34.10.2. Design Implications

Try these first

1. 1.

   Define ductility in the context of structural design.

   Hint

   Think about what material properties are important during stretching.

2. 2.

   What is redundancy in structural engineering?

   Hint

   Consider what happens if one part of a structure fails.

3. 3.

   What is ductility important for in structural design?

   • Brittle failure
   • Energy dissipation
   • Concentration of forces

   Hint

   Think about what happens when materials can bend instead of breaking.

4. 4.

   True or False: Redundancy is unnecessary in structures designed for seismic loads.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Consider why backup systems are important.

5. 5.

   Evaluate the design of a proposed hospital in an earthquake-prone area. What specific ductility and redundancy features would you include?

   Hint

   Consider the materials important for flexibility and how to create alternate pathways for loads.

6. 6.

   Research a historical earthquake failure due to lack of redundancy or ductility and propose a design improvement that could have been made.

   Hint

   Look into examples of buildings that collapsed and investigate their design.