Date of Award:

5-2010

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Keri Ryan

Committee

Keri Ryan

Committee

Kevin Womack

Committee

Gilberto Urroz

Abstract

Comparative performance evaluation including life cycle cost is currently being conducted on a series of conventional and base-isolated case study buildings. Alternative design approaches and their influence in cost were to be evaluated. This investigation is intended to contribute in the development of isolated structures by allowing engineers to communicate the cost of higher performance systems to their clients. The reported effort is part of a larger cost-benefit study for isolated steel buildings, and the purpose of this thesis is to compare initial investment of 3-story conventional and isolated steel buildings and determine how isolation affects the cost of the structure.

The relative cost of seismic isolation, as a percentage of the total cost, may be higher in this study than for typical U.S. isolation applications because the relative premium is greater for a short building than a tall building. The cost of isolation layer for this building is in the order of 11.7% to 12.4% of the total cost. Such a large cost premium may be a huge restraint for most owners; therefore, strategies to reduce the isolation premium cost need to be investigated in detail.

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