Energy-based damage assessment on structures during earthquakes

Several seismic damage indices have been developed using the energy concept in attempt to compensate for the inadequacy of ductility criteria. However, these indices are either based on implicitly defined energy as a cumulative effect on ductility or are unable to consider energy in a quantitative manner. In this paper, a method of assessing the structural performance during earthquakes based on both explicitly computed plastic rotation and plastic energy at every hinge of a moment-resisting frame is proposed. This method uses the force analogy method to evaluate the structural response and energy in the inelastic domain. Inelastic deformation is expected to occur during major earthquakes, and active control based on an instantaneous optimal control algorithm is used to improve the structural performance. Comparisons are made between uncontrolled response and instantaneous optimal control response based on a single-degree-of-freedom system to demonstrate the computation of plastic energy. Damage analysis of a six-storey moment-resisting steel frame is then presented to evaluate the performance and applicability of the proposed damage measure. Results show that the proposed damage assessment criteria are feasible and that active control can reduce plastic rotation and plastic energy, thereby reducing damage to a certain acceptable limit. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.