ABSTRACT
As noted in earlier chapters, EC8 aims to ensure life safety in a large earthquake together with damage limitation following a more frequent event. Whilst the code allows these events to be resisted by either dissipative (ductile) or non-dissipative (essentially elastic) behaviour, there is a clear preference for resisting larger events through dissipative behaviour. Hence, much of the code is framed with the aim of ensuring stable, reliable dissipative performance in pre-defined ‘critical regions’, which limit the inertial loads experienced by other parts of the structure. The design and detailing rules are formulated to reflect the extent of the intended plasticity in these critical regions, with the benefits of reduced inertial loads being obtained through the penalty of more stringent layout, design and detailing requirements.
