×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs
5

Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

(OP)
Can anyone suggest a book or paper for understanding seismic calcs per ASCE7?  Including underlying seismic theory.  I've heard of Recommended Lateral Force Requirements and Commentary, but have not seen it yet.  I have a BE in civil, so I've gone through the cookbook approach in school to coming up with the lateral forces per floor, but I want understand what I'm really doing.

Thanks.

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

2
The Recommended Lateral Force Requirements and Commentary is a document published by Structural Engineer Association of Southern California (SEAOC). I believe Seventh Edition (1999) is the latest version, and the last.

ICBO used to adopt recommendations from this document and incorporate into the Uniform Building Codes.

There isn't one single book that covers everything related to seismic design.  Most important reference to obtain would be the Building Code adopted by your local jurisdiction then look into particular topic of interest - dynamic analysis, design of lowrise, base isolated structures, etc.

ICC Store is a good place to start.  Here is a link: http://www.iccsafe.org/e/prodcat.html?catid=EN-Struc&pcats=ICCSafe,ENG&stateInfo=akbakdoePpdiQhbj5163|3

Good luck.

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

The following books (a set of three that can be purchased separately) are probably the best I have seen.  They are directed at the IBC spec however and are not much for the theory.

http://www.iccsafe.org/e/prodshow.html?prodid=9011S00&stateInfo=akbakdoePpdiQhbj5163|8

As far as the theory goes I haven't seen anything good for a long time.  It seems that the current design equations are based on a simplification of the spectral response method and in my opinion it would be interesting to see the background to this and the significance of the Ss and S1 accelerations.

-Mike

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

Look for courses or books dealing with random vibration theory.  Way back when, I got "Random Vibrations and Spectral Analysis" by Newland and "Probabilistic Theory of Structural Dynamics" by Lin.  The former is a typical textbook, the latter was nearly incomprehensible to me.  It's not easy going.  This assumes you already had appropriate courses in Vibrations.

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

Design for Earthquakes by Ambrose & Vergun

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

Two more references to consider:

Structural Dynamics, Theory & Computation
by Mario Paz, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980
ISBN: 0-442-23019-2


Vibrations of Soils and Foundations
by Richart, Hall, and Woods, Prentice-Hall, 1970
ISBN: 13-941716-8

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

Books by Alan Williams such as the Structural Engineers Exam Handbook.

The Seismic Deisgn Handbook by Naeim is also very good.

Structural Dynamics with applications to Earthquake Engineering by Chopra is good to understand the theory behind structural dynamics and the code methods.

Regards,
Qshake

Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

There is a book called Seismic Design of Buildings & Bridges from Kaplan Education website that is very helpful and worth the money.

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

For a theory reference i have to agree with Qshake,  Chopra's "Dynamics of Structures: Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering" is excellent.

RE: Need book recommendation for understanding Seismic Calcs

Try "Seismic Design Handbook" by Farzad Naeim. It is an excellent book to understand the basics of lateral analysis & design.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources