The structure's ability to survive an earthquake may be measured in terms o
f the expected state of damage of the structure after the earthquake. Damag
e may be quantified by using any of several damage indices defined as funct
ions whose values can be related to particular structural damage states. A
number of available response-based damage indices are discussed and critica
lly evaluated for their applicability in seismic damage evaluation. A new r
ational approach for damage assessment is presented which provides a measur
e of the physical response characteristics of the structure and is better s
uited for non-linear structural analysis. A practical method based on the s
tatic pushover analysis is proposed to estimate the expected damage to stru
ctures when subjected to earthquakes of different intensities. Results of t
he analysis of ductile and non-ductile reinforced concrete buildings show t
hat the proposed procedure for damage assessment gives a simple, consistent
and rational damage indicator for structures. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wile
y & Sons, Ltd.