History of Legal Amendments and Evolution of Design Methods for Reinforced Concrete Buildings
By A. Furuya
Concrete Journal, Vol.63, No.10, Oct. 2025
- Synopsis
- The current seismic design standard, called the “New Earthquake Resistance Standard,” was established in 1981 with the revision of the Building Standard Act. Since then, further legal amendments have been made, primarily in response to earthquake disasters, the accumulation of technical knowledge, and evolving societal needs. In principle, when additions or renovations to be structurally integrated with an existing building are carried out, they must comply with the current structural regulations. Likewise, buildings constructed under the New Earthquake Resistance Standard must conform to current structural regulations. Therefore, when rehabilitating or repurposing existing buildings, it is necessary to understand which structural regulations and legal standards were applied when they were designed and built. This paper explains the major legal amendments and the evolution in design methods for reinforced concrete buildings after the New Earthquake Resistance Standard was established.
- Keywords:
- Reinforced concrete buildings, History of legal amendments, Evolution of design methods, Low-carbon concrete, Special materials
