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Published March 2004 | Submitted
Book Section - Chapter Open

Simplified Estimation of Seismic Life-Cycle Costs

Abstract

Most seismic risk assessments for economic decision-making of commercial buildings are based on a risk metric called probable maximum loss (PML) that is associated with losses from an earthquake shaking severity with a 500-year return period. For various reasons, PML is a poor metric for economic performance assessment. This paper introduces an analogous measure, the probable frequent loss (PFL), defined as the mean loss resulting from shaking with 10% exceedance probability in 5 years (an approximately 50-year event). It overcomes many of the problems of PML, and offers the advantage that expected seismic life-cycle costs and expected annualized loss are approximately proportional to PFL through a seismic hazard coefficient that depends on site characteristics, fundamental period, and damage shaking threshold, and can be tabulated for ready use. A brief review is given of a building-specific seismic vulnerability method that may be used to calculate PFL.

Additional Information

Portions of this research were supported by the George W. Hausner Senior Research Fellowship, Phase IV of the CUREE-Kajima Joint Research Program and the CUREE-Caltech Woodframe Project. Thanks also to David L. McCormick. Steven K. Harris. Ron Mayes, Greg Flynn, and Jeff Berger. who provided advice on portions of the research. Their contributions are gratefully acknowledged.

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