ASCE 31 Screening Phase (Tier 1) Modified for Pakistan Conditions

Basic Structural Checklist for Building Type C3: Concrete Frames with Infill Masonry Shear Walls and Stiff Diaphragms

This Basic Structural Checklist is intended for use in rapid evaluation of a building for potential seismic vulnerabilities. Compliance with
individual statements listed below should be indicated by circling “C” to identify items that are acceptable according to the criteria of this
standard. Non-compliance should be indicated by circling “NC” to identify issues that require further investigation. Certain statements may
not apply to the building being evaluated; circle “N/A” in these cases.

Compliance Provision Commentary

(circle one)
C NC N/A LOAD PATH: The structure shall contain a There must be a complete lateral-force-resisting system that forms a continuous load path between the
minimum of one complete load path for Life foundation, all diaphragm levels, and all portions of the building for proper seismic performance. If there is
Safety and Immediate Occupancy for seismic a discontinuity in the load path, the building will be unable to resist seismic forces regardless of the
force effects from any horizontal direction that strength of existing elements. The general load path is as follows: seismic forces originating throughout the
serves to transfer the inertial forces from the mass building are delivered through structural connections to horizontal diaphragms (floors and roofs); the
to the foundation. diaphragms distribute these forces to vertical lateral-force-resisting elements such as shear walls and
frames; the vertical elements transfer the forces into the foundation; and the foundation transfers the forces
into the underlying soil. Compliance of this statement only indicates the existence of a complete load path;
the adequacy of the load path is checked in subsequent statements.
C NC N/A SOFT STORY: The stiffness of the lateral-force-
resisting system in any story shall not be less than
70 percent of the lateral-force-resisting system
stiffness in an adjacent story above or below, or
less than 80 percent of the average lateral-force-
resisting system stiffness of the three stories
above or below for Life Safety and Immediate
Occupancy.
 (a) (b)

(c)
This condition commonly occurs in commercial buildings with open fronts at ground-floor storefronts,
such as the building shown in (a) above and hotels or office buildings with particularly tall first stories.
Such cases are not necessarily soft stories because the tall columns may have been designed with

C NC N/A WEAK STORY: The strength of the lateral-force-
resisting system in any story shall not be less than
80 percent of the strength in an adjacent story,
above or below, for Life Safety and Immediate
Occupancy.
appropriate stiffness, but they are likely to he soft stories if they have been designed without consideration
for story drift. Soft stories usually are revealed by an abrupt change in story drift, as shown by the damage
to building (b). In extreme cases, the concentration of drift in one story can lead to collapse, as shown in
(c). Generally an examination of the building elevations can determine if a soil story exists without the
need for calculation. A tall story or a change in the type of lateral-force-resisting system are obvious
indications that a soft story might exist. A gradual reduction of lateral-force-resisting elements as the
building increases in height is typical and is not considered a soft story condition.
The difference between “soft” and “weak” stories is the difference between stiffness and strength. A
column may be limber but strong, or stiff but weak. A change in column size can affect strength and
stiffness, and both need to be considered.
An examination of recent earthquake damage revealed a number of buildings that suffered mid-height
collapses. It appears that this situation occurs most often in the near field area of major earthquakes and
only affects mid-rise buildings between five and fifteen stories tall. These types of buildings are typically
designed for primary mode effects but have a significant strength and stiffness reduction at one level up the
height of the structure. This reduction in strength and/or stiffness coupled with unexpected higher mode
effects may have the potential to cause mid-height collapses. A dynamic analysis should be performed to
determine if there are unexpectedly high seismic demands at locations of stiffness discontinuities.
The story strength is the total strength of all the lateral-force-resisting elements in a given story for the
direction under consideration. It is the shear capacity of columns or shear walls, or the horizontal
component of the capacity of diagonal braces. If the columns are flexure controlled, the shear strength is
the shear corresponding to the flexural strength. Weak stories are usually found where vertical
discontinuities exist or where member size or reinforcement has been reduced. It is necessary to calculate
the story strengths and compare them. The result of a weak story is a concentration of inelastic activity that
may result in the partial or total collapse of the story. By showing that the story strength is greater than
V/2, the side-sway mechanism will most likely not be the story mechanism.
Generally an examination of the building elevations can determine if a weak story exists without the need
for calculation. A reduction in the number or length of lateral-force-resisting elements or a change in the
type of lateral-force-resisting system are obvious indications that a weak story might exist. A gradual
reduction of lateral-force-resisting elements as the building increases in height is typical and is not
considered a weak story condition.
An examination of recent earthquake damage revealed a number of buildings that suffered mid-height
collapses, It appears that this situation occurred most often in the near field area of major earthquakes and
 only affected mid-rise buildings between five and fifteen stories tall. These types of buildings are typically.
designed for primary mode effects but have a significant strength and stiffness reduction at one level up the
height of the structure.. This reduction in strength and stiffness coupled with unexpected higher mode
effects may have been the potential cause of the mid-height collapses. A dynamic analysis should be
performed to determine if there are unexpectedly high seismic demands at locations of strength
discontinuities. Compliance can be achieved if the elements of the weak story can be shown to have
adequate capacity near elastic levels.
C NC N/A VERTICAL DISCONTINUITIES: All vertical
elements in the lateral-force-resisting system shall
be continuous to the foundation.

