The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989—Building Structures

Several approaches are used to assess the performance of the built environment following an earthquake -- preliminary damage surveys conducted by professionals, detailed studies of individual structures, and statistical analyses of groups of structures. Reports of damage that are issued by many organizations immediately following an earthquake play a key role in directing subsequent detailed investigations.

Detailed studies of individual structures and statistical analyses of groups of structures may be motivated by particularly good or bad performance during an earthquake. Beyond this, practicing engineers typically perform stress analyses to assess the performance of a particular structure to vibrational levels experienced during an earthquake. The levels may be determined from recorded or estimated ground motions; actual levels usually differ from design levels. If a structure has seismic instrumentation to record response data, the estimated and recorded response and behavior of the structure can be compared.

This publication consists of the following articles:

Introduction, by Mehmet Çelebi

• Performance of building structures - A summary, by Mehmet Çelebi

• Measured response of two tilt-up buildings, by Sharon L. Wood and Neil M. Hawkins

• Seismic response of a six-story reinforced concrete building, by James C. Anderson and Vitelmo V. Bertero

• Seismic response of a 42-story building, by James C. Anderson and Vitelmo V. Bertero

• A summary of unreinforced masonry building damage patterns - Implications for improvements in loss-estimation methodologies, by Bret Lizundia, Weimin Dong, William T. Holmes, and Robert Reitherman

• Housing repair and reconstruction after the earthquake, by Mary C. Comerio

• Impact of the earthquake on habitability of housing units, by Jeanne B. Perkins and Ben Chuaqui

This publication is part of the set of four multi-chapter USGS Professional Papers on the Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989:

Professional Paper 1550, Earthquake Occurrence, Coordinators: William H. Bakun and William H. Prescott

Professional Paper 1551, Strong Ground Motion and Ground Failure, Coordinator: Thomas L. Holzer

Professional Paper 1552, Performance of the Built Environment, Coordinator, Thomas L. Holzer

Professional Paper 1553, Societal Response, Coordinator: Dennis S. Mileti