- Category: Economics , Science
- Topic: Industry , Workforce , Architecture , Technology
Building codes play a critical role in ensuring safe and reliable structures. These codes specify guidelines for material selection, structural analysis, member proportioning, and other important considerations that are essential for reinforced concrete slabs, beams, columns, and foundations design. The codes must be adhered to and respected to guarantee the structural integrity of the building. Failure to comply may result in serious consequences, such as building damage, injury, and loss of life.
Different regions and countries have established their own building codes, which reflect the specific needs and circumstances of their respective construction industries. Some of the most commonly used international building codes include the Unified Arabic Code (UAC), the British Standard (BS 8110), the Canadian Code (CSA-A23.3-94), and the Turkish Standards (TS 500). In countries where specialized codes do not exist, such as many developing nations, architects often employ foreign codes.
Comparative studies serve as a valuable tool in understanding these differences and selecting a code that is suitable for a particular construction project. It is essential for structural engineers to comply with the building codes, as doing so helps ensure safer structures and promotes public safety.
The "ACI Building Code," which is short for "Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete" by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), is only concerned with maintaining public safety. ACI Building Code agreements are not legally binding, but they establish guidelines that should be followed when constructing with reinforced concrete. Numerous governments have incorporated the ACI Building Code into their internal regulations.
ACI requires particular standards, including the widely recognized "Specifications for Structural Concrete for Buildings" (ACI 301-84). Though these requirements are not mandatory, any attempt to follow alternative methods must still comply with the ACI criteria, and architects and engineers may add to these criteria to suit a specific project. The ACI 301-84 particularly covers reinforced concrete buildings.
BS 8110-97, a British Standard, combines the plastic (load factor) and elastic (maintaining stresses within the material's elastic range) design. It is the limit-state design for concrete construction using structural design, ensuring the intended function of a structure throughout its expected lifespan. For this reason, limit states must be determined and assessed to maintain the building's overall stability. The Eurocode 8, a seismic code developed by the European Commission, is applicable in seismic zones and guarantees the safety of people and buildings during natural disasters.
Since urbanization and population growth have made multistory reinforced concrete buildings more prevalent, earthquakes can inflict the most significant damage. Engineers must model these structures to examine the real-world impacts of seismic stresses and assess them without harm. Structural assessments in line with Iraqi and U.S. building codes (ACI 318-14) and British and Egyptian seismic codes (EUROCODE 8-2004 and BS 8110-97) are increasingly necessary.
The structure in question is a 21-story reinforced concrete tower that measures 32.60 by 33.6 feet with a slab thickness of 0.15 meters and a stair thickness of 0.2 meters. It uses beams of 0.3 by 0.6 meters without movable bracing and has level heights of 3.2 meters, except for the base floor, which stands at 3.4 meters. The structure employed (0.4*0.8) meter-diameter columns, (0.3) meter core walls, (0.3*100), (0.3*130), (0.3*150), and (0.3*190) meter shear walls, as well as a flat slab system. The entire structure was modeled and analyzed using REVIT and ETABS, with the Cairo and Iraq seismic codes regulating its design. Figure 1 showcases the finished structure, with five additional stories in Baghdad for further research.
Table 1 consists of information on the database and modeling of the building under investigation, including the dimensions of its beams, columns, stairs, elevators, and slabs. Furthermore, the height of each floor is provided, with the ground floor being 3.4 meters high and each duplicate story being 3.2 meters high. Figure 1 illustrates the horizontal elevation of the building.
Table 2 contains data on the material characteristics of the building, including details about the specified compressive strength and weight per unit volume of the concrete, as well as the yield stress, Poisson ratio, tensile stress, and elasticity modulus of the steel used in the construction.
The seismic zone factor, denoted as z, plays a crucial role in determining the appropriate structural system to be employed in the construction of a building. The value of z is related to all seismic acceleration coefficients, and a seismic coefficient value exceeding 10% signifies a higher chance of an earthquake occurring. This value is determined based on seismic data, geological data, and historical evidence and is used to calculate the effective ground acceleration for a structure. Table 3 details seismic coding coefficients for the structure's construction and design.
The research explores disparities between current codes and geologists' studies from various countries, including Baghdad. Figure 2 depicts a map of the spectral response acceleration for Iraq, with table 3 presenting the seismic coding coefficients for the Iraqi seismic code SS S1 2019.
Experimental work and controlling facts play an essential role in achieving the most precise and optimal outcomes possible. The legal disparities between Egypt and Iraq are significant factors that impact results. Static and dynamic loading scenarios are analyzed to gather data on the forces, moments, and internal operations of each component of the structure.
Structural stability under externally induced loads and responses in the supports is necessary to satisfy equilibrium requirements. Additionally, source transformations and material inequality play a critical role in the analysis. Comparative evaluations of columns and shear walls were performed using four codes, namely ACI 318-14, ISC 2019 (ASCE7-10), BS 8110-79, and ESC (EUROCODE 8-2004, with a focus on base shear forces, which are dispersed according to floor height.
The values of fundamental shear forces obtained for the building under investigation were compared to those of a building with similar dimensions in Cairo, Egypt. Two seismic codes, ISC 2019 (ASCE 7-10) and ESC (EUROCODE 8-2004), were used in the comparison, revealing a significant difference in the base shear forces for the two locations. Figure 10 indicates that the smallest value produced by the revision to the Iraqi seismic code in 2019.
The present task involves the rewriting of the provided text in natural language, using better words and making it unique. The first figure, Figure 9, displays the base shear for the 21-floor buildings located in Baghdad, Iraq. The same figure is based on the ISC 2019-(ASCE 7-10) Code. Similarly, Figure 10 illustrates the base shear for the buildings of the same size, but located in Cairo, Egypt, according to the ESC - (EUROCODE 8-2004) Code.
In Figure 11, a comparison is drawn between the base shear for the two 21-floor buildings located in Iraq and Egypt, respectively. The base shear is depicted based on different codes, namely, the ISC 2019-(ASCE 2017) and ESC - (EUROCODE 8-2004) Codes.
Besides, Figure 12 demonstrates the maximum storey displacement based on the ACI 318-14 Code.
The article also highlights earthquake codes, detailing the elevation, maximum drift in the x and y directions for both Baghdad and Cairo, and the respective codes they follow.
In conclusion, this analysis focuses on concrete building schemes in Cairo and Baghdad. The article examines the impact of earthquake maps on the structure of these buildings. It details the various elements involved in constructing a sturdy building and includes a case study to emphasize the importance of these elements. Shear walls, for example, play a significant role in balancing the bulk and stiffness of a structure and consequently, strengthening it against lateral loads.