Component proportioning and design requirements according to Eurocodes 2 and 8

This chapter summarizes key requirements and recommendations for design and detailing of reinforced concrete components in regions of high seismic hazard as put forward by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and applied in European practice by means of Eurocodes 2 and 8. Seismic design according to the Eurocodes (specifically EN1998) is based on two different performance objectives, aiming to provide life safety in a rare seismic event and limit damage in a more frequent one. While lower design forces are used to design the higher ductility class buildings, better reinforcement details required for the higher ductility class buildings provide higher deformation capacities in critical regions. The lower design forces would lead to an expectation of greater damage in critical regions during moderate earthquakes compared with the lower ductility class buildings that are designed for higher design forces.