Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Methods for Buildings in Japan

The development of seismic vulnerability evaluation standards for reinforced concrete buildings in Japan is briefly reviewed. Damage statistics are shown to indicate that severe damage was observed in a relatively small percentage of existing buildings even after damaging earthquakes in the world. Therefore, a simple screening procedure is necessary to identify such vulnerable buildings out of the existing building stock. After discussing the principles of seismic vulnerability assessment using a simple single-degree-of-freedom system, applications to multi-degree-of-freedom systems and to structures of irregular configuration are discussed. A general procedure consistent with the present design provisions in Japan is introduced.