Introduction
Performance-based seismic design (PBSD) can be applied to the design of any structure, regardless of its importance. Nevertheless, this article will mainly be of interest to structural engineers designing new buildings or working on retrofit interventions to high-profile projects falling outside the range of applicability of prescriptive
procedures for seismic design of buildings contained in standards such as ASCE 7 and the International Building Code (IBC). In particular, the article will be of interest to engineers involved in the seismic design of
buildings where specific performance-in-use expectations are set by the client. It is assumed that readers of the article have a good understanding of non-linear structural mechanics, earthquake engineering and structural dynamics.