Design codes specify interstory drift limits to control damage in buildings under seismic‐induced loads and to meet the intended performance objectives. The aim of this article is to compare the drift requirements for reinforced concrete moment frame buildings specified in the design standards of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, the United States, and Venezuela. The study focuses on regular buildings with heights ranging between 2 and 10 stories, in which the response of the first mode governs the behavior. The comparison is made in terms of the maximum fundamental period of vibration to satisfy the lateral drift requirements of each country, and is also presented in the form of a simple equation that can be used as a preliminary method for sizing new buildings or assessing existing buildings. The results show that, in most cases, the Colombian and Peruvian codes lead to buildings with the shortest fundamental periods (i.e., the stiffest buildings), while the U.S. code often leads to more flexible buildings with the longest fundamental periods. Findings from this research offer policymakers and code‐developing organizations insights about differences and similarities in basic seismic design standards across regions and their potential implications on the resulting structure characteristics.
Ardila‐Gonzalez et al. (Sun,) studied this question.