PBE Overview

The Performance Based Engineering (PBE) application simulates the impact of a natural hazard event on a building or other structure. The impact is quantified in a probabilistic approach using the Pelicun damage and loss assessment engine. The modules featured in EE-UQ are integrated into PBE to enable various open-source seismic response simulation workflows. Simulations with commercial tools and other non-seismic hazards are also supported by allowing users to import external response data. Various uncertainties in damage and loss models can be represented and propagated through the analyses. Besides the built-in libraries of damage and loss models, custom user-defined models and calculation methodologies are also supported. Damage and loss results can be used in the integrated functional recovery simulation tools to simulate the repair process of a building. Detailed results are provided in a standardized format to facilitate post-processing and further calculations.

Learn How to Use PBE

User Guide     Application Summary

Use Cases

3.1. FEMA P-58 Assessment Using External Demands

3.2. Shear Building: HAZUS Assessment

3.3. FEMA P-58 Assessment Using External Demands and REDi Recovery

Video Tutorials

PBE Part 1: An introduction to the PBE tool, settings and tabs, how to use the application to get results on losses and damages for a building structure. Run a simple example by the end of the presentation

PBE Part 2: A deeper dive into the PBE application — how it works and its capabilities

PBE Part 3: Introduction to pelicun, the engine behind PBE application, and how you can run it without using the user interface

PBE Official Resources

PBE GitHub

PBE User Forum

PBE Website

How to Cite PBE & DesignSafe

Please include all of these citations if you use PBE on DesignSafe.

PBE:

Adam Zsarnoczay, Frank McKenna, Charles Wang, Wael Elhaddad, Stevan Gavrilovic, Claudio Perez, Michael Gardner, Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein, & Noam-Elisha. (2024). NHERI-SimCenter/PBE: Version 3.4.0 (V3.4.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10902085

Deierlein, G.G., McKenna, F., et al. (2020). A Cloud-Enabled Application Framework for Simulating Regional-Scale Impacts of Natural Hazards on the Built Environment. Frontiers in Built Environment. 6, 196. doi: 10.3389/fbuil.2020.558706.

DesignSafe:

Rathje, E., Dawson, C. Padgett, J.E., Pinelli, J.-P., Stanzione, D., Adair, A., Arduino, P., Brandenberg, S.J., Cockerill, T., Dey, C., Esteva, M., Haan, Jr., F.L., Hanlon, M., Kareem, A., Lowes, L., Mock, S., and Mosqueda, G. 2017. “DesignSafe: A New Cyberinfrastructure for Natural Hazards Engineering,” ASCE Natural Hazards Review, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000246.

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