It is the purpose of this paper to establish an analytical method of dynamic response prediction and to estimate the failure of reinforced concrete buildings subjected to strong motion earthquake excitation.

The paper is divided into two parts.

Part I is an application of the random vibration theory in earthquake engineering,from which a general analytical method is developed for the response of a multi-story building with a linear stable system subjected to earthquake excitation.

This analytical method is applied to evaluate the response of a three story building subjected to an accelerometer recording of the Tokachi-Oki earthquake. Expected maximum story displacements and expected number of cycles with varying intensities of the repeated story shearing forces due to the strong ground motion are computed and compared with the corresponding values obtained by a deterministic analysis method.

Hence, a dynamic response prediction method for the expected intensity of future earthquakes is hereby discussed.

In part II, experimental results of the failure of full-size reinforced concrete column models due to the above repeated shearing forces are also presented.

* Manuscript received on February 13, 1969
** Research Member of Building Research Institute, Ministry of Construction