Seismic Reliability of Non-Linear Structures with Stochastic Parameters by Directional Simulation

The application of improved Monte Carlo method by Directional Simulation and Importance Sampling is presented with reference to the assessment of seismic fragility of reinforced concrete bridges. The aim of the paper is to establish the effective feasibility of a calibration of Seismic Codes by a consistent probabilistic method, taking into account the real complex and strongly non-linear behavior of the structure. After a brief review of the involved mathematics, results are presented relative to a specific bridge structure designed according with European Seismic Code.