PSI - Issue 77

ScienceDirect Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000 – 000 Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000 – 000 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect

www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

Procedia Structural Integrity 77 (2026) 665–672

© 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers Abstract Based on observations from recent seismic events, many existing RC buildings are at risk of poor performance in future earthquakes. This vulnerability can be attributed to several factors, including deficiencies in the original design methodology, inherent structural irregularities, inadequate detailing, and the significant influence of nonstructural elements on the overall seismic response. Additionally, corrosion plays an important role in seismic response of existing buildings. It substantially affects damage states, failure mechanisms, flexural capacity, and energy dissipation. The reduction of the structural seismic performance of RC structures due to corrosion effects is often associated with the shift in the collapse modality. This work seeks to present a comprehensive overview of the damages observed in recent seismic events, especially due to RC structural irregularities, assessment of the infill walls disposition and the combined effect of corrosion and vertical irregularity impact in RC structures´ seismic response. All this justifies the necessity of continuous refinement of seismic design codes and regulations, considering rigorous yet manageable design guidelines that minimize the potential for misinterpretation and application errors by design professionals. © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) International Conference on Structural Integrity Seismic performance of RC buildings: Field lessons, standards and research needs Humberto Varum a *, Davi Santos a , José Melo a a CONSTRUCT-LESE, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal Abstract Based on observations from recent seismic events, many existing RC buildings are at risk of poor performance in future earthquakes. This vulnerability can be attributed to several factors, including deficiencies in the original design methodology, inherent structural irregularities, inadequate detailing, and the significant influence of nonstructural elements on the overall seismic response. Additionally, corrosion plays an important role in seismic response of existing buildings. It substantially affects damage states, failure mechanisms, flexural capacity, and energy dissipation. The reduction of the structural seismic performance of RC structures due to corrosion effects is often associated with the shift in the collapse modality. This work seeks to present a comprehensive overview of the damages observed in recent seismic events, especially due to RC structural irregularities, assessment of the infill walls disposition and the combined effect of corrosion and vertical irregularity impact in RC structures´ seismic response. All this justifies the necessity of continuous refinement of seismic design codes and regulations, considering rigorous yet manageable design guidelines that minimize the potential for misinterpretation and application errors by design professionals. © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers Keywords: Seismic design; RC structures; Seismic response 1. Introduction The establishment of seismic provisions in building codes began as a response to catastrophic events. Italy established the world's first seismic construction regulations in 1909, including procedures for comparable static International Conference on Structural Integrity Seismic performance of RC buildings: Field lessons, standards and research needs Humberto Varum a *, Davi Santos a , José Melo a a CONSTRUCT-LESE, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers Keywords: Seismic design; RC structures; Seismic response 1. Introduction The establishment of seismic provisions in building codes began as a response to catastrophic events. Italy established the world's first seismic construction regulations in 1909, including procedures for comparable static

* Corresponding author. E-mail address: hvarum@fe.up.pt * Corresponding author. E-mail address: hvarum@fe.up.pt

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers 2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.01.082