Comparative Environmental Analysis of Seismic Damage in Buildings
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 2
Abstract
In studying the environmental impacts of buildings, earthquake hazards are rarely considered, but their environmental impacts can be significant. This case study paper demonstrates how the US Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Performance Assessment Calculation Tool (PACT) can be used to analyze the environmental impacts of buildings using probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. PACT was used to evaluate 10 case study buildings that varied by five types of lateral systems and two risk categories. For each building, PACT generated 1,000 realizations at five earthquake intensities. The resulting environmental impacts were analyzed according to their distribution, median, and average values, and the differences among building component types, risk categories, and lateral force-resisting systems were explored. In this study, building components that were categorized under Exterior Enclosures, Interior Finishes, and Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) produced notably higher environmental impacts in response to seismic damage, and their vulnerability to displacement- or acceleration-induced damage could be attributed to the characteristics of the lateral systems. Although these observations are notable, they should not be taken as universally applicable to all buildings. Instead, these findings exemplify how the environmental impact results from PACT can be analyzed and interpreted to address both the seismic and environmental aspects of building design.
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Acknowledgments
This work was funded by FEMA and was managed by ATC through the ATC-58 Project, which is dedicated to the public. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in the material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FEMA or ATC. Special acknowledgment is due to John Hooper, Anthony Court, Wayne Trusty, Mark Webster, and Jon Heinz, who collaborated on the development of the initial methodology; John Gillengerten, who developed the PACT model files for the case study buildings and provided guidance on their use; Vesna Terzic, who evaluated the case study buildings during their development; Scott Hagie and Russell Larson, who provided additional support for the PACT software; and Ayse Hortacsu for information about the next release of PACT.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 2 • February 2020
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 7, 2018
Accepted: May 30, 2019
Published online: Dec 5, 2019
Published in print: Feb 1, 2020
Discussion open until: May 5, 2020
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