Performance Based Seismic Analysis on the Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Frames with Different Ductility

The recent earthquakes exhibit that the uses of seismic design codes of practice yet do not provide sufficient comprehensive safety for buildings. This means that during earthquakes all structures would behave various performances, while the design objectives in current building codes address life safety, control damage in minor and moderate earthquakes, and prevent collapse in a major earthquake. In this respect, evaluation of performance of existing buildings designed in accordance with the current seismic code of practices could improve these codes and provide ample precision related to the expected structural behavior. This paper investigates the various performances of 72 reinforced concrete moment resisting frames (RCMRF) with low and moderate ductility. These structures are designed in accordance with Iranian seismic standard 2800 and Iranian concrete code of practice. The seismic performances of all structures investigated, discussed and compared under the nonlinear static (pushover) and nonlinear dynamic analysis. The moderate ductile structures (except two stories) due to earthquake hazard level 1 exhibit life safety level of performance, which transfers to immediate occupation level by increasing the height of the structure. Among the low ductile structures, all regular six, eight and ten stories have life safety performance while the two and four stories show low level of performance expected by standard 2800. The general comparisons among all moderate and low ductile structures show the better performance for that of moderate structures.