Displacement-Based Seismic Assessment for Precast Concrete Frames with Non-Emulative Connections

The paper develops a methodology for the seismic vulnerability assessment, Displacement-Based Assessment (DBA), of one-story and multi-story precast concrete frames with non-emulative connections. The method is based on the Direct Displacement-Based Design procedure initially developed by Priestley. The DBA is particularly suitable for the evaluation of the seismic response of flexible structures, as it considers displacements as the leading parameters to estimate the seismic vulnerability. The proposed procedure specifically accounts for the influence of beam–column connections, P-∆ effects, and second mode of vibration. The validation has been performed by means of nonlinear time history analyses.