Seismic Damage Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Buildings

Experiences from past strong earthquakes, such as the 1968 Miyakiken-Oki earthquake in Japan and the 1971 San Fernando earthquake in California, have shown the vulnerability of reinforced concrete buildings to strong ground shakings. For economic reasons, however, some level of damage should be expected and permitted in the aseismic design of structures, particularly of low-rise buildings. In spite of this recognition, the potential seismic damage of structures and the associated aseismic provisions are based largely on qualitative engineering judgment. In order to assess the seismic safety of reinforced concrete buildings, the quantitative analysis of structural damage under random earthquake excitations needs to be improved.