Seismic Damage Assessment Of Reinforced Concrete Structures: Low, Medium, And High Rises Using A Performance- based Seismic Design Approach

This research presents a comprehensive seismic damage assessment of low, medium and high-rise reinforced concrete moment resisting frames using a Performance-Based Seismic Design (PBSD) approach. Nonlinear static pushover analysis was carried out using SAP2000 to evaluate structural performance under different lateral load patterns and seismic intensities. Traditional force-based design methods were critically compared with PBSD to highlight their limitations in predicting actual damage. A rational damage index based on drift, ductility, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation was formulated to quantify performance levels such as Immediate Occupancy, Life Safety and Collapse Prevention. The study demonstrates that PBSD provides a more realistic and reliable framework for seismic risk evaluation and helps in improving safety, resilience and decision-making for future RC structures in earthquake-prone regions.