The Pushover Analysis add-on allows you to analyze the deformation behavior of buildings subjected to a seismic action. In this way, it is possible to assess how an earthquake affects the model and what deformations or damage are to be expected. In this analysis, a pushover curve is determined, taking into account the nonlinear structural properties of the building. This curve expresses the model's ability to withstand lateral loads. Therefore, it is also known as a capacity curve. The corresponding seismic response spectrum, on the other hand, represents the seismic demand, and is therefore also referred to as a demand curve.
To determine the capacity curve, a horizontal load distributed over the height is applied to the structure and gradually increased until reaching the specified limit criterion. Thus, Pushover Analysis aims to determine the maximum nonlinear response of the model to seismic loads. This maximum is present in the largest displacement of a control node. Based on this value, the position and the plastic limit state of hinges is determined, and the displacement between the individual stories is checked.
The capacity curve is then compared to an action. For seismic effects, you can access the libraries of the Response Spectrum Analysis add-on (requires a license). The comparison follows the procedure specified in Eurocode 8 (the N2 method) for determining the target displacement. This target displacement occurs at the point where the desired maximum response shows a balance between the structural capacity and the seismic requirement, called "performance point".
A summary of the functional scope can be found in the product description of Pushover Analysis for RFEM 6 / RSTAB 9.