Case Study of the Performance of Prestressed Concrete Buildings During the 1985 Mexico Earthquake

The overall effects of the 1985 Mexico earthquake on buildings are summarized, with special consideration of the performance of prestressed concrete buildings. Then, for five typical prestressed concrete buildings, results of analyses of the dynamic response, with due consideration of the soil-structure interaction, are presented. In general, the computed response of the buildings under the effect of a ground motion simulating the 1985 earthquake, corresponded reasonably well with their observed performance. Nevertheless, in some cases the analyses indicated that the buildings should have experinced a greater nonlinear behavior than the ones perceived from their level of damage. Some reasons for these differences are discussed. Recommendations on earthquake-resistant design of prestressed concrete buildings are given. The importance of providing lateral stiffness by shear walls or bracing, and of achieving ductility and continuity through mild steel reinforcement, is emphasized.