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Most of buildings and structures are usually projected according to two main axes. However, the geographical position of these buildings varies randomly. Such random distributions of the azimuthal positions of structures, in most of the cities, generally, are not accounted for when assessing their seismic risk; certainly, the direction of the seismic loads is another highly random variable. Moreover, an additional important source of uncertainty is related to the structural response, mainly due to the random character of the mechanical properties. There is a consensus that uncertainties must be considered for adequately assessing the seismic risk of structures, but these directionality effects have not been deeply explored so far. In this article, the influence of the high uncertainty involved in these input variables on the expected seismic damage is analysed. Thus, an actual earthquake, which affected the southern part of Spain, is studied. Notably, damages on a group of affected buildings, located close to the epicentre, are analysed and discussed in detail. The results show that the influence of the random azimuthal position of structures is an important source of uncertainty and that it should be taken into account when estimating the expected seismic risk in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Probabilistic modeling of hazard and exposure is paramount for estimating seismic risk. • The proposed model captures well the seismic response of RCMW structures. • Laboratory test validate the random mechanical properties of the structural models. • Similar seismic damage values are obtained despite the nonlinear analysis employed. • PG-RCMW structures exhibit an adequate performance in earthquake-prone areas. In Costa Rica, typical dwelling constructions are generally built with reinforced concrete masonry walls. This construction practice became one of the most common during the second half of the last century in Costa Rica. These kinds of structures exhibit high lateral stiffness and shear capacity, which makes them susceptible to semi-ductile failure or torsion if they are not correctly designed and constructed or the walls are not well distributed. However, recent research has shown that this type of masonry exhibits adequate capacity to dissipate plastic energy if the latter requirements are controlled. In this study, the seismic behavior of a recently designed and built reinforced concrete masonry structure is studied from a probabilistic perspective. Experimental results have been used to calibrate the probabilistic model. This structure was designed using the response spectrum method according to the Costa Rican Seismic Code. To verify its expected behavior considering more advanced analysis, it is analyzed through probabilistic incremental nonlinear static and dynamic computational-based methods. The aim is to obtain probabilistic damage curves in a series of permutations between the mechanical properties and the nonlinear behavior of the walls. Three different Damage Indices are estimated. Specifically, the Park & Ang damage index is used as a reference for two approximations that employ the capacity curve as input. Results indicate that the behavior of the analyzed structure is suitable for the seismic demand provided by the Costa Rican Seismic Code. Finally, correlations between input and output variables are calculated to analyze what are the variables governing the structural response. A strong relationship between masonry compression strength, Young's module, and the post yielding slope (input variables) and all the output variables has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]