Abstract: In simulating the nonlinear seismic behavior of RC structures subjected to strong earthquake ground motions, it is necessary to take into account the accumulative damage of structural members, of which the strength deterioration is one of the most important aspects. By examining the influence of loading paths on the strength deterioration, it is shown that the extent of damage caused by a certain amount of hysteretic energy is dependent on the displacement amplitude at which the energy is dissipated. The effective hysteretic energy dissipation is then defined through combining the hysteretic energy dissipation with its corresponding displacement amplitude. It is proved by calibrating with available test data that the effective hysteretic energy dissipation has a good correlation with the extent of strength deterioration, and that the proposed strength deterioration model is effective in simulating the hysteretic behavior of reinforced concrete members subjected to various loading histories.