Seismic design of steel buildings: lessons from the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake

Past and current seismic design provisions for steel structures in Japan are presented and compared with Canadian requirements. The performance of steel framed structures during the January 17, 1995, Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake is described. Numerous failures and examples of inadequate behaviour could be observed in buildings of various ages, sizes, and heights, and braced with different structural systems. In moment resisting frames, the damage …