Colombian Regulations in the Seismic Design of Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Portal Frames: A Comparative and Bibliometric Analysis

Colombia is located in a region of significant seismic hazard, where reinforced concrete portal frame systems represent a dominant structural typology. Despite this relevance, the existing literature lacks an integrated evaluation that simultaneously examines the evolution of Colombian seismic design regulations (NSR) and the scientific production associated with their development and application. This study addresses this gap by conducting a two-part analysis. First, a comparative engineering review of the three main versions of the Colombian Earthquake Resistant Standard (CCCSR-84, NSR-98, NSR-10) demonstrates substantial changes in material requirements, detailing rules, structural system classification, and capacity design principles. Results indicate that adopting NSR-10 led to a 15–25% increase in concrete and steel demand, thereby improving structural resilience and ductility in reinforced concrete buildings. Second, a bibliometric analysis using Scopus and processed through Bibliometrix examined 87 documents, involving 286 authors, 93 institutions, and 17 countries, revealing an annual publication growth rate of 4.85% between 1989 and 2023. Approximately 75% of the publications focus on reinforced concrete and seismic design, whereas 19.5% involve international collaboration. The thematic mapping highlights clusters related to capacity design, ductility, seismic vulnerability, and retrofitting. These findings underscore the progressive refinement of Colombian seismic regulations and their growing impact on academic research, advancing safer, more resilient seismic design practices in the country.