Performance of Reinforced Concrete Structures Subjected to Earthquake Motions

Abstract

Two simplified methods for estimating the performance of reinforced concrete structures subjected to earthquake motions were evaluated. Both the Flat-Rate and Target Period methods characterize the expected level of performance in terms of the maximum estimated drift for a given intensity of ground motion. Drift estimates using the Flat-Rate method are based on the area of structural members, the total floor area of the structure, and the peak ground acceleration as a measure of earthquake intensity. The main parameters for the Target Period method are the initial period of the structures and the peak ground acceleration. The applicability of these methods to assess the expected level of performance of existing structures was investigated using experimental data. Drift values calculated with the Flat-Rate and Target Period methods were compared with measurements obtained from earthquake simulator tests performed on reduced-scale models of reinforced concrete structures. Results indicate that both methods provided an adequate assessment of performance.