Effect of Material Variability and Mechanical Eccentricity on the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Buildings

Puppio, Mario Lucio; Pellegrino, Martina; Giresini, Linda; Sassu, Mauro

doi:10.3390/buildings7030066

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Effect of Material Variability and Mechanical Eccentricity on the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Buildings

^1,*,

^1,*,

and

Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering; University of Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy

Department of Civil, Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Buildings 2017, 7(3), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings7030066

Received: 11 April 2017 / Revised: 30 June 2017 / Accepted: 14 July 2017 / Published: 26 July 2017

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traditional and Innovative Approaches in Seismic Design)

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Abstract

The present paper deals with the influence of material variability on the seismic vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete buildings. Existing r.c. buildings are affected by a strong dispersion of material strengths of both the base materials. This influences the seismic response in linear and nonlinear static analysis. For this reason, it is useful to define a geometrical parameter called “material eccentricity”. As a reference model, an analysis of a two storey building is presented with a symmetrical plan but asymmetrical material distribution. Furthermore, an analysis of two real buildings with a similar issue is performed. Experimental data generate random material distributions to carry out a probabilistic analysis. By rotating the vector that defines the position of the center of strength it is possible to describe a strength domain that is characterized by equipotential lines in terms of the Risk Index. Material eccentricity is related to the Ultimate Shear of non-linear static analyses. This relevant uncertainty, referred to as the variation of the center of strength, is not considered in the current European and Italian Standards. The “material eccentricity” therefore reveals itself to be a relevant parameter to considering how material variability affects such a variation. View Full-Text

Keywords: material variability; strength domain; seismic assessment of r.c. buildings; nonlinear static analysis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Puppio, M.L.; Pellegrino, M.; Giresini, L.; Sassu, M. Effect of Material Variability and Mechanical Eccentricity on the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Buildings. Buildings 2017, 7, 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings7030066

AMA Style

Puppio ML, Pellegrino M, Giresini L, Sassu M. Effect of Material Variability and Mechanical Eccentricity on the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Buildings. Buildings. 2017; 7(3):66. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings7030066

Chicago/Turabian Style

Puppio, Mario Lucio, Martina Pellegrino, Linda Giresini, and Mauro Sassu. 2017. "Effect of Material Variability and Mechanical Eccentricity on the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Buildings" Buildings 7, no. 3: 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings7030066

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Effect of Material Variability and Mechanical Eccentricity on the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Buildings

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