About the author  ⁄ Amit H. Varma, Ph.D.

Amit H. Varma is a Karl H. Kettelhut Professor at Bowen Laboratory, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (ahvarma@purdue.edu).

As a Distinct Seismic Force-Resisting System in ASCE/SEI 7-22

Coupled composite plate shear walls/concrete-filled (coupled C-PSW/CFs), known as the SpeedCore system by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), is a non-proprietary composite solution for the design of mid- to high-rise buildings. The coupled C-PSW/CF system is a revolutionary modular system that reduces the construction schedule considerably. The coupled C-PSW/CF system provides adequate lateral stiffness, capacity, and ductility (deformation capacity) needed to be considered as a primary seismic force-resisting system. This structural system is an alternative to conventional coupled reinforced concrete walls in the wind or seismic design of buildings. A typical coupled C-PSW/CF system using planar C-PSW/CFs and composite coupling beams (CBs) is shown in Figure 1.

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Fire is an extreme loading condition that must be considered in the design of buildings. Upon initial ignition, building fires are typically small, localized and dealt with efficiently by active protection systems, such as sprinklers. In certain situations, where there is adequate fuel, ventilation, and lack (or failure) of active protection systems, the compartment fire may flashover and develop into an extreme fire loading scenario. During such design fire scenarios, the gravity loading on the structure does not change significantly, but the structural properties (elastic modulus, yield strength, and failure strength) of the steel and concrete materials decrease dramatically.
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On August 24, 2014, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred northwest of American Canyon, California. The earthquake was located between two faults: the West Napa Fault and the Carneros-Franklin Fault near the north shore of the San Pablo Bay. Structural damage was most severe in the downtown Napa region, where a number of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings were located. Damage to residential building construction was also observed surrounding the downtown region, and became less severe farther away from town.
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STRUCTURE magazine