Course A — Seismic Assessment of RC Frame Structures

5 days core + optional Day 6 | For structural engineers in consultancies | English

Overview

This course covers the complete nonlinear seismic assessment workflow for reinforced concrete frame buildings using OpenSees and OpenSeesPy. It is designed for practising structural engineers in consultancies who need to move beyond linear analysis and elastic spectrum methods toward nonlinear pushover and time-history procedures required by Eurocode 8, NTC 2018, and ASCE 41. The course is built around real building case studies and produces fully reproducible Python-based workflows that participants can apply directly to their own projects.

Prerequisites

Structural engineering background, basic Python or MATLAB, exposure to FEM concepts.

Software and Standards

Software: OpenSeesPy, OpenQuake (hazard), Python (NumPy, Matplotlib, Pandas)

Regulatory codes: Eurocode 8 Part 1 and Part 3, NTC 2018, ASCE 41-17

Learning Objectives

Understand the theoretical basis of nonlinear static and dynamic analysis for RC structures
Build fibre-section RC frame models in OpenSeesPy from first principles
Define and apply realistic ground motion sets for nonlinear time-history analysis
Perform pushover analysis, interpret capacity curves, and calculate performance point
Run nonlinear time-history analyses and extract demand quantities
Perform code-compliant checks per Eurocode 8 Part 3 and NTC 2018
Automate the full workflow using Python scripting for parametric studies

Daily Schedule

Day	Topics
Day 1	Seismic hazard fundamentals, design spectra, ground motion selection basics. Introduction to OpenSeesPy environment and workflow structure.
Day 2	RC material models: concrete (confined and unconfined) and steel. Fibre section definition. Beam-column element formulations. Model assembly and gravity loading.
Day 3	Nonlinear static analysis: pushover setup, load patterns, convergence. Capacity curve extraction, idealisation, and performance point calculation per EC8.
Day 4	Nonlinear time-history analysis: ground motion application, recorder setup, result extraction. Damage measure calculation (IDR, chord rotation, shear demand).
Day 5	Code compliance checks per Eurocode 8 Part 3 and NTC 2018. Automated reporting pipeline. Full case study from model to compliance report.
Day 6 (opt.)	Base-isolated RC frames: isolation system modelling (lead rubber bearings, friction pendulum), response spectrum and time-history analysis, Eurocode 8 Part 1 Chapter 10 compliance.