The Static Lateral Force Procedure

Applicability:
The static lateral force procedure may be used for the following
structures:
 All structures, regular or irregular (Table1.a and 1.b), in seismic zone
no. 1 and in standard occupancy structures in seismic zone no. 2
(see Table 2 OR BNBC TABLE, 6.2.22 for zone classification and Table
3 OR BNBC TABLE, 6.2.23 for occupancy factors).

 Regular structures under 73 m in height with lateral force resistance

provided by systems given in Tables 5.a and 5.b except for
structures located in soil profile type S4 which have a period greater
than 0.70 sec. (see Table 4 for soil profiles).
Applicability:
The static lateral force procedure may be used for the following
structures:
 Irregular structures not more than five stories or 20 m in height.

 Structures having a flexible upper portion supported on a rigid

lower portion where both portions of the structure considered
separately can be classified as being regular, the average story
stiffness of the lower portion is at least ten times the average
stiffness of the upper portion and the period of the entire structure
is not greater than 1.10 times the period of the upper portion
considered as a separate structure fixed at the base.
Regular Structures:
Regular structures are structures having no significant physical
discontinuities in plan or vertical configuration or in their lateral force
resisting.

Irregular Structures:
Irregular structures are structures having significant physical
discontinuities in configuration or in their lateral force resisting systems
(See Table 1.a and 1.b for detailed description of such structures).

Concept of Method:
 The 1994 UBC equivalent static method considers only
horizontal movement and neglects effects of vertical ground
movement.
 Statically models the inertial effects using Newton’s 2nd Law of
Motion given by the following eq..
F=M*a
Concept of Method:
Where
F = resulting force on structure
M = building mass
a = acceleration of ground
But
M =W/g
And above Eqn. can be written as
 Minimum Design Lateral Forces:

 The design seismic forces may be assumed to act non-

concurrently in the direction of each principal axis of the
structure.
 The total design base shear in a given direction is to be
determined from the following Eqn.
Minimum Design Lateral Forces:
 Minimum Design Lateral Forces:

Z = seismic zone factor given in Table (2) and is related to the seismicity of
the zone. It is the effective peak ground acceleration with 10 % probability
of being exceeded in 50 years.

I = Building importance factor given in Table (3), which accounts for

building use and importance

Rw = structural factor, accounting for building ductility and damping,

given in Tables (5.a) and (5.b). A Larger Rw value means a better seismic
performance.

Ductility = ability to deform in the inelastic range prior to fracture

Damping = resistance to motion provided by material friction

 Minimum Design Lateral Forces:

C = dynamic response value, and accounts for how the building and soil
can amplify the basic ground acceleration

S = site Coefficient depending on the soil characteristics

given in Table

T = structural fundamental period in seconds in the direction under

consideration evaluated from the following equations.
 Minimum Design Lateral Forces:

T = structural fundamental period in seconds in the direction under

consideration evaluated from the following equations.

For concrete moment-resisting frames

T =0.073(hn )3 / 4
For steel moment-resisting frames

T =0.083(hn )3 / 4
Minimum Design Lateral Forces:
 Vertical Distribution of Force:

The base shear evaluated from the following Eqn.

 Vertical Distribution of Force:

The shear force at each story is given by the following Eqn.

Vertical Distribution of Force:
Horizontal Distribution of Force:
The design story shear in any direction Vx, is distributed to the
various elements of the lateral force-resisting system in
proportion to their rigidities.

Horizontal Torsional Moment:

To account for the uncertainties in locations of loads, the mass at each
level is assumed to be displaced from the calculated center of mass in
each direction a distance equal to 5 % of the building dimension at that
level perpendicular to the direction of the force under consideration. The
torsional design moment at a given story is given by moment resulting
from eccentricities between applied design lateral forces applied through
each story’s center of mass at levels above the story and the center of
stiffness of the vertical elements of the story, in addition to the accidental
torsion.
Overturning Moments:
The overturning moments are to be determined at each
level of the structure. The overturning moment Mx at level x is given by the
following Eqn.

Overturning moments are distributed to the various elements of the

vertical lateral force-resisting system in proportion to their rigidities.

P - D Effects:
The resulting member forces, moments and story drifts induced by P - D
effects are to be considered in the evaluation of overall structural frame
stability. P – D effects are neglected when the ratio given by the Eqn. is
≤ 0.1.
P - D Effects:
STOREY DRIFT LIMITATION
Storey drift is the horizontal displacement of one level of a building or
structure relative to the level above or below due to the design gravity
(dead and live loads) or lateral forces (e.g. wind and earthquake loads).
calculated storey drift shall include both translational and torsional
deflections and conform to the following requirements:
 Table (1.a) Vertical Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

A- Stiffness Irregularity- - -Soft Story A Use the dynamic lateral

soft story is one in which the lateral force procedure.
stiffness is less than 70 percent of that in
the story above or less than 80 percent of
the average stiffness of the three stories
above.
 Table (1.a) Vertical Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

B- Mass Irregularity-----Mass irregularity Use the dynamic lateral

is considered to exist where the effective force procedure.
mass of any story is more than 150
percent of the effective mass of an
adjacent story.
 Table (1.a) Vertical Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

C-Vertical Geometric Irregularity--Vertical Use the dynamic lateral

geometric irregularity shall be considered force procedure.
to exist where the horizontal dimension of
the lateral force-resisting system in any
story is more than 130 percent of that in
an adjacent story.

