Seismic safety of RC framed buildings designed according to modern codes

Abstract

In order to ensure that a structure does not collapse when subjected to the action of strong ground motions, modern codes include prescriptions in order to guarantee the ductile behavior of the elements and of the whole structure. Obviously, it would be of special importance for the designer to know during the design process the extent of damage that the structure will suffer under the seismic action specified by the design spectrum and also the probability of occurrence of different states of behavior. The incremental nonlinear static analysis procedure used in this paper allows formulating a new, simplified, seismic damage index and damage thresholds associated with five limit states. The seismic behavior of a set of regular reinforced concrete buildings designed according to the EC-2/EC-8 prescriptions for a high seismic hazard level is then studied using the proposed damage index and damage states. Fragility curves and damage probability matrices corresponding to the performance point are calculated for the studied buildings. The obtained results show that the collapse damage state is not reached in the buildings designed according to the prescriptions of EC-2/EC-8 and also that the damage does not exceed the irreparable damage limit state.