A CALL FOR CHANGE IN SEISMIC DESIGN PROCEDURES

Our seismic design procedures are in need of a major overhaul. Current procedures once had a quasi-scientific basis, but this has been obscured by the establishment of prescriptive rules that mask whatever objective was intended. Further, the search for innovative solutions has been stymied by this very abandonment of it science-based approach to seismic design. How will we progress? Refine the multitude of prescriptive rules'? This is the path apparently adopted, one that only the computer can deal with, thereby relegating the role of the structural engineer to computer operator. Why not reinvent the engineer? Encourage the engineer to think and apply the knowledge gained. This is especially important in the field of seismic design where thousands of lives arc at stake. This effort will endeavour to expose fundamental flaws in our extant seismic design process, demonstrate how these flaws can he corrected and how performance objectives can be attained. Next. it will show how a fundamental understanding of system behaviour can lead to better systems that are easier to analyse and are demonstratively superior. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.