Análisis de la resistencia sísmica de un sistema estructural prefabricado de bajo peso para la construcción de viviendas

Near of the 75% of the attributed deaths to earthquakes in
Colombia, were caused by the collapse of heavy constructions. That’s
why it is necessary to study new technological alternatives in structural
systems for houses of one story, that are able to support the seismic
forces. These new structural systems must be resistant, durable, light
and with low costs. A Colombian enterprise has developed a prefabri-
cated system conformed by self-supporting panels (foam and cowor-
kers-laminae of steel) that has been used for non-structural elements.
Nevertheless the low weight of the panels and the high resistance of its
the coworkers-laminae of steel, have suggested that this system could
be the structural system of one story houses. For the previous reasons,
a research program was developed in Colombian universities to evalua-
te the seismic behavior of the prefabricated system. The experimental
program included standard test for evaluate the strength and ductility
of the system and its components. Additionally, a three dimensional
finite element model of one story house was developed to study the
stresses and displacements caused by the seismic loads established
in the Colombian code for earthquake design and construction. This
stresses and forces were compared with the ones determined experi-
mentally. In agreement with the results, the structural system would
have an excellent behavior to seismic loads due to his low weight and
high resistance.