Options for sustainable earthquake-resistant design of concrete and steel buildings

Because of its large contribution to the environmental instability of the planet, the building industry will soon be subjected to a worldwide scrutiny. As a consequence, all professionals involved in the building industry will need to create a professional media in which their daily work adequately solves the technical issues involved in the conception, design and construction of concrete and steel buildings, and simultaneously convey care for the environment. This paper discusses, from the point of view of a structural engineer involved in earthquake-resistant design, some of the measures that can be taken to promote the consolidation of a building industry that is capable of actively contributing to the sustainable development of the world.