Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete (RC) Structures based on Modal Parameters

Resumo

During an earthquake, the gradual deterioration of structural components in a building decreases its
stiffness. As a result, the overall period of vibration of the entire structure progressively increases. The extent of
damage to these components, commonly termed as a Damage Limit State (DLS), can be assessed either through
visual inspection or by using numerical analyses that correlate the exceeding of a certain Engineering Demand
Parameter (EDP) threshold with the attainment of a specific DLS for a specific earthquake scenario. Evaluating
the DLS in a building after an earthquake serves as the basis for determining its serviceability. This study
conducted numerical time history and pushover analyses on reinforced concrete buildings. The pushover analysis
was used to determine the thresholds for a set of DLS of infilled RC structures. The main objective of this study
is to establish a preliminary relationship between two factors: a) the damages that a building experiences due to a
specific earthquake scenario, which determines its serviceability, and b) its period elongation, which can be
analytically measured using finite elements methods. The aim is to determine whether the building's period
elongation can be a reliable indicator for assessing its damage state after an earthquake.