Cost evaluations due to seismic damage to concrete buildings

The study of earthquakes losses in buildings has traditionally been approached for a single amplification factor of the design spectrum, but it could be useful to use other amplification factors to reduce costs. This paper analyzes the evolution of seismic damage costs in three models based on the performance level achieved by these structures, as well as the amplification factor of the design spectrum. Three nonlinear analytical models of reinforced concrete were analyzed. Each model differs in dynamic characteristics and was designed by scaling the design spectrum for three amplification factors. A firm soil earthquake was analyzed, which was scaled to 22 intensities and with this results, dynamic capacity curves of the studied models were constructed. From the analyses it was obtained interstory drift and maximum accelerations, with which the following seismic damage costs were estimated: structural and non-structural damage, contents replacement, income and profits, injuries and deaths. The results show different types of relations between intensity and each type of loss. They also justify the importance of introducing amplification factors at the design stage to minimize the cost of a particular type of damage.