The most common example of a vertical discontinuity is a discontinuous shear wall or braced frame. The
element is not continuous to the foundation; rather, it stops at an upper level. The shear at this level is
transferred through the diaphragm to other resisting elements below. This force transfer can be
accomplished through a strut if the elements are on the same plane or through a connecting diaphragm if
the elements are not in the same plane. This causes a local strength and ductility problem below the
discontinuous elements, not a global story or stiffness irregularity. The primary concern is that the wall or
frame may have more shear capacity than considered in the design, imposing overturning forces that
overwhelm the columns below.
C NC N/A GEOMETRY: There shall be no changes in
horizontal dimension of the lateral-force-resisting
system of more than 30 percent in a story relative
to adjacent stories for Life Safety and Immediate
Occupancy, excluding one-story penthouses and
mezzanines.

Geometric irregularities are usually detected in an examination of the story-to-story variation in the
dimensions of the lateral-force-resisting system. A building with upper stories set back from a broader base
 structure is a common example. Another example is a story in a high rise that is set back for architectural
reasons. It should be noted that the irregularity of concern is in the dimensions of the lateral-force-resisting
system and not in the envelope of the building, so it may not be obvious. Geometric irregularities affect the
dynamic response of the structure and may lead to unexpected higher mode effects and concentrations of
demand. One-story penthouses need not be considered except for added mass.
C NC N/A TORSION: The estimated distance between the
story center of mass and the story center of
rigidity shall be less than 20 percent of the
building width in either plan dimension for Life
Safety and Immediate Occupancy.

Wherever there is significant torsion in a building, the concern is that additional seismic demands are
imposed on the vertical elements by rotation of the diaphragm. Buildings can be designed to meet code
forces including torsion, but buildings with severe torsion are less likely to perform well in earthquakes.
One concern is the columns that support the diaphragm, especially if they are not intended to be part of the
lateral-force-resisting system. The columns are forced to drift laterally with the diaphragm, including
lateral forces and P-delta effects for which they may not have been designed. Another concern is the
strength of the vertical elements of the lateral-force-resisting system that will experience additional seismic
demands due to torsion. Corner buildings such as the one shown above may be especially prone to torsion
due to the presence of numerous openings on the two sides with street frontage, and solid property line
walls on the remaining two sides.
C NC N/A CAPTIVE COLUMNS: There shall be no
columns at a level with height/depth ratio less
than 50% of the nominal height/depth ratio of the
typical columns at that level for Life Safety and
75% for Immediate Occupancy.
 Captive columns occur when the deformation designed to occur over the full height of the column is
confined to a shorter region due to the presence of an element that laterally braces the column for some
portion of its height. As a result, captive columns are much stiffer than other columns in a story and attract
large shear forces. In many instances the bracing elements are nonstructural elements such as partial-height
walls that were not considered in the structural design. If not properly detailed, such columns may suffer
non-ductile shear failure, which may result in partial collapse of the structure.
C NC N/A ADJACENT BUILDINGS: There shall be
adequate seismic separation between buildings to
prevent hammering if the floor slabs at each level
do not align vertically within 50% of the height of
the thicker floor slab.

