Incremental Dynamic Analysis

Quantum mechanics

Building code

Engineering

Seismic hazard

Seismic risk

Seismic analysis

Power (physics)

Set (abstract data type)

Civil engineering

Computer science

Earthquake engineering

Seismology

Code (set theory)

Geology

Fragility

Physical chemistry

Physics

Seismic loading

Earthquake scenario

Earthquake simulation

Reliability (semiconductor)

Structural engineering

Chemistry

Programming language

Structural system

Forensic engineering

Precast concrete

Masonry

Journal of Earthquake Engineering

This paper presents and discusses some research results related to the seismic failure risk of standard, residential and industrial, buildings designed for damage, and life-safety according to the Italian seismic code, which is somewhat similar to Eurocode 8. The five considered structural typologies are as follows: masonry, cast-in-place reinforced concrete, precast reinforced concrete, steel, and base-isolated buildings. The archetype structures have been designed according to standard practice at three sites, representative of the seismic hazard across the country. Seismic risk is defined here as the annual rate of earthquakes able to cause structural failure in terms of usability-preventing damage and global collapse. For each structure, the failure rates have been evaluated in the framework of performance-based earthquake engineering, that is, via integration of site's probabilistic hazard and structural fragility. The former has been computed consistently with the official hazard model for Italy that is also used to define design actions in the code. The latter has been addressed via nonlinear dynamic analysis of three-dimensional numerical structural models. Results indicate that, generally, design procedures are such that seismic structural reliability tends to decrease with increasing seismic hazard of the building site, despite the homogeneous return period of exceedance of the design seismic ground-motion.

Seismic Reliability of Code-Conforming Italian Buildings