Seismic vulnerability evaluation of RC moment frame buildings in moderate seismic zones

A multi-level seismic vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete moment frame buildings located in moderate seismic zones (0.25g) is performed on a set of ductile versions of low- to mid-rise two-dimensional moment frames. The study is illustrated through application to comparative trial designs of two (4- and 8-story) buildings adopting both space- and perimeter-framed approaches. All frames are dimensioned as per the emerging version of the seismic design code in Egypt. These new seismic provisions are in line with current European norms for seismic design of buildings. Code-compliant designs (CCD), as well as a proposed modified code design relaxing design drift demands for the investigated buildings, are examined to test their effectiveness and reliability. Applying nonlinear inelastic incremental dynamic analyses, fragility curves (FC) for the frames are developed corresponding to various code-specified performance levels. Code preset lower and upper bounds on design acceleration and drift, respectively, arc also addressed along with their implications, if imposed, on the frames seismic performance and vulnerability. Annual spectral acceleration hazard curves for the case study frames are also generated. Estimates for mean annual frequency (MAF) of exceeding various performance levels are then computed through an integration process of the data resulting from the FC with the site hazard curves. The study demonstrates that the proposed design procedure relaxing design drift demands delivers more economic building designs relative to CCDs, yet without risking the global safety of the structure. The relaxed design technique suggested herein, even though scoring higher, as expected by intuition, MAF of exceeding various code-limiting performance levels expressed in terms of interstory drift ratios, still guarantees a reasonably acceptable actual margin against violating code limits for such levels. Copyright (c) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.