A procedure is presented for deriving low‐complexity structural models to predict the global response of asymmetric‐plan low‐rise frame buildings for purposes of class‐level assessment. As a compromise between employing a full‐scale multi‐degree‐of‐freedom structural model versus an equivalent single‐degree‐of‐freedom one, the challenge is to create an idealized 3D structure with few degrees‐of‐freedom that can match the inelastic response of a building for which full knowledge of geometrical and mechanical properties is available. Such a 3D reduced‐order model can offset the computational cost related to performing multiple nonlinear dynamic analyses within the framework of Performance‐Based Earthquake Engineering. To this goal, rules and equations are proposed for achieving equivalence among the linear and nonlinear properties (e.g. mass, stiffness, strength) of the building analysed and the related 3D reduced‐order model. The procedure is applied on a sample of 15 existing reinforced‐concrete frame school buildings, from the province of Foggia in Southern Italy, for which the full numerical models are available. Both calibrated and uncalibrated reduced‐order models are created, exploring the limitations of the proposed order‐reduction in a real‐life case study.

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Five different design approaches are compared on a single mid-rise reinforced concrete building, pitting two performance-based designs against three conventional methods in delivering a solution that satisfies different sets of performance objectives. Two of the conventional designs stem from the literature, and they represent 2003 IBC compatible solutions. Another employs yield point spectra to deliver a code-like solution, satisfying the design norms without needing iterations. The final two are based on the yield frequency spectra to offer a design that can satisfy more detailed performance objectives in a single step. Overall, all five methods are shown to deliver what is expected. Conventional methods can safely capture the code requirements, yet they are disadvantaged when treading in beyond-life-safety territory, where Immediate Occupancy or Collapse Prevention objectives cannot be easily satisfied, a problem that is not shared by performance-based approaches.