Citation :

Albert Jorddy Valenzuela Inga, Nelfa Estrella Ayuque Almidon, Aron Jhonatan Aliaga Contreras, Jean Fernando Perez Montesinos, "Influence of Uncertainty in Concrete Compressive Strength on Structural Ductility," International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 368-374, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I5P125

Abstract

The occurrence of recent earthquakes has put in evidence, yet again, that reinforced concrete buildings are not as safe as thought. This circumstance is true, even in areas where there are seismic standards that have the purpose of guaranteeing that buildings are safe during earthquakes. Besides, this situation reveals the need for a better understanding of how factors, like the variability of concrete strength, can affect the performance of structures. On one hand, the strength of concrete is very important to consider in the occurrence of an earthquake because it can have an important effect on how a building responds to these kinds of loads. This study observes the changes in the strength of concrete, and also analyzes how ductile mid-rise reinforced concrete buildings are, because these types of buildings are common in the Peruvian city landscape. With the aim of attaining the objectives of this research, a four-story model was first created and later analyzed. This model was thoroughly analyzed in four different concrete scenarios with different strengths: 21, 28, 35, and 42 MPa. In order to execute these analyses, it was necessary to do three things: to create the capacity curves, to identify the yield and ultimate displacements, and to calculate ductility as the ratio of the two. The outcomes evidenced that as the concrete strength increased, the building's base shear capacity also increased, but by about 4.4%. To be more specific, the pressure increased from 360 tons at 21 MPa to 376 tons at 42 MPa, but this strength rise also made the material 28% less flexible. This circumstance means that the material could not deform or absorb energy as easily during an earthquake. In short, stiffer concrete can make structures stronger, but it can also make them less ductile. This situation makes them more likely to fail during earthquakes. This study exhibits how material quality affects the performance of structures against earthquakes. This research also provides important information that can be used with the objective of improving building design, quality control, and planning structural reinforcements in areas where earthquakes are common. One important thing to mention is that the analysis looked at a regular, average-height model. Hence, in the future, irregular structures and the use of probabilistic methods ought to be studied with the objective of making these findings more relevant.

Keywords

Capacity Curve, Plastic Hinges, Seaoc Vision 2000, Nonlinear Static Analysis.

