3.9.3 - Base Shear and Force Distribution
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Practice Questions
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Define base shear in seismic design.
💡 Hint: Think about what happens to a structure during shaking.
What does the seismic coefficient represent?
💡 Hint: It relates to the dynamic behavior of structures.
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Interactive Quizzes
Quick quizzes to reinforce your learning
What does an increase in damping typically do to base shear values?
💡 Hint: Think about the relationship between damping and spectral acceleration.
True or False: Base shear is only determined by the weight of the structure.
💡 Hint: Consider what affects seismic forces.
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Challenge Problems
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A new building weighs 2000 kN and has a damping ratio of 25%. Calculate the expected base shear if the seismic coefficient for its location is determined to be 0.12. What design strategies should you keep in mind to further reduce seismic forces?
💡 Hint: Focus on the relationship between damping and seismic responses.
If increasing the damping of a structure from 10% to 30% reduces its base shear from 300 kN to a new value, calculate the reduction in kN and percentage decrease in base shear.
💡 Hint: Calculate both the actual kN reduction and then the percentage based on initial values.
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