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Seismic Behavior of RCC Buildings under Revised Seismic Zone Classification

by BNBC

Article · November 2019

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 Recent Trends in Civil Engineering & Technology
ISSN: 2249-8753 (Online), ISSN: 2321-6476 (Print)
Volume 9, Issue 3
www.stmjournals.com

Seismic Behavior of RCC Buildings under Revised Seismic

Zone Classification by BNBC
Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed1,*, Gopal Chandra Roy2, Shishir Chandra Das2, Mehidi Hasan2
1
Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Information Technology and Sciences,
Bangladesh
2
Graduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Information Technology and
Sciences, Bangladesh

Abstract
This study aims at the comparison of provisions of earthquake analysis given in BNBC 2017.
The revised BNBC 2017 has divided the seismic zones of Bangladesh into four different
categories such as Zone-1, Zone-2, Zone-3 and Zone-4 respectively. They have different
seismic zone coefficients. Finally, structural analysis and design of a typical G+10 storey
school building situated in all four seismic zones is conducted to investigate the seismic
behavior of that building under revised seismic zones and seismic zone coefficients. It is found
that seismic base shear, storey shear, drift, displacement and column force is much higher in
zone-4 compared to other zones. For seismic zone-4, base shear and base moment has
increased by 17.90, 37.67 and 60.73% with respect to zone-3, zone-2 and zone-1. Analysis is
also made to compare the maximum reinforcement requirement for an exterior column. A cost
analysis has also been done to better understand how much BDT would require constructing
an exterior column for all those seismic zones. Total cost for RCC column is high for zone-4
since axial force is higher in zone-4 compared to other zones.

Keywords: BNBC 2017, seismic zones, zone coefficients, base shear, cost analysis

*Author for Correspondence E-mail: mohiuddin.ahmed@uits.edu.bd

INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW

Seismic effect on any structure depends on
seismic zone coefficient, response reduction
factor, soil characteristics, importance of the
structure etc. To design an earthquake resistant
structure it is mandatory to know the update
codes. Dynamic effects of earthquake loads
are usually analyzed as an equivalent static
load in most small and moderate-sized
buildings [1, 2].
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
 Comparisons of base shear, storey shear,
base moment, inter-storey drifts and
column forces for different seismic zones.
 Analysis and design of an exterior column
under revised code.
 Comparing the column axial forces,
column dimensions and reinforcement
requirement in different seismic zones.
 Cost analysis among columns for seismic
zones in Bangladesh.
The ground motion at the site due to an
earthquake is a complex phenomenon and
depends on several parameters such as
earthquake magnitude, focal depth, earthquake
source characteristics, distance from earthquake
epicenter, wave path characteristics as well as
local soil conditions at the site. The updated
BNBC divides the country into four seismic
zones with different expected levels of
intensity of ground motion. The design basis
earthquake is taken as 2/3 of the maximum
considered earthquake. The effect of the
earthquake ground motion on the structure is
expressed in terms of an idealized elastic
design acceleration response spectrum which
depends on (a) seismic zone coefficient and
local soil conditions defining ground motion
and (b) importance factor and response
reduction factor representing building
considerations. The earthquake forces acting
on the structure are reduced using the response
modification/reduction factor R in order to

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Seismic Behavior of RCC Buildings under Revised Seismic Zone Classification by BNBC Ahmed et al.

take advantage of the inelastic energy
dissipation due to inherent ductility and
redundancy in the structure as well as material
over-strength. The importance factor I
increases design forces for important
structures. The elastic deformations calculated
under these reduced design forces are
multiplied by the deflection amplification
factor, Cd to estimate the deformations likely
to result from the design earthquake. The
deformation of the structure shall not exceed
the prescribed limits under the action of the
design seismic forces [3].
Figure 1 shows the updated seismic zoning
map of Bangladesh. Southern part of
Bangladesh has very low seismic intensity
(z=0.12), whereas northern part of Bangladesh
including Sylhet, Mymensingh, Kurigram has
very high seismic intensity (z=0.36) [4].

2017

Fig. 1: Revised Seismic Zones Map of Bangladesh.

