Of all natural hazards, earthquakes have the greatest potential to damage man-made structures. Since seismic forces are random and unpredictable in nature, engineering tools must be perfected to analyze structures under the action of these unpredictable seismic forces. In the last century, India experienced the highest number of the world's largest earthquakes. In fact, more than fifty percent of the country's land area is considered prone to earthquake damage. The northeastern region of the country, as well as the entire Himalayan region, are particularly susceptible to large earthquakes. After the Bhuj earthquake (2001), the adverse effects of the earthquake attracted great interest and increased awareness of the threat of seismic events. This has required civil engineering professionals to consider seismic forces during design and pay special attention to the seismic performance of the existing structure. The ground shaking produced by an earthquake seeks out any type of structural vulnerability. These vulnerabilities...