The effect of near-fault directivity on building seismic collapse risk

Forward directivity may cause large velocity pulses in ground motion time histories that are damaging to buildings at sites close to faults, potentially increasing seismic collapse risk. This study quantifies the effects of forward directivity on collapse risk through incremental dynamic analysis of building simulation models that are capable of capturing the key aspects of strength and stiffness degradation associated with structural collapse. The paper also describes a method for incorporating the effects of near-fault directivity in probabilistic assessment of seismic collapse risk. The analysis is based on a suite of RC frame models that represent both past and present building code provisions, subjected to a database of near-fault, pulse-like ground motions with varying pulse periods. Results show that the predicted collapse capacity is strongly influenced by variations in pulse period and building ductility; pulse periods that are longer than the first-mode elastic building period tend to be the most damaging. A detailed assessment of seismic collapse risk shows that the predicted probability of collapse in 50 years for modern concrete buildings at a representative near-fault site is approximately 6%, which is significantly higher than the 1% probability in the far-field region targeted by current seismic design maps in the US. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.