Identification of key design parameters for earthquake resistance of reinforced concrete shell structures

•The factors determining the earthquake resistance of reinforced concrete shells are investigated.•Vibrational properties and displacement and stress response to earthquake loading is analyzed.•Singly curved and doubly curved shells with square plan of 20 m by 20 m and thickness of 8 cm are considered.•It is shown that shells with high fundamental frequency perform superior under earthquake loading.•Furthermore, shells with small to medium span can be intrinsically earthquake resistant.