References

1. T. Oliver, Summary Of News Of The Earthquake In Turkey And Syria On February 8, CNN, https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2023/02/08/ultimas-noticia-terremoto-turquia-siria-orix/
2. Martin Lyubomirov Ivanov, and Wan-Ki Chow, “Structural Damage Observed in Reinforced Concrete Buildings in Adiyaman During the 2023 Turkiye Kahramanmaras Earthquakes,” Structures, vol. 58, 2023.
   [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
3. Juan Gutiérrez Trejo, and Gustavo Ayala Milián, “Analysis of the Seismic Resilience of Buildings,” Seismic Engineering, no. 107, pp. 47-73, 2022.
   [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
4. Grzegorz Ludwik Golewski, “The Phenomenon of Cracking in Cement Concretes and Reinforced Concrete Structures: The Mechanism of Cracks Formation, Causes of Their Initiation, Types And Places of Occurrence, And Methods of Detection—A Review,” Buildings, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 1-34, 2023.
   [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
5. Moustafa Moufid Kassem et al., “Development of a Uniform Seismic Vulnerability Index Framework for Reinforced Concrete Building Typology,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 47, 2022.
   [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
6. René Lagos et al., “The Quest for Resilience: The Chilean Practice of Seismic Design for Reinforced Concrete Buildings,” Earthquake Spectra, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 26-45, 2021.
   [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
7. Ismail Ozan Demirel, Ahmet Yakut, and Baris Binici, “Seismic Performance of Mid-Rise Reinforced Concrete Buildings in Izmir Bayrakli After the 2020 Samos Earthquake,” Engineering Failure Analysis, vol. 137, 2022.
   [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
8. Cem Yalçın, “Seismic Design of RC Frame Structures Based on Energy-Balance Method,” Engineering Structures, vol. 237, 2021.
   [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
9. Structural Assessment and Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings in Mexico City, Helios, 2025
   [Publisher Link]
10. Muhammet Kamal, and Mehmet Inel, “Simplified Approaches for Estimation of Required Seismic Separation Distance Between Adjacent Reinforced Concrete Buildings,” Engineering Structures, vol. 252, 2022.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
11. Jhamir Estiven Martinez Najarro, “Influence of the Use of SLB Dampers on the Seismic Response of the Structural System of San Basilio Private School in the Ate District, Lima, 2024,” Technological University of Peru, 2025.
    [Publisher Link]
12. P.D. Gkournelos, T.C. Triantafillou, and D.A. Bournas, “Seismic Upgrading of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings: A State-of-the-Art Review,” Engineering Structures, vol. 240, pp. 1-20, 2021.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
13. Luisa Paulina Viera, “Performance-Based Seismic Design of Reinforced Concrete Buildings,” Master’s Thesis, Technical University of Ambato, 2004.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
14. Diego Gino et al., “Seismic Upgrading of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings Using Friction Pendulum Devices: A Probabilistic Evaluation,” Applied Sciences, vol. 10, no. 24, pp. 1-17, 2020.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
15. Herian Leyva et al., “Multi-Objective Seismic Design of BRBs-Reinforced Concrete Buildings Using Genetic Algorithms,” Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, vol. 64, pp. 2097-2112, 2021.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
16. Jong-Wha Bai, Mary Beth D. Hueste, and Paolo Gardoni, “Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Tilt-Up Concrete Structures,” Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, vol. 11, no. 9, pp. 1131-1146, 2015.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
17. Seong-Hoon Hwang et al., “Machine Learning-Based Approaches for Seismic Demand and Collapse of Ductile Reinforced Concrete Building Frames,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 34, 2021.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
18. Petros C. Lazaridis et al., “Structural Damage Prediction of a Reinforced Concrete Frame Under Single and Multiple Seismic Events Using Machine Learning Algorithms,” Applied Sciences, vol. 12, no. 8, pp. 1-22, 2022.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
19. Niraj Shrestha et al., “Enhancing Seismic Vulnerability Assessment: A Neural Network Effort for Efficient Prediction of Multi-Storey Reinforced Concrete Building Displacement,” Asian Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 25, pp. 2843-2865, 2024.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
20. Ingrid Angela Villafuerte Lujano, and Victor Ivan Fernández-Dávila González, “Seismic Response of 8-Story Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Irregular Plan,” Engineering, vol. 34, no. 2, 2024.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
21. Yati Aggarwal, and Sandip Kumar Saha, “Seismic Performance Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Hilly Buildings with Open Story,” Structures, vol. 34, pp. 224-238, 2021.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
22. Rayudu Jarapala, and Arun Menon, “Seismic Performance of Reinforced Concrete Buildings on Hill Slopes: A Review,” Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series A, vol. 104, pp. 721-745, 2023.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
23. Mangeshkumar R. Shendkar et al., “Influence of Masonry Infill on Seismic Design Factors of Reinforced-Concrete Buildings,” Shock and Vibration, vol. 2022, no. 1, pp. 1-15, 2022.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
24. Xinyu Wang et al., “Seismic Retrofitting of Reinforced Concrete Frame-Shear Wall Buildings Using Seismic Isolation for Resilient Performance,” Structures, vol. 34, pp. 4745-4757, 2021.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
25. Sima S. Ijmulwar, and Sanjaya Kumar Patro, “Seismic Design of Reinforced Concrete Buildings Equipped with Viscous Dampers Using Simplified Performance-Based Approach,” Structures, vol. 61, 2024.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
26. Panagiota S. Katsimpini, and George A. Papagiannopoulos, “Effectiveness of the Seesaw System as a Means of Seismic Upgrading in Older, Non-Ductile Reinforced Concrete Buildings,” Vibration, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 102-112, 2023.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
27. Pramod Kumar et al., “A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Algorithms for Predicting Fundamental Periods in Reinforced Concrete Frame Buildings,” Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering, vol. 49, pp. 2257-2276, 2025.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
28. Xu-Yang Cao, De-Cheng Feng, and Gang Wu, “Pushover-Based Probabilistic Seismic Capacity Assessment of RCFs Retrofitted With PBSPC BRBF Sub-Structures,” Engineering Structures, vol. 234, 2021.
    [CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
29. Standard E.060 Reinforced Concrete, National Building Regulations. [Online]. Available: https://drive.google.com/file/u/1/d/19EYUVMgwvm6rDs47GV374avco2ylU5Kz/view?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook
30. Norma E.030 Seismic-Resistant Design, National Building Regulations, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W14N6JldWPN8wUZSqWZnUphg6C559bi-/view
31. Standard E.020 Loads, National Building Regulations. [Online]. Available: https://drive.google.com/file/u/1/d/15atg-9w0OEXjR5C1m6IXUFihwYeUh1aN/view?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook
32. Ángel Francisco San Bartolomé Ramos, “Analysis of Buildings,” Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, 1998.
    [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
33. ETABS, Csiespana. [Online]. Available: http://www.csiespana.com/software/5/etabs
34. Gregory G. Deierlein, Andrei M. Reinhorn, and Michael R. Willford, “Nonlinear Structural Analysis for Seismic Design,” NEHRP Seismic Design Technical Brief, no. 4, pp. 1-36, 2010.
    [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
35. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Agencies. [Online]. Available: https://www.usa.gov/es/agencias/agencia-federal-para-el-manejo-de-emergencias
36. Infrastructure Leaders Building Communities, American Society of Civil Engineers, [Online]. Available: https://www.asce.org/