Comparative Evaluation of Scaling Methods for Seismic Performance Assessment of a Reinforced Concrete Building: A Nonlinear Time-History Analysis Study

Abstract

In earthquake engineering, the selection and scaling of earthquake records are indispensable for determining the performance of structures. In this study, two different methods were compared, and an interface was started to develop to implement the process in a user-friendly way. Two different scaling methods were compared to evaluate their effects on the seismic performance of the 5-story building by using the same dynamic characteristics of the structure. In the first method, the spectrum averages of all earthquake records were scaled to the design spectrum in the determined period range. All earthquake records were then multiplied by a single coefficient. In the second method, each earthquake record was scaled with the design spectrum in the determined period range, and different scaling coefficients were used for each earthquake record. The results pointed out significant differences in the displacement and relative story drift ratios of the structures due to the scaling methods used. In order to obtain more robust and generalizable results, repeated analyses should be conducted using different earthquake sets and multiple structures. The findings obtained as a result of the study have important implications for the performance-based design of reinforced concrete buildings in seismic zones, highlighting the need for more advanced and accurate scaling methods in seismic analysis. The development of computational tools, such as the Python application used in this study, may also play a crucial role in improving the efficiency and reliability of future seismic analyses.