Date of Award:

5-2026

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Mohsen Zaker Esteghamati

Committee

Brady Cox

Committee

Marv Halling

Abstract

Major seismic events along the Wasatch Fault represent a serious threat to Utah's residents and built environment. Engineers currently rely on a statistical approach that calculates earthquake ground shaking based on probabilities of various events occurring over extended time periods. This method informs how strong new buildings must be constructed. However, many structural engineering professionals in Utah worry that this probability-based approach may significantly underestimate the actual ground shaking compared to an alternative method that examines the largest possible earthquake a fault can generate. The substantial differences between the two analytical approaches raise fundamental concerns about whether existing construction standards adequately ensure public safety.

Another challenge is the absence of locally derived information about building behavior during earthquakes, specific to Utah's geological conditions. Without data reflecting local conditions (e.g., fault mechanism and soil simplification), forecasts of structural failures, damage levels, and regional economic impacts may be unreliable. This study provides the first performance assessment data tailored to Utah's seismic context, focusing on a widely used steel frame system designed to resist earthquake forces. The investigation addresses two primary concerns: (1) the likelihood of complete structural failure, and (2) the extent of harm to both structural elements and building contents when collapse doesn't occur.

Results indicate troubling safety margins for structures engineered in accordance with the current code under ground motions scaled to the higher estimated response spectra; failure probabilities increased dramatically. These outcomes indicate that construction meeting current regulatory standards may provide insufficient protection during Utah's anticipated large earthquake. The results also suggest that severe damage will be greater under ground shaking from a large possible earthquake than the probabilistic-based approach.

This work delivers essential performance data reflecting Utah's unique seismic characteristics and indicates potential benefits from enhanced design standards and region-specific assessment protocols in upcoming code revisions.

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