Influence of frequency characteristics of seismic ground motion on the fragility of an RC frame structure

Abstract

Ground-motion frequency characteristics have a significant impact on structural damage. A quantitative description of the impact of ground-motion spectral features on structures is an urgent topic that requires solutions. In this study, the ratio of peak displacement to peak acceleration (R d2a ) is used as a representative index of the ground-motion spectral characteristics. The seismic records collected from the Kik-net strong-motion array in Japan are grouped according to their R d2a values. By adopting the incremental dynamic analysis method, the seismic fragility curves of a six-story RC frame structure loaded by inputting seismic records with different R d2a values are calculated using the OpenSees platform. The influence of R d2a values on the structural fragility is analyzed. Ground-motion records of liquefied sites are collected, and the peak ratios of seismic records at the liquefied sites are analyzed to reveal the differences in the fragility of the six-story RC structures at liquefied and non-liquefied sites. The results of this study are expected to serve as a reference for the evaluation of structural fragility and to understand the effect of ground-motion frequency characteristics on the fragility of RC frame structures.