacramento; as an essential facility in San Francisco, and as an essential facility in Sacramento. The analytical results of the model buildings are then compared and analyzed taking note of any significant differences. This case study explores variations in the results obtained using the two codes, particularly the design base shear and drift ratios as they relate to different locations and occupancy use. This study also proves that IBC 2003 is more stringent for the redundancy factor under design category E for the SMRF building, and drift limits for essential facilities.

Seismic fragility assessment of RC frame structure designed according to modern Chinese code for seismic design of buildings

Following several damaging earthquakes in China, research has been devoted to find the causes of the collapse of reinforced concrete （RC） building sand studying the vulnerability of existing buildings. The Chinese Code for Seismic Design of Buildings （CCSDB） has evolved over time, however, there is still reported earthquake induced damage of newly designed RC buildings. Thus, to investigate modern Chinese seismic design code, three low-, mid- and high-rise RC frames were designed according to the 2010 CCSDB and the corresponding vulnerability curves were derived by computing a probabilistic seismic demand model （PSDM）.The PSDM was computed by carrying out nonlinear time history analysis using thirty ground motions obtained from the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. Finally, the PSDM was used to generate fragility curves for immediate occupancy, significant damage, and collapse prevention damage levels. Results of the vulnerability assessment indicate that the seismic demands on the three different frames designed according to the 2010 CCSDB meet the seismic requirements and are almost in the same safety level.

FROM LOW-ENERGY TO NET ZERO-ENERGY BUILDINGS: STATUS AND PERSPECTIVES

“Net Zero-Energy Building”has become a popular catchphrase to describe the synergy between energy-efficient building and renewable energy utilisation to achieve a balanced energy budget over an annual cycle.Taking into account the energy exchange with a grid overcomes the limitations of energy-autonomous buildings with the need for seasonal energy storage on-site.Although the expression,“Net Zero-Energy Building,”appears in many energy policy documents,a harmonised definition or a standardised balancing method is still lacking.This paper reports on the background and the various effects influencing the energy balance approach.After discussing the national energy code framework in Germany,a harmonised terminology and balancing procedure is proposed.The procedure takes not only the energy balance but also energy efficiency and load matching into account.

Development of seismic force requirements for buildings in Taiwan

This paper describes static and dynamic procedures to calculate seismic demand specified by the current seismic design code for buildings in Taiwan, which was issued in 2005. For design levels with a return period of 475 years, the design spectral response acceleration can be developed for general sites, near-fault sites and Taipei Basin. In addition, in order to prevent building collapse during extremely large earthquakes and yielding of structural components and elements during frequent small earthquakes, the required seismic demands at the maximum considered earthquake level （MCE, 2%/50 years） and operational level are also included in the new seismic design code.For dynamic analysis procedures, both the response spectrum method and time history method are specified in the new seismic design code. Finally, procedures to generate spectrum compatible ground motions for time history analysis are illustrated in this paper.

Comparison of DSHA-based response spectrum with design response spectrum of building code of Pakistan(BCP-SP-2007)for a site in Muzaffargarh area,Pakistan

The building code of any country is considered to be a basic technical guidance document for the seismic design of structures.However,building codes are typically developed for the whole country,without considering site specific models that incorporate detailed site-specific data.Therefore,the adequacy of the design spectrum for building codes may sometimes be questionable.To study the sufficiency of the building codes of Pakistan(BCP-SP-2007),a deterministic seismic hazard analysis(DSHA)based spectrum was developed for a site in the Muzaffargarh area,Pakistan,using an updated earthquake catalogue,seismic source model,and a next generation attenuation model(NGA-WEST-2).Further,an International Building Code(IBC-2000)spectrum was developed for the study area to compare the results.The DSHA-based response spectrum resulted in a peak ground acceleration(PGA)value of 0.21 g for the Chaudwan fault.The evaluation of BCP-SP-2007 and IBC-2000 spectra provided a critical assessment for analyzing the associated margins.A comparison with the DSHA-based response spectrum showed that the BCP-SP-2007 design spectrum mostly overlapped with the DSHA spectrum unlike IBC-2000.However,special attention is needed for designing buildings in the study area when considering earthquake periods longer than 1 s,and the BCP-SP-2007 spectrum can be enhanced when considering a period range of 0.12-0.64 s.Finally,BCP-SP-2007 is based on a probabilistic approach and its comparison with deterministic results showed the significance of both methods in terms of design.

