Damage to column bases and roof joints in steel school buildings due to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake

A reconnaissance of steel school buildings and gymnasiums damaged by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake has been conducted by the Architectural Institute of Japan. This paper focuses on seismic damage to column bases and roof joints. In pre-1982 buildings, early fracture of vertical brace connections tended to reduce damage of column bases. Although the design procedure of brace connections was improved in 1981, it was not till 1995 that the procedure for column bases was revised. Therefore, in post-1982 pre-1995 buildings, the relatively strong brace connections tend to induce severe damage to column bases.