Probabilistic seismic damage assessment of RC buildings based on nonlinear dynamic analysis

Abstract

The incremental dynamic analysis is a powerful tool for evaluating the seismic vulnerability and risk of buildings. It allows calculating the global damage of structures for different PGAs and representing this result by means of damage curves. Such curves are used by many methods to obtain seismic risk scenarios at urban level. Even if the use of this method in a probabilistic environment requires a relevant computational effort, it should be the reference method for seismic risk evaluation. In this article we propose to assess the seismic expected damage by using nonlinear dynamic analysis. We will obtain damage curves by means of the incremental dynamic analysis combined with the damage index of Park & Ang. The uncertainties related to the mechanical properties of the materials and the seismic action will be considered. The probabilistic damage curves obtained can be used to calculate not only seismic risk scenarios at urban level, but also to estimate economic losses.