ABSTRACT
The states of the art and practice for seismic design of tall buildings have evolved significantly during the past several years. Nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of structures are not obscure research tools anymore. New philosophies for design analysis of existing structures are developing rapidly. The unexpected poor performance of steel moment frame connections during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, has opened a new window of opportunity for some elegant analytical, design, and evaluation work. Now more than ever, the processes of developing design ground motion, structural design, monitoring and evaluation of performance of tall buildings before, during, and after an earthquake are intertwined. While the general tendency of the industry is to move towards more specialization in specific fields and sub-fields, there has never been such an acute need for multi-disciplinary expertise which would bring a global common sense to earthquake engineering of tall buildings. This paper attempts to provide an overview of the contemporary state of seismic analysis and design of tall buildings and provide some insights to challenges ahead for the 21st century.
