Optimum Location And Bracing System As Alternative To Shear Walls For Retrofitting Of RC Buildings Against Seismic Loading

Abstract

The defective structures must be retrofitted to resist the effects of earthquakes due to the potential risks connected with reinforced concrete structures designed in many parts of the world in accordance with codes that are now proven to guarantee insufficient safety against seismic loads. Typically, shear walls or steel bracing are utilized to boost the seismic strength of framed structures. This paper discusses the possibility of using braces in two different conditions, the first one is in retrofitting already constructed structures that don’t have sufficient strength against seismic loading, and the second one is the possibility of using braces instead of shear walls in designing non constructed reinforced concrete structures for economical purposes. Different bracing systems in different locations compared with reinforced concrete shear walls in affecting the structural properties of the 10-story square building. Using bracing in the interior frames of buildings was also considered. The results show that different bracing systems have different responses for structural properties such as story displacement, base shear and fundamental time period. The results are significant for detecting the best bracing system to use instead of shear walls reflecting for the two mentioned scenarios as well as considering their locations on the building.

Keywords

• retrofitting
• seismic loading
• steel bracing
• story displacement
• base shear
• fundamental time period