Most current seismic design includes the nonlinear response of a structure through a response reduction
factor (R). This allows the designer to use a linear elastic force-based approach while accounting for nonlinear behavior and
deformation limits. In fact, the response reduction factor is used in modern seismic codes to scale down the elastic response
of a structure. This study focuses on estimating the actual ‘R’ value for engineered design/construction of reinforced concrete
(RC) buildings in Kathmandu valley. The ductility and overstrength of representative RC buildings in Kathmandu are
investigated. Nonlinear pushover analysis was performed on structural models in order to evaluate the seismic performance
of buildings. Twelve representative engineered irregular buildings with a variety of characteristics located in the Kathmandu
valley were selected and studied. Furthermore, the effects of overstrength on the ductility factor, beam column capacity ratio
on the building ductility, and load path on the response reduction factor, are examined. Finally, the results are further analyzed
and compared with different structural parameters of the buildings.