This project is to develop additional concepts and methods, as well as extend existing concepts, for quantitative assessment of seismic structural damage and reliability, and implementation of damage-limiting aseismic design. The specific components of the program are as follows: to develop quantitative models for defining seismic damage of structures, to define damage-related ground motion intensity, and to develop criteria and suggest associated procedures for designing damage-limiting earthquake-resistant structures within the framework of reliability. The research is expanded on the noval damage model already developed based on the established damage tolerance levels and a newly defined damage index. Further improvement is necessary to cover various material types and structural systems. The results would lead to major improvements in seismic design and provde a means to maintain adequate safety at acceptable costs.
