Romeu-Torres, Jorge Alberto

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    Structural analysis of common coastal structures found at the west coast of Puerto Rico using FEMA P-646
    (2020-12-11) Romeu-Torres, Jorge Alberto; Guevara-Guillén, José O.; College of Engineering; Suárez, Luis E.; Pagán-Trinidad, Ismael; Department of Civil Engineering; Cedeño-Maldonado, José R.
    Tsunamis are a rare yet powerful oceanic events consisting of a series of very long waves caused by a large-scale disturbance of a body of water, usually by earthquakes, that travel inland causing a tremendous amount of damage to anything that lies in its path and flooding entire areas. The most common trigger for tsunamis is earthquakes below or near the ocean floor, but they may also be caused by volcanic activity and landslides, among others. This event generates waves that propagate from the source, with periods found to range anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour (FEMA, 2005). This study presents the analysis of common two-story structures (focus is on homes) that may be found along the western shores of Puerto Rico, analyzing not only the forces included in present building codes but also the effects of forces produced during a tsunami using the FEMA P-646 guidelines. Per FEMA P-646, Puerto Rico is at a High Hazard of experiencing a tsunami (Table 1.1) therefore it is of the upmost importance to analyze these structures. The structures being analyzed will be typical two-story, reinforced concrete homes, such as those which can be found all along Puerto Rico’s western coasts. Two different models will be analyzed: one that will have load-bearing walls or shear walls on both floors, and the other will be what is known as a “soft-story”, meaning that the first floor does not have walls therefor the dead loads and live loads are supported by columns and beams. These structures will be designed in accordance with the ASCE 7-10 (ASCE, 2010) guidelines for gravitational loads, earthquake loads, and wind loads and be verified using FEMA P-646 (FEMA, 2012). The individual structural elements, such as beams, columns and floor slab will be designed using ACI 318-08 (ACI, 2008) guidelines. Upon completion of the analysis, it is expected to be able to determine whether these structures can withstand the forces associated with such events.