Post‐earthquake stiffness loss estimation for reinforced concrete columns using fractal analysis of crack patterns

Abstract

AbstractThe seismic damage to reinforced concrete (RC) components is conventionally quantified through various damage indices. In this paper, an image‐based procedure is developed for post‐earthquake residual stiffness quantification of RC columns. The proposed scenario‐based methodology is built upon the multifractal indices of the surface crack maps of the seismically damaged RC columns as the complexity measure for the images. An extensive databank from experiments on RC column specimens with a broad range of structural characteristics are collected and employed for generation and validation of the proposed procedure. Based on the availability of the structural information, five closed‐form regression‐aided equations are offered for estimating the stiffness loss in seismically damaged RC columns using predicting parameters among fractal indices, concrete strength, and the aspect ratio of the column. Results reveal that multifractal dimensions of crack maps are largely correlated with the stiffness degradation in RC columns. A sample specimen at various stiffness‐based damage indices is also presented as a case study to evaluate the predicted versus measured damage indices. The updated stiffness values acquired by the proposed equations can be utilized for stability evaluation, system identification, or further analysis of the seismically damaged RC buildings following an earthquake.