Presentation: If my house was designed according to the Building Code, what can I expect during in earthquake?

Earthquakes during the last three decades have shown that the expectations on the performance of buildings designed according a building code during severe earthquakes are different that those from the designers.  Performance of a building during an earthquake can be interpreted in different ways, and for a home-owner it is very important to have a clear understanding of what a “code-designed” building means.  A “code-designed” building is considered as an “earthquake resistant” building, not an “earthquake-proof” building.  This presentation will help provide a better understanding of what a “code-designed” building means, and what kind of performance can be expected if a severe earthquake happens in the region.   The concept of Performance-Based Design will be explained, as this is the procedure that building codes will follow to ensure seismic resiliency of buildings in the near future.