Evaluation of seismic resilience index for typical RC school buildings considering carbonate corrosion effects

Researches have shown that the occurrence and development of corrosion in reinforced concrete structures can lead to the production of materials with a volume multiplied by the initial volume of steel reinforcement bars in concrete. This volume expansion reduces the compressive and tensile strength of reinforced concrete structures and, consequently, weakens the structures, making them prone to considerable damages in natural and human disasters. Hence, it is vital to evaluate the resilience and vulnerability of important structures, such as school buildings, in a corrosive environment. For purposes of this paper, a high school located in Tehran was selected as a case study, and the seismic resilience index was calculated under carbonation-initiated corrosion. The amount of resilience is assessed based on analytic functions over a specified time by different variables, including losses from probable hazards and the recovery process. The loss process is composed of damages caused from both earthquakes and corrosions; and the calculation of loss functions is applied in accordance with Iran's economic conditions. In this paper, the seismic resilience index for existing and corroded buildings has been calculated at 2 hazard levels of 10% and 2% over 50 years under near-fault pulse-type ground motions and without pulse-type ones. Also, the actual functionality curve of the school building is depicted in the lifespan of the high school, both with and without the corrosion effect. Finally, sensitivity analysis on the resilience parameters is illustrated towards the end of this paper. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd