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General:

1.0 Professional Guide - Design of Buildings and Structures in Low to Moderate Seismicity Regions

Many of the publications below were book chapters taken from a guidebook published in 2018.

Interested viewers can download the whole book for free at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/cnercsteel/-/media/department/cnercsteel/publication/professional-guide/pg002.pdf

The relevant chapters are made available in QuakeAdvice.

 

2.0 Design and Assessment of Bridges in Regions of Low to Moderate Seismicity

For bridge engineers, a guidebook published in 2019 is recommended.

Francis T.K. Au, Ting Huang, Jiang Yi, Ce Li, Nelson T.K. Lam and Rui-juan Jiang, Design and Assessment of Bridges in Regions of Low to Moderate Seismicity – The Hong Kong Context, Construction Industry Council, 2019.

Interested viewers can download the whole book for free at

https://www2.cic.hk/files/page/10389/20250512%20CIC_Reference%20Material_Francis%20TK%20AU%20(Revised).pdf

 

3.0 AS 1170.4-2007 Commentary (2021)

Structural Design Actions Part 4: Earthquake Actions in Australia 2nd Edition (2021). ISBN 978-0-9876356-4-8

 

Interested viewers can download the whole book for free at this link

 

4.0 IStructE - Examples for the seismic design of steel and concrete buildings to Eurocode 8

Simple design calculations for basic steel and concrete elements for buildings within the scope of BS EN 1998.

Interested viewers can purchase the book at https://www.istructe.org/resources/guidance/examples-eurocode-8-seismic-design/

 

On seismic actions fundamentals:

General overview

  1. Tsang, H.H. and Lam, N.T.K. (2018). Chapter 3: "Earthquake Loading Characterisation for Regions of Low to Moderate Seismicity", in Lam & Chan (Eds.), Guideline on Design of Buildings and Structures in Low-to-moderate Seismicity Countries. Professional Guide: PG-002, Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Steel Construction (Hong Kong branch, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University). (link: 2018_Chapter 3)
  2. Looi, D.T.W.; Tsang, H.H. and Lam, N.T.K. (2019). “The Malaysian Seismic Design Code: Lessons learnt”, Proceedings of the 2019 Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering, April 04-06, Auckland, New Zealand. (link: http://db.nzsee.org.nz/2019/Oral/11C.05%20Looi.pdf; or https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333078631_The_Malaysian_Seismic_Design_Code_Lessons_learnt)
  3. Looi, D.T.W.; H.H. Tsang and Lam, N.T.K. (2021). “Developing Earthquake Resistant Structural Design Standard for Malaysia Based on Eurocode 8: Challenges and Recommendations”, Standards, 2(1), 134-153.
    https://doi.org/10.3390/standards1020012

Topic A: Response spectrum modelling

  1. Looi, D.T.W.; Tsang, H.H.; Hee, M.C. and Lam, N.T.K. (2018). “Seismic Hazard and Response Spectrum Modelling for Malaysia and Singapore”, Earthquakes and Structures, 15(1), pp. 67-79. DOI 10.12989/eas.2018.15.1.067
    (link: 2018_EAS_Looietal_SeismicmodellingMalaysiaSingapore)
  2. Lam, N.T.K., Tsang, H.H., Lumantarna, E. & Wilson, J.L. (2016), “Minimum loading requirements for areas of low seismicity”, Earthquakes and Structures, 11(4): 539-561. DOI 10.12989/eas.2016.11.4.539

Topic B: Site soil amplifications modelling

  1. Looi, D.T.W.; Tsang, H.H.; Lam, N.T.K. and Hee, M.C. (2018). Chapter 12.2: “Site classification scheme and response spectrum models for Malaysia”, in Lam & Chan (Eds.), Guideline on Design of Buildings and Structures in Low-to-moderate Seismicity Countries. Professional Guide: PG-002, Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Steel Construction (Hong Kong branch, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) (link: 2018_Chapter 12.2)
  2. Looi, D.T.W.; Lim, E.P. and Hee, M.C. (2018). Chapter 7: “A case study of code compliant design of buildings in regions of low-to-moderate seismicity”, in Lam & Chan (Eds.), Guideline on Design of Buildings and Structures in Low-to-moderate Seismicity Countries. Professional Guide: PG-002, Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Steel Construction (Hong Kong branch, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University). (link: 2018_Chapter 7)
  3. Tsang, H.H., Wilson, J.L., Lam, N.T.K. & Su, R.K.L. (2017), “A design spectrum model for flexible soil sites in regions of low-to-moderate seismicity”, Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 92: 36-45. DOI 10.1016/j.soildyn.2016.09.035
  4. Tsang, H.H., Wilson, J.L. & Lam, N.T.K. (2017), “A refined design spectrum model for regions of lower seismicity”, Australian Journal of Structural Engineering, 18(1): 3-10. DOI 10.1080/13287982.2017.1297529
Watch videos on seismic action fundamentals

On seismic analysis techniques:

Global analysis

  1. Lam, N.T.K., Wilson, J.L., and Lumantarna, E. (2010). ”Modelling Seismically Induced Storey Drift in Buildings”,  Structural Engineering & Mechanics, 35(4): 459-478. https://doi.org/10.12989/sem.2010.35.4.459
  2. Lam, N.T.K. (2011), “Use of Spreadsheets for Analyses in Structural Engineering”, Applications of Spreadsheets in Education: The Amazing Power of a Simple Tool, (Ed. Sugen, S. & Kwan, M.), Bentham Science Publisher : Chapter 2, 16–40. https://doi.org/10.2174/978160805276911101010018
  3. Looi, D.T.W.; Lim, E.P. and Hee, M.C. (2018). Chapter 7: “A case study of code compliant design of buildings in regions of low-to-moderate seismicity”, in Lam & Chan (Eds.), Guideline on Design of Buildings and Structures in Low-to-moderate Seismicity Countries. Professional Guide: PG-002, Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Steel Construction (Hong Kong branch, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) (link: 2018_Chapter 7)
  4. Khatiwada, P.; Lumantarna E.; Lam, N.T.K. and Looi, D.T.W. (2021). “Fast Checking of Drift Demand in Multi-Storey Buildings with Asymmetry”, Buildings, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11010013.
  5. Khatiwada, P. and Lumantarna E. (2021). "Simplified Method of Determining Torsional Stability of the Multi-Storey Reinforced Concrete Buildings", CivilEng, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/civileng2020016.

RC members modelling and analysis

  1. Lam, N.T.K., Wilson, J.L. and Lumantarna, E. (2011). “Force-Deformation Behaviour Modelling of Cracked Reinforced Concrete by EXCEL spreadsheets”, Invited paper in Special Issue entitled Computing Technologies and Concrete Structures in Computers and Concrete. 8(1): 43 – 57. https://doi.org/10.12989/cac.2011.8.1.043
  2. Menegon, Scott J; Wilson, John L; Lam, Nelson TK and Gad, Emad F (2020) "Development of a user-friendly and transparent non-linear analysis program for RC walls". Computers and Concrete, 25(4):327-341. https://doi.org/10.12989/cac.2020.25.4.327

On seismic design:

  1. Lam, N.T.K.; Tsang, H.H. and Li, S. (2025). "Inter-storey drift and storey shear forces in rocking isolated buildings", Structures, 78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2025.109274
  2. Looi, D.T.W.; Tsang, H.H. and Lam, N.T.K. (2020). “Simplifying Eurocode 8 Ductile Detailing Rules for Reinforced Concrete Structures”, 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 17WCEE 2021, September 13-18 (rescheduled to 2021), Sendai, Japan. (link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344395719_SIMPLIFYING_EUROCODE_8_DUCTILE_DETAILING_RULES_FOR_REINFORCED_CONCRETE_STRUCTURES)
  3. Menegon, S.J.; Wilson, J.L.; Lam, N.T.K. and McBean, P. (2017). "RC walls in Australia: seismic design and detailing to AS 1170.4 and AS 3600", Australian Journal of Structural Engineering, 19(1), 67-84. https://doi.org/10.1080/13287982.2017.1410309
  4. Mehair, Y.; Looi, D.T.W.; Lam, N.T.K. and Wilson, J.L. (published online 2021, in press). “Seismic Response Modification Factors for buildings featuring a gravity transfer system by Incremental Dynamic Analyses”, Journal of Earthquake Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632469.2021.1964644

On site-specific seismic design of buildings:

  1. Hu, Y.W.; Lam, N.T.K.; Khatiwada, P.; Menegon, S.J. and Looi, D.T.W. (2021). "Site-Specific Response Spectra: Guidelines for Engineering Practice", CivilEng, 2(3): 712-735. DOI 10.3390/civileng2030039

These open-access articles are part of the Special Issue in CivilEng. The Guest Editors are Prof. Nelson Lam and Dr Elisa Lumantarna.

    1. Hu, Y.; Khatiwada, P.; Tsang, H.-H.; Menegon, S. Site-Specific Response Spectra and Accelerograms on Bedrock and Soil Surface. CivilEng 2023, 4, 311-332. https://doi.org/10.3390/civileng4010018
    2. Hu, Y.; Lam, N.; Khatiwada, P.; Tsang, H.-H.; Menegon, S. Generation of Site-Specific Accelerograms and Response Spectra Involving Sampling Information from Borehole Records. CivilEng 2023, 4, 827-855. https://doi.org/10.3390/civileng4030046
    3. Khatiwada, P.; Hu, Y.; Lumantarna, E.; Menegon, S.J. Dynamic Modal Analyses of Building Structures Employing Site-Specific Response Spectra Versus Code Response Spectrum Models. CivilEng 2023, 4, 134-150. https://doi.org/10.3390/civileng4010009
    4. Khatiwada, P.; Hu, Y.; Lam, N.; Menegon, S.J. Nonlinear Dynamic Analyses Utilising Macro-Models of Reinforced Concrete Building Structures and Site-Specific Accelerograms. CivilEng 2023, 4, 881-900. https://doi.org/10.3390/civileng4030048