EMERGENT PERMITTING STRATEGIES FOR NATURAL BUILDING SYSTEMS IN ONTARIO

INTRODUCTION Lowering the carbon intensity of the built environment is one of many tasks that must be undertaken in order to address climate change and to encourage sustainability.The siting,design,construction,occupancy,renovation,and disposal of single-family homes are all factors that contribute to the large carbon emissions generated by the sector.There are numerous strategies that seek to minimize the amount of emissions generated by a house during its lifecycle.This paper explores the use of so-called natural building systems in building envelope construction.

APROVECHO’S SUSTAINABLE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION:A FOCUS ON NATURAL BUILDING

Aprovecho is a non-profit research and education center dedicated to living,learning,organizing and educating to inspire a sustainable culture.Located on a forty acre land trust in the Coast Range outside of Cottage Grove,Oregon,Aprovecho’s campus features a living demonstration of sustainable human settlement,organized around five core areas:food,shelter,water,forests,and energy.Aprovecho offers educational opportunities in all five of its core areas,including shelter through the Natural Building program.The Aprovecho Natural Building program trains students in the use of locally-sourced,non-toxic building materials for the construction of energy-efficient,affordable,healthy homes that work within natural communities and that enrich local economies.

MECHANICAL INSULATION CASE STUDY-TIMELY OPPORTUNITY FOR RETROFITS AND NEW CONSTRUCTION

INTRODUCTION“You won’t find any issues in our newly constructed and retrofitted buildings,”was the response that Lyndon Johnson,representative of the BC Insulators,got from the campus facility manager when explaining the poor state of practice of mechanical insulation,“let me show you one of our showcase buildings.”The building in question had just undergone$80 million in upgrades and was designed to achieve LEED®Silver equivalent rating.The upgrades included a high-performance climate control system that allows for precise control of temperature and humidity in different rooms.“We toured the building and found many problems with the mechanical insulation,”explained Mr.Johnson afterwards,“including substandard finish,adhesive tape lifting,and most disturbing,20 feet of missing insulation on each floor of the building along the dividing line of the two phases of the project.One or both sets of contractors that worked on the job had completely left off the insulation.The saddest part is,this didn’t surprise me given what we know about the state of the industry today.”

THE LEED-COMMERCIAL INTERIORS(V4)PROJECTS IN CALIFORNIA

This study analyzed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interior Certified,Silver,and Gold projects version 4.0(LEED-CIv4)in California for the period 2015‒2020.Nonparametric tests were used to assess category and credit achievement,i.e.,the difference between possible and achieved points and the correlation between associated credits.The results show that most of the credits in the location and transportation category and the indoor environmental quality categories had a high level of achievement,a few credits in the energy and atmosphere and materials and resources categories had a high level of achievement,and all of the credits in the water efficiency category had a low level of achievement.Some associated credits,such as surrounding density and quality transit,had a high level of achievement and a positive correlation,whereas other associated credits,such as life-cycle impact reduction and environmental product declarations,had a low level of achievement and a positive correlation.If LEED-CIv4 credits meet the require-ments of the California Green Building Standards Code 2016(CGBSC 2016),then these credits typically have a medium/high level of achievement.If LEED-CIv4 credits exceed the requirements of CGBSC 2016,then these credits have a low level of achievement.Therefore,to improve the next version of LEED-CI,it is necessary to improve the local green codes.

