Quest Journals

Journal of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Volume 8 ~ Issue 5 (2023) pp: 01-04
ISSN(Online) : 2321-8193
[Link]
Research Paper

A Comprehensive Review on Design Trends in Civil

Engineering Structures
Ha Thanh Tu*
Faculty of Civil and Environment, Thai Nguyen University of Technology, Thai Nguyen, 250000, Vietnam
Corresponding author: Ha Thanh Tu

Abstract
The design trends of civil engineering structures have been constantly developed from the early strength-based to
the other advanced designs. The safety of structures is still the first priority because the failure and collapses of
civil engineering structures can be tragic events, leading to loss of life and serious property damage. Today, with
advancements in materials, construction technology, analysis and calculation tools, new design trends have been
proposed to meet the increasing needs of users. In this article, four design trends in civil engineering structures
including (1) force-based design; (2) capacity-based design; (3) performance-based design; (4) resilience-based
design were investigated. In each design direction, the concepts, features and discussion are provided to capture
the development trends in the design of civil engineering structures and their potential development.
Keywords: Civil engineering structures, force-based design, capacity-based design, performance-based design,
resilience-based design.

Received 28 Apr., 2023; Revised 05May, 2023; Accepted 07 May, 2023 © The author(s) 2023.
Published with open access at [Link]

I. INTRODUCTION
In the field of civil engineering structures, there are many views on structural design and it can be divided
into three main groups: force-based design, capacity-based design, and performance-based design [1]. In the
1960s, the design was based on the load that the strength of the structure must exceed the applied load, so the
force-based structure was often large in size and uneconomical [2]. However, in order to evaluate the safety and
response of the structure under stress, it is difficult at the system level, especially during earthquakes, so capacity-
based design is developed [1]. Capacity-based design refers to the fact that critical areas of structural sections are
allowed to deform non-linearly, i.e. plastic hinges are allowed to form to dissipate energy [3]. Thus, with this type
of design, a consistent power or capacity hierarchy among the components of the entire system is established [4].
Although a structure designed in this way can maximize operability and minimize repair costs when subjected to
earthquake damage [5,6]. During the last years of the 20th century, a new approach to design was performance-
based design [7-9], which is the construction of systems that meet specific performance goals predefined by the
design of the structure. In fact, the life cycle of an engineering structure is influenced by many other parameters
and degrades over time. Impact loads can change over time and maintenance can also be performed. Since then,
a resilience-based design approach has been proposed in recent years to assess, reduce risks and quantify resilience
after severe damage [10]. However, the research on this direction is still very limited. In recent years, more and
more stringent standards and regulations in the construction field have been established in relation to the
environment, towards a sustainable building environment. Therefore, infrastructure and structures are also
required to be sustainable and minimize environmental pollution. Through the literature review, it is found that
some major trends in the design of civil engineering structures include: (1) force-based design (FBD); (2) capacity-
based design (CBD); (3) performance-based design (PBD); (4) resilience-based design (RBD) (Figure 1).
Following each of these trends, the study will begin with the concept and scope related to the building structure.
In addition, there will be a discussion and potential research directions.

*Corresponding Author: Ha Thanh Tu 1 | Page

 A Comprehensive Review on Design Trends in Civil Engineering Structures

Figure 1. Design trends in civil engineering structure

II. FORCE-BASED DESIGN

Force-based design (FBD) refers to the strength of the civil engineering structure, which must exceed the
applied loads. According to ASCE 7-10 [11], there are three options for analytical procedure, including equivalent
lateral force analysis (ELF), modal response spectrum analysis (MRS), and seismic response time history analysis
(THA) for designing regular concrete moment resisting frame systems (MRF). Among them, ELF and MRS are
based primarily on forces, so called force based design (FBD). The displacement in the structures is caused by
loads from the earthquake, so these loads have a relation to the elastic stiffness of the system during elastic stage.
However, this relation is more complicated in inelastic condition, which also depends on the displacement history
during excitation. Accordingly, the strength of civil engineering structure must surpass the applied loads to avoid
the structural failure. Until the 1980s, it was recognized that strength was not as important as ductility, i.e. a
structure's ability to deform in-elastically in the event of an earthquake without losing its strength. Hence,
construction engineers used a force-based design but with a reduced design force level. In the 1990s, the
application of FBD showed that there is a major interdependence between the strength and stiffness of the
structure. The dimensions of structural sections should be determined in the early stages of the design and
distributed to the parts in proportion to the assumed stiffness. However, in this design direction, there are still
some disadvantages [6]: (1) The design and the distribution of design forces among the structural elements are
based on the initial assumption of stiffness, so it is not determine the durability of elements when the design
process is not completed; (2) the initial assumption for the design is not close to the actual load because the seismic
force distributed among the elements is not uniform; (3) the strength of the structure must exceed the applied load,
so the structure according to this design is often large in size and uneconomical. From there, performance-based
design is proposed to overcome some of these disadvantages. This will be discussed in Section 3.

