Simplified Displacement-Based Economic Loss Assessment of Single-Storey Steel Buildings: simplified vs. full 3D models

With reference to old non-residential single-story steel buildings, the paper presents comparisons of different models for economic loss assessment using a simplified displacement-based procedure. Starting from non-linear static analysis, the simplified displacement-based loss assessment method is a limit-states approximation of the real (continuous) economic loss process. Different finite element (FE) models were considered: (i) a finite element model of the entire 3D structure, including envelope panel response; (ii) two alternative simplified representations of the seismic response using finite element models of 2D frames extracted from the 3D structure. The FE models were built within the OpenSEES software platform. Comparisons of results from the different structural models are illustrated, in terms of loss curves (i.e., monetary losses vs. mean annual frequency of exceedance of the earthquake intensity) and expected (economic) annual losses (EAL). Based on such comparisons, conclusions are drawn about advantages and disadvantages of using the various structural models for the loss assessment.