Probabilistic seismic resilience quantification of a reinforced masonry shear wall system with boundary elements under bi-directional horizontal excitations

Abstract

The concept of resilience is gaining increased attention in disaster management due to the recent awareness of the need to reduce the detrimental post-event effects of natural disasters, e.g., earthquakes. Resilience is a practical concept that includes pre-event (preparedness and mitigation) and post-event (response and recovery) activities. Quantitative resilience assessment approaches are needed to compare the available mitigation strategies to decide on the most suitable strategy and provide better support for decision-making procedures. In this study, a methodology for quantifying the seismic resilience of reinforced masonry shear wall (RMSW) buildings with end-confined masonry boundary elements is implemented. The uncertainties associated with structural and non-structural losses and estimated recovery time uncertainties are considered while quantifying the resilience index of RMSW buildings. The archetype buildings studied have 8-, 10-, and 12-storey heights and are located in Vancouver, representing a high seismic zone in Canada. First, a numerical model was developed using OpenSees to derive the fragility surface for the studied archetypes subjected to bi-directional horizontal excitation. Second, a Monte Carlo simulation was performed to quantify the resilience index of each archetype considering the above-mentioned uncertainties. The results prove the robustness of ductile RMSW buildings having end-confined MBEs in mitigating the losses associated with disaster events. Additionally, the findings provide comprehensive and valuable information for earthquake mitigation measures and disaster risk reduction programmes.