A multilevel approach to the capacity assessment of existing r.c. buildings

In the present paper a rational mechanical based approach for the seismic capacity assessment of classes of buildings is presented and capacity curves in terms of ultimate strength and deformation capacities are derived. The proposed procedure allows the main parameters (morphologic and geometric configuration, mechanical properties etc.) to be chosen and their relative influence on the capacity of RC buildings to be evaluated. This evaluation is helpful, since it permits, in the framework of vulnerability assessment at a regional or sub-regional scale, to have a measure of the error that is related to the amount of the information available. Consequently, depending on the relative influence of parameters on response, and also considering the different type of parameters and related availability (by public databases for low order parameters, or by field survey for high order ones), a multilevel building class specification in function of input variables is proposed.