Mainshock–aftershock seismic fragility assessment of civil structures: A state-of-the-art review

Abstract

Sequential seismic events occur worldwide, which impose significant threats to the safety and serviceability of Civil infrastructure, especially buildings and bridges. Fragility functions are imperative to support decision-making tools for potential seismic risk identification and its impact on structural performance during sequential earthquakes. The increasing number of publications shows a notable increase in interest among researchers and the scientific community in this domain. This study presents a systematic review of available resources and techniques for structural performance and fragility evaluation subjected to mainshock–aftershock seismic loading. Efforts have been made to focus on the salient features of various approaches rather than criticizing the mathematical frameworks and associated analysis approaches. Existing knowledge related to the effect of sequential seismic loading on buildings and bridge infrastructures and their fragility estimates is presented concisely. The paper concludes by detailing the opportunities for future developments in the fragility analysis of Civil infrastructure under sequential seismic hazard. This would encourage stakeholders and decision-makers to put into practice their applications for risk mitigation, recovery planning, and well-informed decision-making.