Effects of Near-Fault Factors on the Earthquake Performance and Cost of Reınforced Concrete Structural Systems According to the Turkish Earthquake Code (‘Deprem Bölgelerinde Yapılacak Binalar Hakkında Yönetmelik’, DBYBHY2007), first degree seismic zones are those where the highest ground accelerations are expected to occur. However, same design spectrum is used for the design of buildings in these zones without considering any difference in the fault distances. The phenomenon observed from the earthquake records obtained closer than 15 km to the fault is that they are typically larger for those closer to the fault. In UBC97 (Uniform Building Code, 1997), the design response spectrum is amplified via near-fault factors depending on the closest distance to the fault in case of faults that are capable of producing large earthquakes. Use of this spectrum, which is amplified by near-fault factors, means that the structural systems are designed for larger earthquake forces. Accordingly, cost of these structures are expected to be higher but their seismic performances to be better. However, evaluation of the amount of cost increase versus the possible improvement in the seismic performance is important in evaluating the necessity and sufficiency of the near-fault factors. Therefore, in this study the effects of near-fault factors defined in UBC97 on the earthquake performance and cost of reinforced concrete structural systems are examined. Prototype buildings of different number of stories are designed using both the amplified and unamplified design acceleration spectrum and cost comparisons of the reinforced concrete structural systems designed in both ways will be carried out. Finally, designed structural systems will be exposed to both near-fault and far-fault historical earthquakes and their seismic performances are compared. as results of this thesis, the buildings who are closer to the fault have a higher cost, at the same time it shows that these buildings are more resistant to earthquakes. ’’
