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A procedure is presented for deriving low-complexity structural models to predict the global response of asymmetricplan low-rise frame buildings for purposes of class-level assessment. As a compromise between employing a fullscale 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. &nbsp

The seismic vulnerability assessment of critical facilities, such as hospital and school buildings, is of paramount importance to avoid the collapse in ordinary conditions and to guarantee their immediate functionality in the post-earthquake emergency. Due to the high number of school buildings, and to the need to perform the assessment in a short time, a simple methodology for ranking the more vulnerable buildings through a seismic risk index is highly desirable. In this study, a Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) methodology is proposed. The method aims to prioritize the buildings prone to higher seismic risk and to assist decision-makers in the implementation of seismic risk reduction strategies. The methodology allows to assess the seismic risk of reinforced concrete (RC) school buildings through the compilation of a factsheet. The main sources of structural and non-structural vulnerability are considered in the survey form. The influence of the hazard and exposure are also accounted for in the calculation of the safety index through simplified parameters. The proposed RVS method can be quickly applied to a large number of buildings to identify those that require more accurate analyses. The proposed methodology has been applied to a sample of typical school buildings in Apulian Region, Southern Italy. The results obtained using the proposed RVS method were compared with those of more advanced numerical analyses in order to assess its effectiveness.