Projects : Task Order 24

Development of Technical Brief on Structural Design Issues –
Seismic Design of Reinforced Concrete Mat Foundations

SUMMARY

The ATC-57 report, The Missing Piece: Improving Seismic Design and Construction Practices (ATC, 2003), which defines a roadmap for the NIST problem-focused research and development program in earthquake engineering, recommended the development of a series of technical briefs (techbriefs) to assist in improving seismic design and construction practice.  Techbriefs are intended to transfer research results into professional practice, but they are not intended to be research papers.  They are targeted toward design professionals, addressing a single, focused topic, of practical importance faced by many engineers. 

The primary objective of Task Order 24 is to produce a new techbrief addressing Reinforced Concrete Mat Foundations (RCMF) for structures that must resist lateral forces resulting from inertial effects in earthquakes. This techbrief will be a synthesis of model building code requirements and leading practitioner-recognized techniques, resulting in clear and concise analysis, design, and construction guidance for use by practicing structural engineers.

Work to be carried out under this task order includes: (1) project management and oversight, including the selection and confirmation of key project personnel; (2) preparation of a Project Work Plan; (3) update of a NIST project description; (4) preparation, review, and revision of an initial draft of the techbrief; (5) preparation of a final camera-ready version of the techbrief; (6) preparation of a letter report outlining potential topics for future techbriefs related to reinforced concrete design; and (7) presentation of an in-person status report at NIST offices in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Project Director: Ron Klemencic, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Seattle, Washington

Technical Assistant to Project Director:

Ian McFarlane, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Seattle, Washington

Project Technical Committee members:

• Neil Hawkins, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Sissy Nikolaou, Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, New York, New York

Project Review Panel Members:

• Gregg Brandow, Brandow & Johnston Inc., Los Angeles, California

• Viral Patel, Walter P. Moore, Austin, Texas

• James K. Wight, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan