Seismic Analysis and Design of G+10 RCC Buildings across Different Environment Zones Using ETABS

Abstract

In India, reinforced concrete frame construction is the prevailing building practice. With the growing economy and urbanization, with the rising cost coupled with limited horizontal space and the demand for agricultural land, high-rise buildings are increasingly favored. These tall structures, must withstand both gravity and lateral forces. Given that many major Indian cities are located in high-risk seismic zones, hence strengthening buildings against lateral forces is essential. This study aims to compare seismic performance of G+10 storey structures in seismic Zones- II, III, IV and V and with soil types is conducted using ETABS. The structure with a uniform floor height, are analyzed for all relevant load combinations, including dead loads, live loads, masonry loads and seismic loads. All frames are designed under identical gravity loading. The structural design incorporates standard beam and column sections, and the foundation supports are modeled as fixed, adhering to ETABS specific condition and seismic calculation standards. This investigation for the seismic behavior of G+10 RCC building is examined using Response Spectrum Method of analysis using ETABS.

Introduction

The study focuses on the structural analysis and design of reinforced concrete (RCC) buildings in India, especially medium to high-rise structures (G+10 storeys), due to growing urban populations and limited land. Structural design blends creativity with engineering principles, following standards like IS 456 and IS 1893 for earthquake-resistant construction. The software ETABS is used for modeling, dynamic analysis (Response Spectrum Method), and design, accommodating various materials and soil types.

Key objectives include:

• Performing dynamic seismic analysis on a G+10 RCC building.

• Designing the structure per Indian seismic codes.

• Comparing effects across different seismic zones and soil conditions.

• Evaluating building displacement from earthquakes and wind loads.

The scope addresses challenges in accurately analyzing buildings under static and dynamic loads, considering seismic zone variations and soil flexibility. The study highlights limitations such as the heavier weight and larger cross-section requirements of RCC columns compared to steel.

The literature review shows prior research on soil effects, seismic response, and structural design methods using software like ETABS and STAAD-Pro, confirming the importance of seismic zone considerations and soil-structure interaction.

Methodology covers:

• Response Spectrum Method for multi-degree freedom systems.

• Calculation of seismic base shear and design horizontal seismic coefficients based on seismic zones, building importance, and response reduction factors.

• Fundamental natural period formulas depending on building height and infill presence.

• Seismic weight computations including dead and live loads per IS codes.

• Load distributions and design load combinations as per Indian standards.

The report concludes that optimized, code-compliant structural designs ensure safety, serviceability, and durability while considering economic and environmental factors.

Conclusion

This study conducted a comparative evaluation of tall structures built on medium soils, analyzing building with varying numbers stories under earthquake loads corresponding to Zone II, III, IV and V. Comparisons were made across several structural parameters including base shear, earthquake displacement, wind displacement and storey drift. Based on the analysis results following conclusions are drawn: 1) The maximum base shear in the X-direction was observed in the G+10 storey building located in Zones V. Specially, the base shear in the G+10 storey building increased approximately 3.6 times in Zone V, 2.4 times in Zone IV, 1.6 times in Zone III as compared to building in Zone- II 2) The maximum earthquake displacement was also observed in G+10 storey building in Zone V. Similarly, the earthquake displacement in the G+10 Storey building increased approximately 3.6 times in Zone V, 2.4 times in Zone IV, 1.6 times in Zone III, compared to Zone- II. However, all buildings were found to be within safe limits for earthquake displacement. 3) For a basic wind speed of 39m/sec, the wind displacement was 5.23mm. All buildings were determined to be within safe displacement for wind loads. The allowable storey drift, as per IS 1893-2016, is 0.004 times the storey height. With a storey height of 3 meters, this translates to a maximum allowable storey drift of 12mm (0.004x3000 =12mm). The analysis of the G+10 storey structure analysis in software yielded storey drift value of 0.00248, 0.00396, 0.000596 and 0.000892 for Earthquake Zone II, III, IV and V, respectively. Thus, all building was found to be within safe limit for storey drift.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Deepak Watekar, Vedant Gaikwad, Raj Lokhande, Shubham Kadam. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.