Fundamental criteria for the seismic-resistant design

Earthquakes are the factor to consider during the building's design, because they represent a big problem that the civil engineers have to solve. The following project was performed in order to indicate some recommendations to be taken in consideration by engineers and architects, to get a better performance of the reinforced concrete buildings during earthquakes. An investigation, about the seismic behavior of some buildings around the world, was performance to get the information and analyze the causes of damage of those structures and possible solutions to reduce the affectation in the future. Analyzed some recommendations in our country and other countries, considering current standards, as in previous experiences, to summarize and give them a starting point for professionals to achieve earthquake resistant design. The main objective of earthquake resistant design is to save lives and minimize further damage in structures and materials. The responsibility of engineers, to achieve these goals, depends on the structural design, soil survey, materials selection and appropriate construction processes.