Ishak, Md 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5761-2271
(2025)
Development of a Value-Based Design (VBD) Framework for Seismic Design of Buildings.
Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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Abstract
Seismic design in Canada, as prescribed by the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC 2020), primarily focuses on life safety. However, the code gives limited attention to post-earthquake functionality and the long-term economic consequences. This study presents a Value-Based Design (VBD) framework for buildings subjected to seismic hazard that integrates the Endurance Time Method (ETM) with Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) to enhance the seismic resilience of reinforced-concrete (RC) moment-resisting frames for buildings. To demonstrate the proposed framework, a six-storey RC building assumed to be located in Vancouver was designed in accordance with NBCC 2020 provisions. Multiple design alternatives, varying column dimensions and reinforcement ratios, were analyzed using spectrally matched Endurance Time Excitation Functions (ETEFs). The ETM reduced computational time from ~6.4 hours per alternative (conventional Incremental Dynamic Analysis) to ~7 minutes (98.2% reduction) while maintaining close agreement with IDA median trends.
VBD alternatives achieved measurable improvements in structural resilience and economic efficiency across eight seismic hazard levels. The entropy‑weighted optimal design (DA_33) reduced structural LCC by 13.3% and Total Cost by 2.93% relative to the code‑minimum design (DA_01), despite a modest 2.29% initial cost premium. DA_35 and DA_28 showed similar reductions in life‑cycle losses but required higher initial investments, illustrating a family of mid‑range solutions that trade construction cost for additional resilience gains. Lifecycle cost analysis, integrating losses across all hazard levels, revealed that the code-minimum design (DA_01) incurred about 643 kCAD in expected fatality costs and the highest structural repair expenditures. Mid-range designs with Initial Costs modestly above the code minimum achieved near‑optimal performance, indicating diminishing returns beyond moderate reinforcement.
The framework links structural performance to economic metrics, supporting adoption of drift-based verification and lifecycle cost pathways as alternative NBCC compliance routes.
| Divisions: | Concordia University > Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science > Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
| Authors: | Ishak, Md |
| Institution: | Concordia University |
| Degree Name: | M.A. Sc. |
| Program: | Civil Engineering |
| Date: | 4 November 2025 |
| Thesis Supervisor(s): | Bagchi, Ashutosh |
| Keywords: | Value-Based Design (VBD), Endurance Time Method (ETM), Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), Seismic resilience, Reinforced concrete moment-resisting frames, NBCC 2020, Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM), Endurance Time Excitation Functions (ETEFs) |
| ID Code: | 996683 |
| Deposited By: | Md Ishak |
| Deposited On: | 29 Jun 2026 14:34 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Jun 2026 14:34 |
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