[CEUS-earthquake-hazards] Seismic design in China

[Julio J. Hernández]

To those interested ones in seismic design in China:

With regard to the analysis and design that it would have been used in China, Shiping Hu 
in "Seismic Design of Buildings in China" (Earthquake Spectra, 1993, pp. 703-737) 
shows the Seismic Zoning Map of China (1990) based in intensities 6 to 9, but made with 
probabilistic concepts and associated to PGA ranging from 0.05 to 0.4 g, 

According to S. Hu, none major Chinese city was in 9-intensity area. 
Few (including Beijing) were in 8-intensity area, associated to PGA = 0.2 g. 
Most (including Chengdu) were in 7-intensity area, associated to PGA = 0.1 g. 

The 1990 code was changed in 2001, according to Yuxian Hu in "Development of Earthquake 
Engineering in China" (13th WCEE, Canada, 2004, paper No. 5008), stating the new PGA map. 
And this author points out that since 1964 those PGA values were used.

Obviously, the great damage was not due to this map, independently of its validity, 
but to the previous tradition. 
Those PGA seem very small and it is also necessary to consider the construction practices.

Regards, Julio J.
_______________________________________________________
Julio J. Hernández 
Consultant on Structural Engineering and Earthquake Engineering 
Caracas, Venezuela 
e-mail:  julher at cantv.net 
cellphone:  +58-414-1293989

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