Damage Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Structures in Eastern United States

Keywords: Seismic Hazard Analysis, Reinforced Concrete Structures, and Earthquakes - Eastern United States.

Abstract: The main objective of this research is to determine the seismic hazard associated with reinforced concrete structures in the eastern United States. The structures considered are medium to high rise, and are designed without consideration of seismic loading. Damage is quantified as an index which can be used to determine whether the structure is reparable, severely damaged, or collapsed. The structural damage is calculated using comprehensive inelastic dynamic analysis. For this study, a Monte Carlo simulation approach has been chosen with simulated earthquake motion developed from spectral characteristics of earthquakes typical to eastern North America. The study considered three similar test structures to determine the damage level associated with different types of designs. Two of the structures considered were frame type structures, one structure was a "weak beam" design, and the other was a "weak column" design. Additionally, a coupled frame shear wall structure was considered to determine the effect of the shear wall on the resulting damage index. Monte Carlo simulations were performed for earthquakes with a variety of magnitudes and epicentral distances. The results of the simulations provide mean and expected maximum overall damage indices of the structures for each combination of magnitude and distance covered. Empirical equations were then developed to define the resulting damage as a function of magnitude and epicentral distance.