Wall
 Table (1.a) Vertical Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

D- In-Plane Discontinuity in Vertical The Structure is to be

Lateral Force-resisting Element----- designed to resist the
An in-plane offset of the lateral load overturning effects caused
resisting elements greater than the length by seismic forces, down to
of these elements. the foundations level.
 Table (1.a) Vertical Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

E- Discontinuity in Capacity-Weak Story Structures are not to be

A weak story is one in which the story over two stories or 9 m in
strength is less than 80 percent of that in height where the weak
the story above. The story strength is the story has calculated
total strength of all seismic-resisting strength of less than 65 %
elements sharing the story shear for the of the story above.
direction under consideration.
 Table (1.b) Plan Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

A- Torsional Irregularity -----Torsional The one-third increase

irregularity is to be considered to exist usually permitted in
when the maximum story drift, computed allowable stresses for
including accidental torsion, at one end of elements resisting
the structure transverse to an axis is more earthquake forces is to be
than 1.2 times the average of the story discarded.
drifts of the two ends of the structure.
 Table (1.b) Plan Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

B- Re-entrant Corners---- Plan The one-third increase

configurations of a structure and its lateral usually permitted in
force-resisting system contain reentrant allowable stresses for
corners, where both projections of the elements resisting
structure beyond a re-entrant corner are earthquake forces is to be
greater than 15 % of the plan dimension discarded.
of the structure in the given direction.
 Table (1.b) Plan Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

C- Diaphragm Discontinuity The one-third increase

----Diaphragms with abrupt discontinuities usually permitted in
or variations in stiffness, including those allowable stresses for
having cutout or open areas greater than elements resisting
50 % of the gross enclosed area of the earthquake forces is to be
diaphragm, or changes in effective discarded.
diaphragm stiffness of more than 50 %
from one story to the next.
 Table (1.b) Plan Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and Definition How to Deal with

D- Out-of-plane Offsets---- Structures are to be designed

Discontinuities in a lateral force path, to resist the overturning effects
such as out-of-plane offsets of the caused by earthquake forces
vertical elements. and are these effects are to be
carried down to the
foundation.
 Table (1.b) Plan Structural Irregularities
Irregularity Type and
Definition
E- Nonparallel Systems
-----The vertical lateral load-
resisting elements are not
parallel to or symmetric
about the major orthogonal
axes of the lateral force
resisting system.
How to Deal with
The requirement that orthogonal effects
be considered may be satisfied by
designing such elements for 100 % of
the prescribed seismic forces in one
direction plus 30 % of the prescribed
forces in the perpendicular direction.
Alternately, the effects of the two
orthogonal directions may be combined
on a square root of the sum of the
squares basis.
 Table (2 or BNBC TABLE, 6.2.22 ) Seismic Zone Factor
Zone 1 2 3
Z 0.075 0.15 0.25

Table (3 or BNBC TABLE, 6.2.23 ) Occupancy Importance

Factors
 Table (4 or BNBC TABLE, 6.2.25 ) Site Coefficients

Note: the site co-efficient shall be established from properly substantiated

geotechnical data. In locations where soil properties are unknown in sufficient
detail to determine the soil profile type, the soil profile S3 shall be used.
Table (5.a or BNBC TABLE, 6.2.24 ) Structural Factors
(building structures)
Table (5.b or BNBC TABLE, 6.2.24 ) Structural Factors
(building structures)
Example 1:
A seven-story building frame system (residential) with shear walls has
the dimensions shown in the figure. The total sustained dead load is 800
kg/m2. This building is located in Khulna and lies on top of a deep clayey
deposit. Eight shear walls, each 3 m long and 0.2 m thick are used as a
lateral force resisting system. Determine the seismic loads at the floor
levels of the building in a direction perpendicular to axis 1-1, 2-2, 3-3,
and 4-4 using the BNBC.
Example 2:
A four story high steel special moment-resisting frame (SMRF) that is 50
ft wide and 200 ft long as shown in the figure below. The building is
classified as special occupancy structure. The total roof and floor loads
are estimated to be 400 lb/ft2 and 200 lb/ft2 , respectively. It is located at
sismec zone 2. calculate the followings:
I. Shear distribution over the height of the building
II. Overturning moment at the each story level
III. Story drift
IV. A 7 -storied building is required to construct near the existing four
storied building whose time period and height is calculated as 0.79 s
and 80 ft, respectively. Determine the minimum clearance is
required to overcome the effect of pounding.