Review of Displacement-Based Seismic Design of Structures by M. J. N. Priestley, G. M. Calvi, and M. J. Kowalsky: IUSS Press, Pavia, Italy, 2007.

This book addresses the development and application of the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure to a variety of structural systems. The central concept developed in this book is that the seismic design of a structure is based on a specified target displacement for a given seismic hazard level. For this purpose, the structural response is modeled by a secant elastic lateral stiffness and an equivalent viscous damping representative of the global behavior of the actual nonlinear structure at the target displacement. The secant stiffness and damping values developed for each structural system were calibrated by the authors on the basis of the results of inelastic time-history dynamic analyses.

The direct displacement-based seismic design procedure treated in this book offers a number of advantages over the traditional force-based seismic design procedure currently implemented in seismic provisions around the world: (1) no estimation of the elastic period of the structural system is required; (2) subjectively attributed force reduction factors do not enter the design process; and (3) displacements that have been observed to be the main parameter affecting structural damage in actual earthquakes drive the design process. The direct-displacement seismic design strategy, on the other hand, requires detailed knowledge of the variations of the equivalent secant stiffness and viscous damping of the structural system with displacement amplitude. To date, this information was not well established for many structural systems, and the elaboration of the direct displacement-based concepts into a simple and robust seismic design procedure had not been established. On the basis of research conducted by the authors over the past 15 years, this book fills this important gap in knowledge.

The book is divided into four main sections. The first section includes the first two introductory chapters, which discuss conceptual problems with the current force-based seismic design procedure and the seismic input required for displacement-based design.

The second section of the book includes two chapters that lay down the theoretical foundations leading to the elaboration of the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure. In Chapter 3, the fundamentals of direct displacement-based design for single- and multi-degree-of-freedom systems are presented. The consideration of a number of factors into the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure are discussed, including second-order $\left(\mathrm{P}\text{-}\Delta \right)$ effects, gravity loads and torsional effects. The analysis tools required to apply the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure are discussed in Chapter 4. In particular, the authors demonstrate that equilibrium considerations within a capacity design approach can lead to a more advantageous distribution of strength along the structural elements of a system than that resulting from only elastic stiffness considerations.

Chapters 5 to 12 represent the third main section and also the heart of the book. In these chapters, the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure is developed for a wide range of structural systems, including reinforced concrete and steel buildings (frames, walls, and dual wall-frames), masonry buildings, timber structures, bridges, structures with isolation and added damping, wharves, and piers. In most chapters, enough details are presented to clearly demonstrate the application of the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure along with an impressive number of design examples (39 for the entire book).

The fourth main section of the book includes its final two chapters. Chapter 13 adapts the principles of direct displacement-based seismic design to the assessment of existing structures. Chapter 14 presents the previously developed design information in the form of a draft building code. This latter chapter is most unusual for a textbook but at the same time represents a most useful capstone chapter to the book that could serve as a guideline for the implementation of the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure in future model codes.

The target audiences for the book are practicing engineers. However, since the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure is relatively new and many details of its implementation originate from original research by the authors and are not published elsewhere, the book should also interest researchers and graduate students interested in earthquake-resisting design. The book includes an accompanying CD that contains a number of computer programs useful for the application of the material covered.

This reviewer’s overall impression of this book is that it represents a seminal contribution to the field of earthquake engineering. It is the first book entirely dedicated to the development and application of the direct displacement-based seismic design procedure to a variety of structural systems. Considering the breadth and the rigor of the material covered in this book, it is a must-read for the entire earthquake engineering community.