III. CAPACITY-BASED DESIGN

Capacity-based design is a part of a seismic check and ensures that the joint has sufficient deformation
capacity. The capacity-based design aims to confirm a building undergoes controlled ductile behavior to avoid
collapse in a design-level earthquake. This term became popular in 1970 and has been widely applied up to now.
The advantage of this approach can be to maximize capability and minimize repair costs when subjected to
earthquake damage. Capacity-based design is of great importance in design, and it has a strong effect on the design
process. First, the design begins with balancing the components that are considered "plastic" and continues with
storing their capabilities/templates for later review and use. The capacity calculation of each component proceeds
in a certain order, retrieved from the information storage required as input during each phase of the capacity design
[6]. For example, to balance a concrete beam subjected to shear loads, one needs to know the maximum moments
at the end sections not only of the beam itself but also of the columns it is connected to. In fact, the life cycle of
an engineering structure is influenced by many other factors and degrades over time. Impact loads can vary with
time and maintenance activities, so a further trend in the design of an engineering structure is the performance-
based design proposed in the late 20th century, which will be discussed in Section 4.

IV. PERFORMANCE -BASED DESIGN

Performance-based design (also known as Performance-based building design (PBBD)) refers to the
design of engineering structures for predictable performance for initially investigated loads. This method is used
to design a new building or to evaluate an existing structure. In this approach, structural engineers can determine

*Corresponding Author: Ha Thanh Tu 2 | Page

 A Comprehensive Review on Design Trends in Civil Engineering Structures

the specific performance of the structures in response to the owner initially and then proceed with the design or
evaluation of the existing structure. This design is widely applied with the seismic loads. Evaluation of the existing
structure or designing structure of against probable earthquake load is done. However, in modern design now,
performance-based design issued in wind designs, earthquake designs, blast analysis and design and progressive
collapse analysis [9].
The building facility is a system of numerous components with a very long life cycle. Originated from
relevant user requirements, the system design and the more specific design aims of its parts will be clarified. These
requirements develop to a set of performance requirements that should be established by a large number of
stakeholders (the users, owners, manufacturers, and so on). Figure 2 presents the flow diagram of performance-
based design. The main steps in a PBBD process include:
 identifying and formulating the relevant user requirements.
 transforming the identified user requirements into performance requirements and quantitative
performance criteria.
 using the appropriate design and evaluation tools to assess whether proposed solutions meet the given
criteria at a satisfactory level.

Figure 2. Flow diagram of performance-based design [9]

V. RESILIENCE-BASED DESIGN
In recent years, a new design direction in civil engineering structures is resilience-based design. This
design direction has gained much attention of scientists around the world. Resilience-based design is the ability
that a structure can quickly restore to its full functions after severe damage. The resilience-based design process
is systematically analyzed based on the probability of the structure's resistance to extreme damage expected. In
the past, designers and engineers, when calculating the structural design of a building, considered the condition
that the work stood independently. Now, that approach has to take into account the fact that the building is part of
a group of buildings, so the analysis needs to integrate and take into account many other factors. This is the
advantage of RBD over PBD [12]. Over the past decade, earthquake engineers have paid more attention on
deformation and life safety during analysis and design, while socioeconomic parameters have received less
attention. Today, designs are moving towards developing damage-free structures using tools for risk assessment,
from which higher strength structures are proposed with the possibility of recovery is also shorter.
For example, the self-centering capabilities with minimum residual deformations which will allow a faster
recovery process were proposed and developed. There are seven dimensions of the RBD [10]:
1. Population and demographics;
2. Environment/ecosystem;
3. Organized government services;
4. Physical infrastructure;
5. Lifestyle and community competence;
6. Economic development;
7. Social-cultural capital.

*Corresponding Author: Ha Thanh Tu 3 | Page

 A Comprehensive Review on Design Trends in Civil Engineering Structures

VI. CONCLUSION
This paper presents and discusses the development of the design trends for civil engineering structures,
namely force-based design (FBD), capacity-based design (CBD), performance-based design (PBD), resilience-
based design (RBD). In each design direction, concepts, advantages, and limitations are pointed out and discussed
to find out potential development directions of next-generation design trends. Resilience-based design needs
further attention and investigation considering the interdependence between different dimensions of the
framework that can cause cascading effects. In the future, international cooperation will be needed to exchange
information and coordinate the rapid recovery process by adopting common formats and tools. For example, the
reports of recent earthquakes should follow the same format so that analysis and damage assessment is quick and
the obtained data is consistent.

Acknowledgments
The work presented in this paper is supported by Thai Nguyen University of Technology, Thai Nguyen University,
Vietnam.

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*Corresponding Author: Ha Thanh Tu 4 | Page