Development and application of damage spectra for RC buildings in Europe

Damage spectra for existing reinforced concrete buildings in Europe are presented in this paper. To this end, a series of time-history nonlinear dynamic analyses for single-degree-of-freedom systems with different deformation ductility values and yielding capacities are performed. The structural properties considered are natural period, ductility, and normalized yielding strength (Fy/W). The hysteresis model is based on Takeda’s model. The computer program IDARC is used to perform the non-linear dynamic analyses, using more than 500 ground motions records on rock-stiff soil and more than 200 records on soft and very soft soil from earthquakes in different parts of Europe since 1970’s. Subsequently, those damage spectra are verified through an numerical approach using a four-storey RC frame. The developed damage spectra can also be useful to determine the level of ductility capacity and yield strength required to limit the expected damages to a certain accepted level according to the EURO-code provisions.