Seismic Performance of Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Different Lateral Load-Resisting Systems: A Critical Review

Abstract - The lateral load-resisting system largely decides the design that controls most of these properties is the lateral load-resisting system. It sets the lateral stiffness, the shape of the deflected profile, the distribution of storey shear and overturning moment, and the path by which these actions reach the foundation. In India the choice of system is framed by IS 1893 (Part 1):2016 [1], which defines the design spectrum, the response reduction factor R for each structural type, the empirical period expressions and a storey drift limit of 0.004 times the storey height. Ductile detailing follows IS 13920:2016 [2], and RC buildings taller than 50 m fall under IS 16700:2023 [3], which limits the height up to which each structural system may be used. Buildings of roughly twelve to twenty storeys occupy an awkward position in this framework. A bare moment frame of that height in a high seismic zone tends to be governed by drift rather than strength, whereas the systems developed for tall buildings, such as cores with outriggers, have mostly been studied at much greater heights. Designers of mid-rise buildings therefore choose among four practical options, shown schematically in Fig. 1: a special moment-resisting frame (SMRF), an SMRF with RC shear walls (a dual system), an SMRF stiffened with concentric steel bracing, and a central RC core linked to the perimeter columns by outrigger and belt trusses.