An application of peer performance-based earthquake engineering methodology

Performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) methodology is a focus of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center. The final output of the PBEE method is a probabilistic quantitative description of the seismic performance of a structure using metrics that are of immediate use to engineers and other stakeholders. This research digest illustrates the concept of PBEE through a simplified example, where a prototype building near the University of California, Berkeley campus is designed and modeled. Suites of ground motions that represent the hazard are used in a series of nonlinear dynamic analyses to determine peak building responses. Major structural and nonstructural components are identified and separated into different performance groups (PGs). Depending on the building response, different damage states and the corresponding repair costs for all PGs are identified. Simple statistical simulation procedures are used to efficiently generate large numbers of cost realizations, making it possible to describe probabilities of repair costs exceeding threshold values.