After an earthquake, a detailed assessment of the residual capacity of damaged buildings is critical to support decision-making related to both re-occupancy and repair vs demolition. However, the evident complexity and lack of knowledge/guidelines both in terms of evaluation of the capacity of damaged buildings to sustain subsequent aftershocks and selection of suitable repair techniques have often led to extensive demolition or to, possibly, inadequate repair interventions. Both options have resulted in additional indirect economic losses and restoring time or, in the case of repair options, in underestimation of the post-repair safety level and associated economic losses. Therefore, this paper investigates the residual capacity of earthquake-damaged buildings, aiming to support their safety evaluation and loss assessment in practical application. Specifically, the influence of residual capacity on the economic losses of Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame structures is investigated. A case-study RC building is selected, and pre- and post-earthquake loss assessments are carried out considering different damage levels. A pushover-based methodology is adopted to assess the seismic performance of the damaged build-ing, based on the use of capacity reduction factors for damaged structural members. Results highlight that higher economic losses can be expected when cumulative damage is considered. This output could support decisions on the post-earthquake repair/retrofit/demolition