An evaluation of force-based design vs.direct displacement-based design of jointed precast post-tensioned wall systems

The unique features of jointed post-tensioned wall systems, which include minimum structural damage and re-centering capability when subjected to earthquake lateral loads, are the result of using unbonded post-tensioning to attach the walls to the foundation, along with employing energy dissipating shear connectors between the walls. Using acceptance criteria defined in terms of inter-story drift, residual drift, and floor acceleration, this study presents a multiplelevel performance-based seismic evaluation of two five-story unbonded post-tensioned jointed precast wall systems. The design and analysis of these two wall systems, established as the direct displacement-based and force-based solutions for a prototype building used in the PREcast Seismic Structural Systems （PRESSS） program, were performed at 60% scale so that the analysis model could be validated using the PRESSS test data. Both buildings satisfied the performance criteria at four levels of earthquake motions although the design base shear of the direct displacement-based jointed wall system was 50% of that demanded by the force-based design method. The study also investigated the feasibility of controlling the maximum transient inter-story drift in a jointed wall system by increasing the number of energy dissipating shear connectors between the walls but without significantly affecting its re-centering capability.

A deterministic method for designing near field and far field earthquakes

The earthquake environment of far field earthquake effects or near field earthquake effects are required to be considered in the Building Code (GBJ11-89), and a method to determine near field and far field earthquake is proPosed based on the results of deterministic seismic zoning map(1977). The Seismic intensity Zoning Map of China (1990),which is currently used in China, was compiled using probabilistic approach. So the method determining the far field earthquake based on deterministic zoning method is not suitable. A new method is providedin this paper under the consideration of the essence of the near field and far field earthquake and the aPProach ofthe probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. The related problems of how to use the Building Code (GBJll-89) andthe Seismic intensity Zoning Map of China(1990) are solved.

Proposal of Indonesia Seismic Hazard Deaggregation Maps for Sumatra, Indonesia

The new method for determining ground-motion parameters in the Indonesian Earthquake Resistant Building Code SNI （Indonesia National Standard） 03-1726-2012 has significant changes than the previous code. The maps of mean and modal of magnitude and distance presented here are intended to convey information about the distribution ofprobabilistic seismic sources and to provide prescriptions or suggestions for seismic sources to use in developing artificial ground motion in building design or retrofit projects. This paper presents deaggregation of Indonesia Seismic Hazard Map 2010 for Sumatra. Deaggregation for 0.2-s and 1.0-s pseudo SA （spectral acceleration） is performed for 10% PE （probability of exceedance） in 50 years （475-year mean return period） and 2% PE in 50 years （2,475-year mean return period）. The information of deaggregation analysis can and perhaps should be considered in a complex seismic-resistant design decision-making environment.

Window Air Conditioners Transition and Restriction in Saudi Arabia

This paper will provide a proposed solution for saving energy consumption due to residential air conditioners by reducing the window air conditioners type which is the most consumed energy and has a big percent of spreading inside KSA than the split type, also it will discuss some restrictions for trading and manufacturing of air conditioner devices inside KSA besides some restrictions on market and buildings to achieve the objective of reducing the consumption of energy which become a big trend in kingdom vision 2030. The results of this suggesting solution will help the decision-makers to start its plan for execution as it has a big difference between using window type from 2022 till 2030 and if we stop its sales and replace by an efficient one of split AC type in energy consumption in addition to CO2 emission reduction and decreasing of energy cost, hence our kingdom can save petroleum raw materials and keeping the environment to become clean from pollutants so that these resources are delivered to successive generations correct and clean as we received them from those before us.

Applications of Low-Emissivity Hybrid Insulation in South Korea

Low-Emissivity Hybrid Insulation has been developed in South Korea. It combines both resistive and reflective insulating principle. It is composed with many layers of reflective aluminum foils and honeycomb-structure air cells with polyethylene foam. This paper introduces recent South Korean building insulation code and the applications of Low-Emissivity Hybrid Insulation to meet the code.

A prototype online database-enabled design framework for wind analysis/design of low-rise buildings

This study presents a development of an advanced cyberbased database-enabled design module for low- rise buildings （DEDM-LR） which provides estimation of the wind-induced responses for main wind force resisting frames by making direct use of pressure time histories measured at a large number of pressure taps over a suite of building models. These responses may be considered in lieu of code-specified load effects in which the overall accuracy may be influenced by the inherent simplifications in codes. In addition, this new automated approach is particularly attractive and advantageous as it allows a web-based online analysis/design via intuitive user-friendly interfaces for both the input and output in terms of familiar web-style forms that are nowadays very common in most of web-based services. Presently, the DEDM-LR hosts an aerodynamic database developed by the Tokyo Polytechnic University （TPU）, Japan for a variety of building configurations like flat, gable, and hip roofs under suburban terrain flow condition with immediate application to other databases. The paper shows the efficacy and validity of the DEDM-LR by walking through its details and examples on selected gable-roofed buildings. The architecture of DEDM-LR platform offers the ability to pool resources by hosting other databases that may become available in the near future.

