Improving seismic resilience of structural systems through integrated design of smart structures

This Ph.D. dissertation proposes a comprehensive conceptual model of Resilience that includes both losses and recovery models. The proposed model is a probabilistic framework that can become complicated when more comprehensive loss estimation or recovery models are used (e.g. metamodel for the case of health care facilities). In the second part of the dissertation, various methods to improve physical seismic resilience of buildings through structural modifications that involve change of structural stiffness, strength, damping, and mass are presented. The procedures for the optimal design of structural parameters are based on active control design. The control forces are converted in equivalent changes of structural parameters through nonlinear constraint optimization techniques including uncertainties. The procedures are applied to either linear or nonlinear structures and can be adopted for design new buildings or retrofit of existing ones. The dissertation shows that the structure modification can influence positively the resilience.