Numerical Simulation on Aftershock Fragility of Low-Ductility RC Frames under Different Mainshock-Induced Damage Conditions

Aftershocks typically occur multiple times following major earthquakes, potentially inflicting enhanced damage. It is crucial to quantify the impact of aftershocks on the seismic performance of low-ductility reinforced concrete (RC) frames with different mainshock-induced damage states. For this purpose, this study investigated the aftershock fragility of low-ductility RC frames with different damage states induced by mainshocks via the case study of a six-story RC frame without a seismic design. The models of the low-ductility RC frames with different damage states were established via OpenSees software 2.5.0. Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) was carried out to establish damage states induced by a mainshock. Then sixty-five real aftershocks were inputted to analyze the structures with different main-induced damage states. Aftershock fragility curves of low-ductility RC frame structures with different damage states were obtained. The results show that the exceedance probability of the low-ductility RC frame with mainshock-induced damage is higher than that of the intact low-ductility structure, corresponding to each limit state. The severity of the mainshock-induced damage directly amplifies the demand for a low-ductility RC frame in the subsequent aftershocks. As the mainshock-induced damage increases, the exceedance probability of the low-ductility RC frame undergoing more severe damage under aftershocks significantly increases.