Toward “Strength-Based” Wall Structures for Seismic-Proof Buildings

The behavior of “ductile seismic frames”, which is strongly related upon construction details and specific design rules, during strong earthquake appears to be often not in agreement with average expectations of modern societies which consider not admissible human lives losses and building collapses. The issue of safe constructions against natural hazards appears even more important for those essential facilities, such as hospitals and schools whose collapse could provoke dramatic consequences. In the present paper, a brief history of construction from the appearance of first framed structures to wall-based and tubular structures for tall buildings and to the more recent construction technologies for low-rise buildings using insulating concrete forms and sandwich panels, is provided within Earthquake Engineering perspectives. It is shown as the use of “tubular” structures for low-rise buildings (such as residential buildings) realized with modern construction technologies would ensure the achievement of quite superior structural performances, especially with respect to seismic induced actions.