Discussion of `Damage scenarios simulation for seismic risk assessment in urban zones' by Alex H. Barbat, Fabricio Yepez Moya, and Jose A. Canas

The authors presented a methodology for developing damage probability matrices and vulnerability curves for masonry structures typical of those found in Barcelona, Spain. The remarks that follow aim at clarifying the limitations of these methodology and point at some apparent inconsistencies in some of the presented results. However, an inherent weakness was found in the suggested procedure. Although it was essentially based on a statistical approach, the actual data used for calibrating the model were very limited.