A simplified method for the probabilistic seismic performance assessment of buildings with
consideration of the effects of physical and modelling uncertainties, taking into account the ageing
processes of structural materials, was developed. The proposed method utilizes a general analytical
method for estimating the seismic risk, whereas the seismic response parameters are determined by
using the N2 method, which is applied to the stochastic structural model. This method was used to
study the effects of uncertainties on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames and
frames with infills. The first part of the results relates to the sensitivity of the seismic response
parameters. The results show that the seismic response of RC frames is most sensitive to the
uncertainty associated with the model of the rotation capacities of the plastic hinges in the columns
and beams, whereas in the case of the infilled frames, the mechanical characteristics of the infills are
the parameters which have the greatest impact on the seismic response of such buildings. The second
part of the results refers to the study of the effects of physical and modelling uncertainties on the
seismic response parameters, as applied to three RC frames. The results of the study show that these
uncertainties affect not only the dispersion, but also the median estimates of the response parameters.
In almost all cases their influence contributed to a considerable reduction of the median displacement
and the acceleration capacity if the latter are compared to those determined by conventional
deterministic analysis. Additional uncertainty arises due to the effects of corrosion. In the case of the
selected RC frame, where corrosion has been modelled with simplified models, it has been shown that
such corrosion can lead to the shear failure of the exposed columns, which may considerably increase
the seismic risk. A particular source of uncertainty is represented by simplified nonlinear models. By
using the proposed iterative pushover-based procedure it has been shown that the seismic risk may be
significantly underestimated if possible shear failures of the columns and the contribution of the
masonry infill to the shear forces in the columns are not properly simulated in a nonlinear analysis.
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