Impact of Seismicity on Performance and Cost of RC Shear Wall Buildings in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Unfortunately, available probabilistic seismic hazard studies are reporting significantly varying estimates for seismicity of Dubai. Given Dubai’s rapid economic growth, it is crucial to assess the impact of the diverse estimates on the performance and cost of buildings. This research investigates and quantifies the impact of the high and moderate seismicity estimates of Dubai on the seismic performance and construction and repair costs of buildings with 6, 9, and 12 stories. The reference buildings are made up of reinforced concrete with special shear walls as their seismic force–resisting system. The seismic performance is investigated using nonlinear static and incremental dynamic analyses. Construction and repair costs associated with earthquake damages are evaluated to quantify the impact. Results showed that designing for higher seismicity yields significant enhancement in overall structural performance. In addition, the higher seismicity estimate resulted in slight increase in initial construction cost. However, the increase in initial investment is outweighed by significant enhancements in seismic performance and reduction in earthquake damages. This resulted in overall cost savings when reduction in repair and downtime costs are considered.