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Recent Trends in Civil Engineering & Technology
Volume 9, Issue 3
ISSN: 2249-8753 (Online), ISSN: 2321-6476 (Print)

The importance of the structure depends on
the consequences associated with a collapse.
The more probability of life loss during
collapse, the more will be the importance
factor. Table 1 shows the updated importance
class and their corresponding importance
factor given by BNBC. The importance class
starts with I and finishes in IV. Importance
factor will be considered 1.0 for class I and
1.5 for class IV [5].
Response reduction factor depends on the
capacity of a structure to dissipate the energy
due to earthquake. If the flexural
reinforcement and shear reinforcement of
beams and columns are designed according to
special moment resisting frame system then it
will be considered as special moment resisting
frame. Otherwise the resisting frame will act
as an intermediate frame or ordinary moment
resisting frame. Tables 2 and 3 show the
revised response reduction factor (R) for
different seismic-force resisting systems [6].
METHODOLOGY OF THE PRESENT
STUDY
 A typical G+10 storied school building
situated in all four seismic zones has been
analyzed for the identification of the
changes in updated BNBC code.
 The building is a Reinforced Cement
Concrete (RCC) building with special
moment resisting frame system.
 The soil on which the building is to be
constructed is medium dense soil.
 The structural analysis and design is
carried out using ETABS software.
 The buildings are assumed to be fixed at
the base and the floors act as rigid
diaphragms with 3 m height for each story.

Table 1: Structure Importance Categories and Importance Factor.

Importance Type of buildings Importance
class factor I
I Ordinary building not belonging to other categories. 1.0
II Buildings whose seismic resistance is of importance in view of the consequences associated 1.25
with a collapse, e.g. schools, assembly halls, cultural institutions, important government
buildings, jails and detention centres etc.
III Buildings whose integrity during earthquakes is of vital importance for civil protection, e.g. 1.5
hospital, fire stations, power plants, telephone exchange, radio stations, designated
emergency shelters, designated post-disaster emergency operation centres, air traffic
control centres, water treatment plant etc.
IV Monumental structures with cultural heritage. 1.5

Table 2: Response Reduction Factor, Deflection Amplification Factor for Different Structural
Systems and Height Limitations (m) for Different Seismic Design Categories (BNBC-2017).
Seismic Seismic Seismic
Response Deflection Design Design Design
Seismic-Force Resisting
Reduction Amplification Category B Category C Category D
System
Factor, R Factor, Cd
Height Limit (m)
Moment Resisting Frame System (No Shear Wall)
1. Special Steel Moment
8.0 5.5 NL NL NP
Frames
2. Intermediate Steel
4.5 4.0 NL NL 35
Moment Frames
3. Ordinary Steel Moment
3.5 3.0 NL NL NP
Frames
4. Special Reinforced
8.0 5.5 NL NL NL
Concrete Moment Frames
5. Intermediate Reinforced
5.0 4.5 NL NL NP
Concrete Moment Frames
6. Ordinary Reinforced
3.0 2.5 NL NP NP
Concrete Moment Frames

RTCET (2019) 21-28 © STM Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Page 23
Seismic Behavior of RCC Buildings under Revised Seismic Zone Classification by BNBC Ahmed et al.

Table 3: Descriptions of Building Model.

Serial No Building Parameters Description
1 Type of Frame SMRF (BNBC 2017)
2 Seismic Zone and Zone coefficient (Z) Zone 1: 0.12
Zone 2: 0.20
Zone 3: 0.28
Zone 4: 0.36
3 Importance Factor (I) 1.25 (BNBC 2017)
4 Response modification coefficient, R 8.0 (BNBC 2017)
5 Site coefficient, S 1.15 (BNBC 2017)
6 Loadings
i) Dead Load Self-weight of structural elements
ii) Partition wall 30 lb/ft2
iii) Floor Finish 20 lb/ft2
iv) Live loads 40 lb/ft2
7 Stories Height 3m
8 Seismic Load Combination (BNBC-2017) a. 1.4D
b. 1.2D+1.6L
c. (1.2D+EV)+1.0E+1.0L
d. (0.9D-EV)+1E
e. (1.2D+EV)+1.0L+1.0E(X)+0.3E(Y)
f. (1.2D+EV)+1.0L+1.0E(Y)+0.3E(X)
g. (0.9D-EV)+ 1.0E(X)+0.3E(Y)
h. (0.9D-EV)+ 1.0E(Y)+0.3E(X)
9 Size of Beam 10 in× x18 in
10 Size of Column 15 in× x15 in
11 Thickness of Slab 5 in

Fig. 2: Plan View of the Model.

