STRUCTURAL-ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF THE METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS IN LOS-ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

This paper presents important issues related to the structural analysi s and design of a multistory office building in a zone of high seismic ity. Designed in 1996, the Metropolitan Water District Headquarters Bu ilding is a concrete building located in downtown Los Angeles which oc cupies a spatial footprint of approximately 170 000 square feet. The s tructural system is a combination of cast-in-place and precast concret e framing and supports heavy, articulated precast wall panels. Plan ir regularities and vertical setbacks have created a complex project whic h highlights the issues involved in contemporary design of tall buildi ngs in southern California. As the building owner directed the design to meet the requirements of an essential facility, extensive linear an d nonlinear analyses were performed to evaluate performance of the bui lding during major earthquakes. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.