Next-generation performance based earthquake engineering

The next-generation tools and procedures for performance-based earthquake engineering that are being developed in the United States represent a radical departure from traditional seismic design practice and performance assessment. Performance will be measured in terms of direct economic loss, indirect economic loss and casualties rather than by building component deformations and accelerations. Uncertainty and randomness will be captured in every step of the performance assessment process. The paper summarizes the types of performance assessment made possible by the next-generation tools and procedures and describes each step in the assessment process. Fragility functions, damage states and consequence functions, which are key elements in the next generation procedures, are introduced.