A Probabilistic Framework for Robustness Quantification of Precast Concrete Frames under Seismic Loading

Structural robustness is the property of a structure to resist accidental events such as explosions, impacts and earthquakes. In the design field of structural engineering, structural robustness has attained unprecedented significance in the present design environment. This paper presents a probabilistic framework for the robustness quantification of precast concrete frames under seismic loading. After the essences of structural robustness and the philosophy of robustness quantification are examined, the probabilistic framework is developed by investigating the relationship between the failure of structural components and the failure of structural systems. Its process consists of the identification of the relationship, the uncertainty characterization, the reliability and the robustness indices formulations. The proposed probabilistic framework is demonstrated to be feasible and effective in quantifying the robustness of precast concrete frame structures by employing an example illustration.