Statistical property parameterization of simple rocking block response

Abstract The parametric representation of rocking fragilities is statistically investigated. Initially, the potential normalization of the rocking parameters to reduce the problem's dimensionality is tackled by undertaking comparisons both on a single‐record and a sample‐of‐records basis. It is found that the slenderness angle can be normalized out when probabilistically considering the rocking response of simple rocking blocks with the same semi‐diagonal length. Then, the robustness of the lognormal distribution for characterizing the rocking motion is investigated. Sets of pulse‐like and ordinary ground motions are employed to test the lognormal fit for the full range of rocking response when the peak ground acceleration or the peak ground velocity are employed as intensity measures. In both cases, the lognormal distribution offers an adequate, but often imperfect, baseline model of the rocking fragility curves. Instead, a shifted lognormal that accounts for the absence of response below the rocking initiation intensity is an enhanced solution that can form the basis for offering simplified response model surrogates.