Seismic Retrofitting

of Buildings
 SEISMIC RETROFITTING
Seismic retrofitting is the modification of existing structures to make them more
resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes.
 IMPORTANCE

During an earthquake, the strength of a building is

put to test. Ground forces try to tear the building
apart and in many cases, cause severe damage. If the
structure is located in an area prone to earthquakes,
it is important that its structural frame is strong
enough to absorb an earthquake’s energy.
 WHY RETROFIT?

The building will have a better chance of surviving

the next big earthquake and with less property
damage and loss of life.

Retrofitting a building may lower earthquake

insurance premiums and deductibles.

Strengthening a building can add resale value.

 A Side-by-Side Case Study Shows the Benefits of
Seismic Retrofitting

Two identical Victorian style homes were

built in the 1900s by the same builder, with
identical materials and using the same
construction techniques.
 A Side-by-Side Case Study Shows the Benefits of
Seismic Retrofitting

O’Hearn started with #210, installing APA

Rated structural wood panels as a shear
element on cripple wall framing. The sill
plate also was bolted to the foundation.
O'Hearn was well aware of the shear
resistance provided by structural wood
panels and knew of their value in seismic
design applications.
Cripple walls, short stud walls between the floor and
foundation of some houses, were one of the most
common points of failure during the Loma Prieta
earthquake. Turning the cripple wall into a shear wall
reduces the risk of collapse during an earthquake.
A Side-by-Side Case Study Shows the Benefits of
Seismic Retrofitting

Inadequate cripple walls, like the one pictured above, were a

major point of failure in the Loma Prieta earthquake
 TECHNIQUES
USED IN SEISMIC
RETROFITTING
 GLOBAL
TECHNIQUES
 ADDING NEW SHEAR WALLS

• Frequently used for non ductile

reinforced concrete frame buildings.
• Can either be cast-in-place or precast
concrete elements.
• Elements are preferred to be placed at
building exterior
 ADDING INFILL WALL

• Brick masonry infill wall

• Tightly installed to surrounding concrete
elements
• Lateral stiffness of a building’s storey
increases
• Does not increase the ductility of
structure.
 ADDING BRACING

• An effective solution when large

openings are required.
• Potential advantages due to higher
strength and stiffness, opening for
natural light can be provided,
• Amount of work is less since foundation
cost may be minimized
 ADDING WING WALL OR BUTTRESS

• Increase the lateral strength

• Placed on the exterior side of an
existing frame
 WALL THICKENING

• Existing walls of a building are added

certain thickness ( bricks, concrete,
steel)
• To increase the weight of wall and be
able to bear such loads
• To avoid sudden failure of the wall.
 MASS REDUCTION

• It is a removal of one or more storey’s

• The removal of the mass will lead to a
decrease in the period, which will lead
to an increase in the required strength.
 BASE ISOLATION

• Isolation of superstructure from the

foundation
• Most powerful tool for passive
structural vibration control technique.
 BASE ISOLATION

Advantages of Base Isolation

Isolates Building from ground motion – Lesser seismic loads, hence lesser
damage to the structure, -Minimal repair of superstructure.
Building can remain serviceable throughout construction.
Does not involve major intrusion upon existing superstructure

Disadvantages of Base Isolation

Expensive
Cannot be applied partially to structures unlike other retrofitting
Challenging to implement in an efficient manner
 MASS DAMPERS

• An example is a tune mass damper

• Used in high rise buildings/
skyscrapers
• reduces the amplitude of vibration by
absorbing kinetic energy from the
system
 LOCAL
TECHNIQUES
 JACKETING

• Most popular method for strengthening

of building elements (columns, beams,
beam-column joints)

• Purpose for jacketing:

• To increase concrete confinement
• To increase shear strength
• To increase flexural strength
JACKETING

Fibre Reinforced Polymer Reinforced Concrete jacket

Steel jacket Composite (FRPC) jacket
STRENGTHENING OF INDIVIDUAL FOOTINGS

A technique for an existing structure to be able to withstand seismic

activities.
MOST ECONOMICAL TO USE:

• In Global: • In Local:
 SEISMIC
RETROFITTED
BUILDINGS
LOCAL
 QUEZON CITY HALL

The Quezon City Hall is a government

building which houses the office of the
Mayor of Quezon City.

DATE: AUGUST 29, 2017

LOCATION: QUEZON CITY
BUDGET: P193M
DAYS TO FINISH: 270
 MANILA CATHEDRAL

It is the mother church of the Philippines

and the first cathedral that was built of
nipa.

DATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2012

LOCATION: INTRAMUROS, MANILA
BUDGET: P70M
DAYS TO FINISH: 2 YEARS
 NATIONAL LIBRARY OF THE PHILIPPINES

It is the official national library of the

Philippines. The library is known for
being the home of the original copies of
the defining works of Jose Rizal.

DATE: JANUARY 23, 2013

LOCATION: T.M., KALAW ST., ERMITA,
MANILA
BUDGET: P24,760,097.23
DAYS TO FINISH: NOVEMBER 8, 2013
 THE BAYLEAF

It is a boutique hotel that rests within the

historical grounds of Intramuros, Manila.

LOCATION: INTRAMUROS, MANILA

BUDGET: P500M
INAUGURATION: NOVEMBER, 2011
 SEISMIC
RETROFITTED
BUILDINGS
INTERNATIONAL
 AUDITORIUM HPH OF ETH ZURICH

Constructed from 1970 – 1971 in Zurich,

Switzerland without regard to seismic
action that costs 70 million Swiss francs
(CHF), it includes three auditoriums with a
total seating for 1200 people over a large
entrance hall with access to cafeteria
 AUDITORIUM HPH OF ETH ZURICH

The structural weakness referring to

seismic performance is the entrance hall
under the supporting floor of the
auditorium creating a soft-story and other
conditions. As a consequence, the structure
experiences severe torsional stresses under
seismic action
 AUDITORIUM HPH OF ETH ZURICH

The retrofit plan was to apply inclined steel

pipe truss, this way the stiffness and
resistance would increase and the
unfavorable eccentricity of the bracing
system at the ground floor eliminated
 AUDITORIUM HPH OF ETH ZURICH

The new steel pipe truss provided gravity

load supports to the cantilevered portion
of the supporting floor which was lacking
at previously

With this the improvements was limited to

a single story and eliminated the need for
a new foundation and cost about 0.7% of
the building’s total cost ( 0.5 million Swiss
Francs)
 RESIDENTAIL AND COMMERCIAL
BUILDING IN SION

Constructed in 1965 as a composite steel

and concrete structure that costs 4.5
million Swiss francs. The structural system
uses steel columns with composite decks
and isolated reinforce concrete structural
walls
 RESIDENTAIL AND COMMERCIAL
BUILDING IN SION

The structural system is irregular because

of the large area of retail space at the
ground floor. This cause the ground floor
level forms a classic soft story torsion
 RESIDENTAIL AND COMMERCIAL
BUILDING IN SION

The building is planned to be strengthened

by a new reinforce concrete core and
reinforced concrete wall that runs through
all of the upper storeys.

Thus the ground floor will be further

stiffened through a large reinforced
concrete frame.
 RESIDENTAIL AND COMMERCIAL
BUILDING IN SION

The new reinforced concrete frames were

constructed in the ground floor level to
provide support as much as possible

The seismic retrofitting was done together

with a general redevelopment of the
building that provided new use for the
upper level. The retrofitting plan costs
0.13 million Swiss francs
 CHURCH OF KUÑO TAMBO IN
PERUVIAN ANDES, PERU

An adobe church built in the late 17th

Century or for approximately 350 years
ago by the directive of Spanish
missionaries.

Through its lifetime the church as

accumulated damages.
 CHURCH OF KUÑO TAMBO IN
PERUVIAN ANDES, PERU

Getty Conservation Institute, initiated the

Seismic Retrofitting Project in Peru to
address the challenges of and develop
guidelines for seismically retrofitting
traditional earthen buildings

Engineers at the Pontifical Catholic

University of Peru
CHURCH OF KUÑO TAMBO IN
PERUVIAN ANDES, PERU

Nonlinear finite element push-over analysis showing that the

lateral wall of the church will overturn.
 CHURCH OF KUÑO TAMBO IN
PERUVIAN ANDES, PERU

A timber bond beam (orange) is added on

top of the adobe wall connected to tie-
beams (yellow) some of which are original
Buttresses are added to the lateral wall
and these are interlocked with timber
corner keys
 CHURCH OF KUÑO TAMBO IN
PERUVIAN ANDES, PERU

Mud grout was injected to secure portions

of the wall paintings that had become
detached and the conservation of the
various religious objects

The rubble-stone masonry of the

foundation is being repaired using a lime-
based mud mortar