Application of a probabilistic LHS-PAWN approach to assess building cooling energy demand uncertainties

A deterministic approach to building energy simulation risks the omission of real-world uncertainties leading to prediction errors.This paper highlights limitations of this approach by contrasting it with a probabilistic uncertainty/sensitivity simulation approach.Latin hypercube sampling(LHS)generates 15000 unique model configurations to assess the effects of weather,physical and operational uncertainties on the annual and peak cooling energy demands for a residential building which situated in a hot and dry climatic region.Probabilistic simulations predicted 0.22–2.17 and 0.45–1.62 times variation in annual and peak cooling energy demands,respectively,compared to deterministic simulation.A novel density-based global sensitivity analysis(SA),i.e.,PAWN,is adopted to identify dominant input uncertainties.Unlike traditional SA methods,PAWN allows simultaneous treatment of continuous and categorical inputs from a generic input-output sample.PAWN is favourable when computational resources are limited and model outputs are skewed or multi-modal.For annual and peak cooling demands,the effects of weather and operational parameters associated with airconditioner and window operation are much stronger than these of other parameters considered.Consequently,these parameters warrant greater attention during modelling and simulation stages.Bootstrapping and convergence analysis also confirm the validity of these results.

Application of BCP-2007 and UBC-97 in seismic vulnerability assessment of gravity designed RC buildings in Pakistan

Recent earthquakes in Pakistan （Kashmir 2005, Balochistan 2008, and Balochistan 2013） revealed the vulnerability of existing building stock and the deficiencies in the then prevalent Pakistan Seismic Code （PSC-86 （1986））. This study investigates, through an analytical framework, the seismic vulnerability of these and other such buildings, in accordance with the newly developed Building Code of Pakistan - Seismic Provisions 2007 （BCP-SP 07）. Detailed failure mode is presented for buildings designed as per the new code. Collapse of structures is predicted for only 8% increase in PGA after moderate damage. A previously developed method, based on Eurocode-8 （2004）, is used as baseline. A deficient reinforced concrete frame, typical to local building practices, is analyzed and assessed for vulnerability using the BCP- SP 07 （2007） framework. A comparison is drawn for the same building, based on Eurocode- 8 （2004）. Derived vulnerability curves show that the previous framework overestimated the damage and hence the vulnerability. Comparison of vulnerability parameters with previous studies show slight difference in performance of buildings.

Mitigation of the impacts of electric vehicle charging on energy-star ratings for residential buildings in India

The star-labelling programme for residential buildings was introduced by India in 2020 and applies to all residential buildings with no lower limit on the built-up area or electrical demand.The energy-star label for a residential building is awarded against the notified standard by the regulatory body and electric vehicles(EVs)have not been accommodated as a load for residential buildings.The en-ergy consumption of an existing residential building is taken from a study already carried out and compared with the requirement of the Indian residential star-labelling programme with an EV as a plugged-in load.An annual energy gap of 6060 kWh for the existing residential buildings considered in this study for five-star building energy labels increases to 7784 kWh if the EV load is added to the building load.The residential building will lose two energy stars if it caters to the EV load and,to bridge this energy gap,the replace-ment of existing electrical appliances with five-star-rated energy appliances,employing grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaics(PV)and retrofit of the building envelope are considered.The techno-economic potential of rooftop solar PV and building envelope retrofitting for existing residential buildings is explored using RETScreen®and eQUEST software,respectively.The study establishes that the installation of rooftop solar PV can accommodate the additional load of EVs and can bridge half and three-quarters of the energy gap to achieve five energy stars for an existing building with and without EVs,respectively.It is the most economical option among the options explored in this study.The target Energy Performance Index is achievable by high-end energy consumers(12000 kWh/year)by additional measures,the replacement of inefficient electrical appliances and building envelope retrofitting in addition to the installation of rooftop solar PV.