Energy dissipated within a reinforced concrete structural system and its correlation to inelastic responses during intense seismic action

Examined is energy dissipated within a reinforced concrete structural system by inelastic hysteresis characteristics when subjected to strong earthquake ground motions. And correlation of inelastic responses of the R/C structural system with the energies dissipated within the system is discussed. A single-degree-of-freedom oscillating system is employed in analysis, representing either a fundamental structural system or a weak-beam and strong-column design based reinforced concrete building proposed in the recent performance-based design concept. Utilizing the real earthquake motions, through a numerical analysis, energies dissipated by the damping mechanisms, the hysteresis mechanisms and the inertia kinematics mechanisms are evaluated with variation of the developed inelastic responses of building. The total energy applied to the system by the seismic action is calculated as well. Examined and discussed the correlation of the energies evaluated herein with the developed inelastic responses of the system expressed in ductility factors. Substitute damping coefficients are evaluated for the response for an equivalent linear system. A scheme to estimate an inelastic response of reinforced concrete system based on the energy dissipated within the system is introduced. Provided that the energy applied to a system can be prescribed during a strong earthquake ground motion as one of design parameters, one can estimate an inelastic response of the reinforced concrete system based on the energy dissipated within. (authors)