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Published November 13, 2012 | public
Book Section - Chapter

Application of the Subset Simulation Method in Predicting the Seismic Response of an Existing Reinforced-Concrete Frame Structure

Abstract

A seismic risk assessment of a structure may be significantly affected by the representation of ground motion uncertainty. A direct probabilistic representation of the ground motion time history can be constructed based on a stochastic model that depends on the magnitude and distance of the seismic event. The uncertainties in magnitude and distance can be accounted for by using a joint probability distribution that is constructed using a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis based on the potential of the surrounding faults to produce earthquakes. An advanced stochastic simulation scheme known as Subset Simulation can then be used to efficiently compute the small failure probabilities corresponding to structural response quantities of interest exceeding specified threshold levels. Alternatively, the ground motion uncertainty can be represented by adopting a parameter known as an intensity measure and using attenuation relationships in order to relate this intensity measure to magnitude and distance of seismic events. The uncertainty in the response of an existing reinforced-concrete frame structure is obtained by following these two alternative approaches. This structure is known to have suffered shear failure in its columns during the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, California.

Additional Information

This work was supported in part by the Earthquake Engineering Research Centers Program of the National Science Foundation under Award Number EEC-9701568 through the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. This support is gratefully acknowledged. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation. The first author is also grateful for the support of the George W. Housner Post-doctoral Fellowship from the California Institute of Technology.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 18, 2023