Performance Based Seismic Resilience Evaluation of Mid-Rise Reinforced Concrete Buildings Using Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis

Abstract

The increasing occurrence of seismic events and the vulnerability of urban infrastructure have highlighted the necessity for advanced seismic performance assessment methods for reinforced concrete buildings. Conventional seismic design approaches primarily focus on life safety requirements and often provide limited evaluation of post-earthquake functionality and structural resilience. This research presents a performance-based seismic resilience evaluation of mid-rise reinforced concrete buildings using nonlinear dynamic analysis to assess structural behavior under earthquake loading conditions. The proposed study employs nonlinear time-history analysis techniques to investigate the seismic response, deformation characteristics, energy dissipation capacity, and damage progression of reinforced concrete structures subjected to varying earthquake intensities. Numerical modeling of mid-rise buildings is performed considering material nonlinearity, stiffness degradation, and dynamic interaction effects to simulate realistic structural behavior during seismic excitation. Different seismic performance levels, including immediate occupancy, life safety, and collapse prevention, are evaluated to determine the resilience capability of the structures. Performance assessment is conducted using parameters such as inter-story drift ratio, base shear response, displacement demand, residual deformation, energy absorption, and structural stability. Comparative analysis is further carried out under multiple ground motion records to evaluate the influence of earthquake characteristics on building performance. Simulation results demonstrate that nonlinear dynamic analysis provides accurate prediction of seismic damage patterns and resilience performance in reinforced concrete buildings.