Evaluation of rapid visual screening assessment of existing buildings using nonlinear numerical analysis

Different methodologies are available in the literature to perform seismic assessment of existing buildings. Amongst the simplified ones, Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) methodologies have been recently developed and proposed. RVS methods are simplified procedures that can be implemented rather quickly for preliminary assessment of building vulnerability without the need to perform a detailed model and numerical analysis. Their application is particularly useful in regions characterised by high seismicity or where an important share of the buildings was not designed according to seismic provisions. The outcome of RVS methods is a safety index, based on the data from simplified forms that are filled during visual inspection of the buildings. For this reason, the accuracy of the results could be significantly affected by building features that cannot be considered by such forms. To address this issue and to evaluate the effectiveness of RVS methods, this paper focuses on the comparison between the results of a specific RVS method and those from advanced numerical modelling and nonlinear analyses of masonry-infilled reinforced concrete buildings. Several case-study buildings were selected from a database developed in the framework of a recently concluded European project, which focused on the seismic risk assessment of residential buildings in Northern Algeria, a seismic prone region. The buildings are analysed using detailed structural finite element models, through both nonlinear static and dynamic analysis, considering also the influence of mechanical and geometrical properties of the masonry infills. The comparison results show that, despite the significant variability observed in the RVS vulnerability assessment outcomes, there is a fair overall match with the nonlinear analysis results, confirming the utility of RVS methods at an initial assessment stage, as well as the need for further extended validation research efforts.