Shear walls, integrated into conventional reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frame systems (RC frame–shear wall building), have proven to be effective in improving the structural performance and reliability of buildings; however, the seismic behavior of the building depends directly on the location of these elements. For this reason, this paper evaluates the structural reliability of ten medium-rise RC buildings designed based on the Mexico City Building Code, considering different shear wall configurations. With the aim to estimate and compare the seismic reliability, the buildings are modeled as complex 3D structures via the OpenSees 3.5 software, which are subjected to different ground motion records representative of the soft soil of Mexico City scaled at different intensity values in order to compute incremental dynamic analysis (IDA). Furthermore, the parameter used to estimate the reliability is the maximum interstory drift (MID), which is obtained from the incremental dynamic analysis in order to assess the structural fragility curves. Finally, the structural reliability estimation is computed via probabilistic models by combining the fragility and seismic hazard curves. It is concluded from the results that the structural reliability is maximized when shear walls are symmetrically distributed. On the other hand, the configuration with walls concentrated in the center of the building tends to oversize the frames to reach a reliability level comparable to that of symmetrical arrangements.

This study proposes the first ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) for the parameter I_Np, an intensity measure based on the spectral shape. A Machine Learning Algorithm based on Support Vector Machines (SVMs) was employed due to its robustness towards outliers, which is a key advantage over ordinary linear regression. I_Np also offers a more robust measure of the ground motion intensity than the traditionally used spectral acceleration at the first mode of vibration of the structure Sa(T₁). The SVM algorithm, configured for regression (SVR), was applied to derive the prediction coefficients of I_Np for diverse vibration periods. Furthermore, the complete dataset was analyzed to develop a unified, generalized expression applicable across all the periods considered. To validate the model’s reliability and its ability to generalize, a cross-validation analysis was performed. The results from this rigorous validation confirm the model’s robustness and demonstrate that its predictive accuracy is not dependent on a specific data split. The numerical results show that the newly developed GMPE reveals high predictive accuracy for periods shorter than 3 s and acceptable accuracy for longer periods. The generalized equation exhibits an acceptable coefficient of determination and Mean Squared Error (MSE) for periods from 0.1 to 5 s. This work not only highlights the powerful potential of machine learning in seismic engineering but also introduces a more sophisticated and effective tool for predicting ground motion intensity.

Los muros de corte, integrados en sistemas convencionales de marcos resistentes a momento de concreto reforzado, han demostrado ser efectivos como elementos de protección sísmica al mejorar la estabilidad lateral y reducir la fragilidad estructural de las edificaciones. No obstante, el impacto de diferentes configuraciones en la respuesta sísmica ha sido poco explorado utilizando modelos tridimensionales avanzados. Este estudio adopta un enfoque probabilístico para analizar la fragilidad sísmica de cinco edificios de ocho niveles con variaciones en la disposición de muros de corte en planta utilizando modelos en 3D. Para lograr los objetivos del presente trabajo, en primer lugar, se evalúa la capacidad estructural de las edificaciones mediante Análisis Dinámicos Incrementales (ADI). Para los análisis sísmicos se consideraron registros sísmicos representativos del suelo blando de la Ciudad de México, los cuales fueron escalados para distintos niveles de intensidad. En segundo lugar, se obtienen las curvas de fragilidad sísmica para todos los edificios considerando las diferentes configuraciones en planta de los muros de corte. Finalmente, a partir del análisis de los resultados se observa que la disposición simétrica de los muros en el exterior de la edificación reduce significativamente la fragilidad sísmica al minimizar efectos de torsión, especialmente en las columnas exteriores. En contraste, la ubicación de muros de corte en el centro, aunque común para alojar elevadores o instalaciones, resulta menos eficiente desde el punto de vista estructural, exigiendo mayores secciones en los marcos para alcanzar un comportamiento comparable con las otras configuraciones en términos de fragilidad. Por lo tanto, es de gran relevancia que exista una planificación estratégica en el diseño de sistemas duales.