Curvature ductility of columns and structural displacement ductility in RC frame structures subjected to ground motions

•The interaction between the local and global ductility of structure is discussed.•The designated moment–curvature elements are adopted for both beam and column.•The ductility demands are positively associated with the PGA.•The ductility demands are negatively associated with the strong column factor.•A relationship between the local and global ductility of structures is established.

This paper examined the statistical relationship between the curvature ductility demands of columns and the global displacement ductility demands of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures when subjected to earthquakes. Elements with a designated moment–curvature relationship were adopted for both beam and column elements, and five-story and ten-story RC frame numerical structures were established. Using pushover analysis and earthquake nonlinear dynamic time-history analysis, the maximum global displacement ductility demands of the structure and the maximum curvature ductility demands of the columns were determined. The effects of the spectral acceleration and the strong column factor on ductility demands were analyzed, and the quantitative relationship between the curvature ductility demands of columns and the global displacement ductility demands of frame structures were established. Moreover, the validity of the established relationship was further tested and verified through a real-world application. The results show that the maximum curvature ductility demands of the columns and the maximum displacement ductility demands of the structure were positively associated with the spectral acceleration and negatively associated with the strong column factor. A proposed first-degree linear relationship between curvature ductility of columns and structural displacement ductility in RC frame structures with two parameters was obtained by curve fitting, while considering the effect of the strong column factor. The model was highly correlated with the sampling analysis data. Applying the empirical model established in this study is a simple and effective means to guide the design of ductility and the assessment of RC frame columns.