C NC N/A MEZZANINES: Interior mezzanine levels shall
be braced independently from the main structure,
or shall be anchored to the lateral-force-resisting
elements of the main structure.
Buildings are often built right up to property lines in order to make maximum use of space, and historically
buildings have been designed as if the adjacent buildings do not exist. As a result, the buildings may
impact each other, or pound, during an earthquake. Building pounding can alter the dynamic response of
both buildings and impart additional inertial loads on both structures.
Buildings that are the same height and have matching floors will exhibit similar dynamic behavior. If the
buildings pound, floors will impact other floors, so damage due to pounding usually will be limited to
nonstructural components. Where the floors of adjacent buildings are at different elevations, floors will
impact the columns of the adjacent building and can cause structural damage. Where the buildings are of
different heights, the shorter building can act as a buttress for the taller building. The shorter building
receives an unexpected load while the taller building suffers from a major stiffness discontinuity that alters
its dynamic response. Since neither building is designed for these conditions, there is a potential for
extensive damage and possible collapse. Many buildings that are built tight to each other appear to survive
earthquakes by acting as a solid block. However, the end buildings of the block may have pronounced
pounding. End block buildings with unaligned floors have the greatest life safety concern.
The potential hazard of the adjacent building also must be evaluated. If a neighbor is a potential collapse
hazard, this must be reported.
It is very common for mezzanines to lack a lateral-force-resisting system. Unbraced mezzanines can be a
potential collapse hazard and should be checked for stability. Lateral force-resisting elements must be
present in both directions to provide bracing.
C NC N/A MASS: There shall be no change in effective
mass more than 50 percent from one story to the
next for Life Safety and Immediate Occupancy.
Light roofs, penthouses, and mezzanines need not
be considered.
C NC N/A DETERIORATION OF CONCRETE: There shall
be no visible deterioration of concrete or
reinforcing steel in any of the vertical- or lateral-
force-resisting elements, spalling, or rusting.
C NC N/A DETERIORATION OF MASONRY UNITS:
There shall be no visible deterioration of masonry
units.
C NC N/A OVERALL QUALITY: The construction quality
shall be good or fair, but not poor.
C NC N/A DEFLECTION COMPATIBILITY: Secondary
components shall have the shear capacity to
develop the flexural strength of the components
for Life Safety and shall meet the requirements of
Sections 4.4.1.4.9, 4.4.1.4.10, 4.4.1.4.11,
4.4.1.4.12 and 4.4.1.4.15 for Immediate
Occupancy.
C NC N/A PROPORTIONS: The height-to-thickness ratio of
Mass irregularities can be detected by comparison of the story weights. The effective mass consists of the
dead load of the structure tributary to each level, plus the actual weights of partitions and permanent
equipment at each floor. Buildings are typically designed for primary mode effects. The validity of this
approximation is dependent on the vertical distribution of mass and stiffness in the building. Mass
irregularities affect the dynamic response of the structure and may lead to unexpected higher mode effects
and concentrations of demand. Light roofs and penthouses need not be considered.
Deteriorated concrete and steel can significantly reduce the strength of concrete elements. This statement is
concerned with deterioration such as spalled concrete with rebar corrosion and water intrusion. Spalled
concrete over reinforcing bars reduces the available surface for bond between the concrete and steel. Bar
corrosion may significantly reduce the cross section of the bar. Deterioration is a concern where the
concrete cover has begun to spall and there is evidence of rusting at critical locations.
Deteriorated or poor-quality masonry elements can result in significant reductions in the strength of
structural elements. Damaged or deteriorated masonry may not be readily observable.
Poor quality construction can cause structures to have inadequate strength and leave them vulnerable to
deterioration. This statement is concerned with both poor quality of construction materials and with poor
execution of construction, including poor placement of concrete and rebar. Poor quality concrete can be
patched with plaster and may be difficult to observe.
Frame components, especially columns, that are not specifically designed as part of the lateral-force-
resisting system will still undergo displacements associated with overall seismic inter-story drifts. Stiff
columns, designed potentially for high gravity loads, may develop significant bending moments due to the
imposed drifts. The moment/axial force interaction may lead to a non-ductile failure of the columns and a
collapse of the building.
Slender masonry infill walls with large height-to-thickness ratios have a potential for damage due to out of
 the infill walls at each story shall be less than 9
for Life Safety in levels of high seismicity, 13 for
Immediate Occupancy in levels of moderate
seismicity, and 8 for Immediate Occupancy in
levels of high seismicity.
C NC N/A SOLID WALLS: The infill walls shall not be of
cavity construction.
plane forces. Failure of these walls out-of-plane will result in falling hazards and degradation of the
strength and stiffness of the lateral-force-resisting system. The out-of-plane stability of infill walls depends
on many factors, including flexural strength of the wall and confinement provided by the surrounding
frame. For unreinforced infill, the flexural strength is limited by the flexural tension capacity of the
material. The surrounding frame will provide confinement, induce infill thrust forces, and develop arching
action against out-of-plane forces. The height-to-thickness limits in the evaluation statement are based on
arching action models that will exceed any plausible acceleration levels in various seismic zones.
When infill walls are of cavity construction, the inner and outer wythes will act independently due to a lack
of composite action, increasing the potential for damage from out-of-plane forces. Failure of these walls
out-of-plane will result in falling hazards and degradation of the strength and stiffness of the lateral-force-
resisting system.

