Seismic performance evaluation of typical new tall buildings constructed in Vancouver Canada

Abstract

With growing population and limited space in major cities worldwide, high-rise construction is becoming the only solution in solving the rapid urbanization issue. In areas such as Vancouver, British Columbia, high-rise buildings are threatened by the potential for large earthquakes which could cause significant structural and nonstructural damage. To address this concern, a detailed inventory of tall buildings in Vancouver has been created. A representative prototype building was designed according to the 2010 National Building Code of Canada and CSA A23.3-04. The prototype building was used to assess the safety and performance of typical tall buildings in Vancouver. The evaluation uses state-of-the-art performance assessment techniques which accounts for the detailed seismic hazard, modeling analysis, fragility data and loss analysis to quantify the performance of the structure and nonstructural components under the design level earthquake. The results can be used immediately by the building owners and other stake holders to make informed risk management decisions.