A simplified model for seismic safety assessment of reinforced concrete buildings: framework and application to a 3-storey plan-irregular moment resisting frame

• Simplified building model for seismic assessment using dynamic analyses. Model suitable non-shear-type buildings as it accounts beams flexibility. Torsional behaviour of irregular accurately captured. Remarkable reduction computational time. Validation on a 3D reinforced concrete moment resisting frame building. Seismic safety assessments at the large-scale are paramount importance densely urbanised areas with non-negligible hazard. The topic is gaining increasing interest, particularly in nations longstanding-built environment. Methods based non-linear history analyses simplified models increasingly relevant and popular. This paper proposes buildings, shows its efficiency performing case study proposed has three degrees freedom per storey, two translational one rotational around vertical axis. stiffness matrix forces derived from column elements. Each modelled force-inter storey drift springs, each horizontal direction. These springs reflect columns account also flexibility strength connected through calibration their backbone curves. A genetic algorithm used parameters spring. Despite approach simplicity, modelling scheme effects associated irregularities both plan elevation. For this reason, represents major improvement respect to similar approaches vulnerability assessments, torsionally-flexible buildings. applied three-storey plan-irregular refined benchmark show how can reproduce main characteristics subjected suite ground motions.