Seismic performance evaluation of corroded reinforced concrete structures by using default and user defined plastic hinge properties

The primary objectives of this study was to investigate the effects of default hinge properties based on FEMA-356 (FEMA-356, 2000) and user-defined hinge properties on the timedependent seismic performance levels of corroded RC buildings. An assumed corrosion rate was used to predict the capacity curve of the buildings by using default and user-defined plastic hinge properties as a function of time (t: 25 years, and t: 50 years). Two, four and seven stories of RC buildings were considered to represent the effects of default and user- defined hinge properties on story levels. For the modelling of user-defined hinge properties, the time-dependent moment-curvature relationships of structural members were predicted as a function of corrosion rate for two different time periods in order to perform push-over analyses, while default hinge properties were used for the other case based on the ready documents by FEMA-356 (FEMA-356, 2000). Then, the nonlinear time-history analyses for both corroded and non-corroded buildings were performed by using 20 individual earthquake motion records. Seismic performance levels of non-corroded buildings and predicted time-dependent seismic performance levels of corroded buildings were compared based on their story levels as a result of user-defined and default hinge properties. Limit–states at each performance levels (e.i. immediate occupancy, life safety, collapse prevention and collapse) were obtained. The obtained results were summarized to compare the differences in the results of seismic response of the buildings due to user-defined and default hinge properties for both corroded and non-corroded cases.