Seismic performance assessment of reinforced concrete moment resisting frame with low strength concrete

Abstract

This paper presents the performance based seismic assessment and economic loss evaluation of reinforced concrete (RC) moment resisting frame (MRF) structures built using low strength concrete. Shake table tests and damage mechanism of two representative two story and one bay, a code designed and a similar reinforced concrete frame model with low strength concrete, were used to develop the calibrated nonlinear numerical models and damage state scales. The performance based seismic assessment of code design and deficient RC frame has been evaluated in terms of repair to cost ratio - RCR (ratio of repair cost to the replacement cost of the structure). A similar RCR of about 9–10% in case of frequent and occasional earthquake demands, and about 17–19% in case of rare or design level earthquake shaking demands have been observed for the code designed and deficient frame structures. Although both frame structures show controlling economic loses at the design level demands, but sustained high percentages of RCR (i.e. about 31% for code conforming and 38% for deficient model) in case of very rare or maximum considered earthquake (MCE) demands.