Application of modified partial capacity design on six-story Lshaped reinforced concrete buildings with variations on elastic columns configurations

Modified Partial Capacity Design (M-PCD) is an alternative design method for
seismic-resistant structures. M-PCD adopts the partial side sway mechanism for its failure
mechanism where beams and some columns are allowed to develop plastic hinges. This
method uses two models for design. The first model simulates a small earthquake occurrence
and is used to design beams and plastic columns. The second model simulates a larger
earthquake occurrence and damages on the structure. The elastic columns are designed based
on the superposition of internal forces from the first and second models, provided that the
effects from gravity loads are considered only once. This study focuses on the application of
M-PCD on six-story L-shaped reinforced concrete buildings with variations on elastic columns
configurations. Nonlinear time history analyses are used to determine the buildings’
performance on two earthquake levels (EDRS and MCER) and two earthquake directions (0°
and 45° rotated earthquake). The results show that the partial side sway mechanism is observed
in most of the analyzed structures and drifts are within set boundaries.