RTCET (2019) 21-28 © STM Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Page 24
Recent Trends in Civil Engineering & Technology
Volume 9, Issue 3
ISSN: 2249-8753 (Online), ISSN: 2321-6476 (Print)

 The buildings have been modeled by using
ETABS software Nonlinear v 9.7
 IBC 2006 code has been used in ETABS
during model analysis procedure.
Table 3 has broadly described about the
necessary data taken for modeling of buildings
during analysis such as beam and column
dimensions, load combinations, dead loads,
live loads, structural systems and zone
coefficients for different seismic zones.
Figure 2 represents analyzed regular shape
building plan. It consists of three spans in each
direction. There are total 16 columns in the
building. Every column and beam is
rectangular in shape.
Figure 3 shows the seismic data input
procedure in ETABS software. During input
procedure, IBC-2006 seismic loading had been
adopted since it is similar to BNBC-2017.
ANALYSIS RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION
As the number of storeys increases, storey
shear increases. Storey shear is much higher in
zone-4 compared to other zones (Figure 4).

Fig. 3: Seismic Loading Procedure according to BNBC 2017 in ETABS for Zone-1.

Fig. 4: Storey Shear Comparison for Different Seismic Zones.

RTCET (2019) 21-28 © STM Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Page 25
Seismic Behavior of RCC Buildings under Revised Seismic Zone Classification by BNBC Ahmed et al.

As the zone coefficient increases, base shear
increases. Base shear is maximum in zone-4
and minimum in zone-1 (Figure 5).
Since base shear is maximum in zone-4,
overturning moment is also high in zone-4 and
low in zone-1 (Figure 6).
Figure 7 indicates that maximum inter-storey
drift increases with the storey number up to a
certain storey then it decreases. Maximum
inter-storey drift occurs almost at the mid
height of the building. Inter-storey drift for
zone-3 and 4 exceeds the allowable story drift
given by BNBC-2017.

250
200.73
200
Base shear (kip)

164.8
150 125.1

100 78.81

50

0
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4
Fig. 5: Base Shear Comparison for Different Seismic Zones.

16000 15081.69
14000
12381.88
Base moment (kip-ft)

12000
9362.05
10000

8000
5898.04
6000

4000

2000

0
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4
Fig. 6: Base Moment Comparison for Different Seismic Zones.

Fig. 7: Inter Storey Drift Comparison for Different Seismic Zones.

RTCET (2019) 21-28 © STM Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Page 26
Recent Trends in Civil Engineering & Technology
Volume 9, Issue 3
ISSN: 2249-8753 (Online), ISSN: 2321-6476 (Print)

From above bar chart it can be said that axial Table 4: Column Dimensions (in x in)
forces are higher in severe seismic zone-4 and according to Revised Code.
lower in low seismic zone-1. Column forces Zone-1 Zone-2 Zone-3 Zone-4
for zone-1 and 2 are very close to each other 12×12 13×13 13×13 15×15
(Figure 8). Table 4 shows the column
dimensions due to axial forces found in static Table 5: Required Bar Diameter (mm) for
analysis. In zone-4, column dimension is 15 Columns according to Revised Code.
in×15 in since it has experienced more axial Exterior Exterior Exterior Exterior
forces. Column Column Column Column
8-20 mmФ 6-20 mmФ 8-20 mmФ 6-20 mmФ
After computing axial forces and dimensions
of columns, steel area for columns and their Figure 9 shows that approximately 74904/-
bar diameters as well as number of bars has
BDT will be required to construct an exterior
been determined. Table 5 shows the required
bar diameter in mm unit for columns situated column in zone-4 on the other hand only
in different seismic zones in Bangladesh. 66004/- BDT is needed in zone-1.

