Influence of Change of Use on the Seismic Performance of Reinforced Concrete Buildings through Nonlinear Analysis

Inga A.J.V.; Almidon N.E.A.; Contreras A.J.A.; Montesinos J.F.P. · SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering (2026) · DOI: 10.14445/23488352/ijce-v13i5p127

Resumen

An increasing problem in cities in Latin America is the reuse of reinforced concrete structures, where residential structures are often converted into office, School, or commercial use with little serious structural assessment. These changes modify the distribution of mass and stiffness, thereby raising seismic requirements and possibly endangering safety. This paper is an evaluation of the seismic performance of a seven-story reinforced concrete building when subjected to nonlinear static analysis (pushover) and based on four representative conditions, namely, housing, office, School, and commercial. The nonlinearity of the modeling process consisted of concrete walls, beams, columns, and slabs, which were a plastic hinge and fiber section as per the ASCE 41. The outcomes show that, according to SEAOC performance standards, the building is able to sustain the level of Life Safety in all scenarios. However, there were differences in capacity and displacement; as an example, the housing base had a peak base shear of 502.7 tonf and final displacement of 0.382 m. Conversely, the school scenario had strength gains of up to 0.3%, albeit a 1.3% decrease in displacement capacity. The business case implied the greatest base shear (505.6 tonf) and a minor reduction in ductility. These results indicate that, despite the performance category staying the same, structural risk gradually increases with functional changes, and in certain instances, the building might be moved to the boundary of Near Collapse, which is why technical assessment beforehand is crucial.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental