Optimization of floor response spectra by Monte-Carlo simulation

Deterministic design variables are used in the process of structural modeling and seismic response analysis to generate floor response spectra. When safety-related equipment are seismically designed based on the floor response spectra, the design acceleration would be changed depending on the natural vibration mode of the equipment. Thus conventional design approach accounts for the variability on the acceleration by broadening the peak spectral acceleration. This design approach causes design acceleration to the equipment to be conservative. In order to reduce the conservatism, many response analyses have to be performed and best-estimated spectral acceleration should be extracted. This study proposed a probabilistic approach to give best-estimated floor response spectra without many response analyses