Lateral-Force-Resisting System

Compliance Provision Commentary

(circle one)
C NC N/A REDUNDANCY: The number of lines of shear walls in each principal
direction shall be greater than or equal to 2 for Life Safety and
Immediate Occupancy.
C NC N/A SHEAR STRESS CHECK: The shear stress in the reinforced masonry
shear walls, calculated using the Quick Check procedure at right, shall
be less than 70 psi for Life Safety and Immediate Occupancy.
Redundancy in the structure will ensure that if an element in the lateral-force-
resisting system fails for any reason, there is another element that can provide
lateral force resistance. Redundancy also provides multiple locations for yielding,
distributing inelastic activity throughout the structure and improving ductility and
energy absorption. Typical redundant features include multiple lines of resistance
to distribute the lateral forces uniformly throughout the structure, and multiple
bays in each line of resistance to reduce shear and axial demand on any one
element.
A distinction should be made between redundancy and adequacy. Here,
redundancy simply means more than one. Two elements may not be adequate for
a large building, but one element may be adequate for a small building. Separate
evaluation statements determine the adequacy of the elements provided.
The average shear stress in shear walls, vjavg, shall be calculated as follows:
vjavg = (1/m)*( Vj / Aw)
Where:
C NC N/A SHEAR STRESS CHECK: The shear stress in the unreinforced
masonry shear walls, calculated using the Quick Check procedure at
right, shall be less than 30 psi for clay units and 70 psi for concrete
units for Life Safety and Immediate Occupancy.
C NC N/A COLUMN AXIAL STRESS CHECK: The axial stress in the ground
floor columns, calculated using the Column Quick Check procedure
defined at right, shall be less than 0.2 f’c for Life Safety and
Immediate Occupancy.
C NC N/A COLUMN ASPECT RATIO CHECK: The column clear height
divided by the minimum column cross sectional dimension shall be
less than y for buildings up to ground plus N stories, and less than z
for buildings ground plus N+1 stories and higher.
C NC N/A TRANSFER TO SHEAR WALLS: Diaphragms shall be connected for
transfer of loads to the shear walls for Life Safety and the connections
shall be able to develop the lesser of the shear strength of the walls or
diaphragms for Immediate Occupancy.
Vj = story shear at level j
Aw = summation of the horizontal cross-sectional area of all shear walls in the
direction of loading. Openings shall be taken into consideration when calculating
Aw. For masonry walls, the net area shall be used
m = component modification factor from Table 3-7
faxial = P/Ag
Where:
P = axial force in the column estimated by tributary area
Ag = gross column cross-sectional area
Column aspect ratio = hc / dmin
Where:
hc = column clear height
dmin = minimum column cross section
dimension
The floor or roof diaphragms must be connected to the shear walls to provide a
complete load path for the transfer of diaphragm shear forces to the walls. Where
the wall does not extend the full depth of the diaphragm, this connection may
include collectors or drag struts. Collectors and drag struts must be adequately
connected to the wall to deliver high tension and compression forces at a
concentrated location.
For frame buildings with infill walls, the seismic performance is dependent on the
interaction between the frame and infill, and the behavior is more like that of a
shear wall building. The load path between the diaphragms and the infill panels is
most likely through the frame elements, which also may act as drag struts and
collectors. The evaluation statement is addressing the connection between the
diaphragm and the frame elements.