450 423.16
400.76
400 376.6
350.25
350
Column force (kip)

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4

Fig. 8: Column Forces Comparison for Different Seismic Zones.

76000
74904.18
74000
72298.58
72000
69474.96
RCC cost (Tk)

70000

68000
66004
66000

64000

62000

60000
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4

Fig. 9: Cost in BDT for a Single Exterior Column Only.

RTCET (2019) 21-28 © STM Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Page 27
 Seismic Behavior of RCC Buildings under Revised Seismic Zone Classification by BNBC
CONCLUSION
 Base shear is increased in revised BNBC
due to increase in zone coefficient (z) and
changes of response modification factor (R).
 From base shear versus number. of storey
graph and storey shear versus number of
storey graph, it is seen that base shear and
storey shear are much higher for seismic
zone-4 than other zones.
 For seismic zone-4, base shear and base
moment has increased by 17.90, 37.67 and
60.73% with respect to zone-3, zone-2 and
zone-1.
 Maximum inter storey drift occurs almost
at the mid height of the building.
 The design storey drift must not exceed the
allowable storey drift Δa. For occupancy
category III, the allowable storey drift is
Δa=0.015hx=45.73 mm.
 From the study it can be said that the
building analyzed in zone-1 and 2 remains
within the allowable limit.
 For zone-3, storey 2, 3 and 4 exceeded the
allowable storey drift.
 For zone-4, storey 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 exceeded
the allowable storey drift.
 Total cost for RCC is high for zone-4 since
axial force is higher in zone-4 compared to
other zones.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the present study, the following points
can be recommended:
 The case study conducted in this research is
for four different seismic zones with an
identical building model having occupancy
category III. However the seismic zone
coefficient varies for different parts of
Bangladesh. Similar study can be
performed for other occupancy category
such as I, II and IV.
 The study has been performed only for
RCC building having special moment
resisting frame for different seismic zones.
Similar study can be performed for other
building types such as steel frames,
ordinary moment resisting frames and
masonry structures etc., located in different
seismic zone.
 For this current study, the reinforcement
requirement in columns was only
considered. This study can be extended on
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Ahmed et al.
a large scale of analysis including
foundations, beams and slabs etc.
 This study has not considered any adjacent
buildings. But pounding effect between
adjacent buildings should be checked if
there are adjacent buildings.
 Dynamic analysis such as time history
analysis and response spectrum analysis
can be adopted for further and better
analysis procedure to extract more accurate
data.
 Shear wall could be a useful lateral force
resisting system in zone-4.
REFERENCES
1. Ahmed, Imam, Tahora, Haque. Study of
Seismic Performances of RCC Buildings
Located in Different Seismic Zones in
Bangladesh. Journal of Construction and
Building Materials Engineering. 2019;
5(1): 13–18p.
2. Ahmed, Roy, Haque. A Comparative Study
on Seismic Load Analysis by BNBC-1993
and BNBC-2017. Proceedings,
International Conference on Disaster Risk
Management, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Jan
12-14, 2019; 16-20p.
3. BNBC. Bangladesh National Building
Code. 2017.
4. Manual for Seismic Design of Reinforced
Concrete Building. PWD, Bangladesh.
5. Ansary MA, Hussaini TMAI, Sharfuddin
M, Choudhury JR. Report on Moheskhali
Earthquake of July 22, 1999. Earthquake
Engineering Series, Research report No.
BUETICE/EQE-99-01, Department of
Civil Engineering, BUET, Dhaka. Aug
1999.
6. Nilson Arthur H, David Darwin, Dolan
Charles W. 15th Edn. Design of Concrete
Structure. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Education; 2016; 786p.
Cite this Article
Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Gopal Chandra
Roy, Shishir Chandra Das, Mehidi Hasan.
Seismic Behavior of RCC Buildings under
Revised Seismic Zone Classification by
BNBC. Recent Trends in Civil Engineering
& Technology. 2019; 9(3): 21–28p.
Page 28