Characterizing Seismic Resiliency Using an Energy Dissipation-Recentering Correlation Diagram

Abstract

For a structural system, the potential to dissipate energy and recenter during an earthquake are two important characteristics that support seismic resiliency. This paper proposes two dimensionless parameters, namely, an energy dissipation ratio (R _ED ) and a recentering ratio (R _RC ), to quantify the potential of an inelastic mechanism to dissipate hysteretic energy and recover from inelastic deformations, respectively. For most mechanisms used in seismic design, these two parameters are not independent, but rather, they are inherently related. In this work, an R _ED -R _RC correlation diagram is established by placing each parameter within a two-dimensional plot. Importantly, four different zones with varying seismic response attributes are identified. Numerical studies considering various idealized inelastic systems coupled with experimental data are then utilized to demonstrate the utility of the R _ED -R _RC correlation diagram as a simple design tool for estimating the seismic resiliency of a system.