Risk‐Targeted Seismic Design Maps for Mexico

Risk‐targeted seismic design maps for Mexico are presented. Risk‐targeted approach establishes an acceptable risk level, measured with the annual collapse probability, to determine seismic design coefficients. Seismic design maps are calculated for an annual probability of collapse of 1 × 10 −4 and 2 × 10 −4 . These maps are then compared with the seismic design maps for fixed return periods of 475 and 2475 years. An additional idea is proposed for setting reasonable values for the probability of collapse associated with the design intensity, usually denoted as X in the literature, incorporating over‐strength ( OS ) as part of the input parameters. The results indicate that the risk‐targeted methodology, based on these annual collapse probabilities, yields higher design coefficients across most of the country, compared to the 475‐year return period maps, whereas leading to lower design coefficients in large areas when compared to a 2475‐year return period. Additionally, we note that the use of generic capacity/fragility curves may introduce significant variations in seismic design coefficients relative to those obtained from site‐specific analyses. This underscores the importance of evaluating capacity/fragility curves for different structural configurations to enhance accuracy. Furthermore, ensuring a uniform level of reliability across all regions could result in high construction costs in certain areas, emphasizing the need to integrate cost considerations into seismic design decisions.