There is no precise definition of what constitutes a high-rise building. A building code definition includes buildings of over 23 m in height or approximately 6 stories high (IBC,2009). Emporis Standards (2010) define high-rise buildings as multistory structures that are 35–100 m tall, or 12–39 stories high. Sometimes special service requirements dictate the definition. A building that is tall enough to necessitate an elevator, or as in the case of a fire code, “any structure where the height can have a serious impact on evacuation,” may be classified as high-rise. In the context of natural hazards, two aspects distinguish high-rise buildings from others: (1) consequence of damage and (2) structural properties and their interactions with effects of natural hazards. High-rise buildings provide increased density of occupancy per structure, providing concentration of people in one building. Therefore, the consequence of damage tends to be more severe than that of a low-rise...

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur Street, Ottawa, ON, Canada

   Murat Saatcioglu (Professor and University Research Chair)

Corresponding author

Correspondence toMurat Saatcioglu.

Editors and Affiliations

1. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

   Peter T. Bobrowsky

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