Existing and Historic buildings

Reinforced concrete wall-frame structures are widely used for buildings. When such structures are subjected to severe earthquakes, rocking and sway motions can be observed at the base of these structures. As a result, foundations supporting rigid structural wall could be uplifted under certain circumstances. It is widely known that the uplift of foundations reduces the damage of structural wall but additional rotation of structural wall causes significant damage to the adjacent frame. The experimental studies dealing with such foundation uplift are not enough so far to establish a rational evaluation method for the performance based design. In order to study the basic performance relating to the uplift of structural walls, a static loading test was conducted using a 40% scale specimen consisting of a multi-story structural wall and an adjacent frame. Based on the test results, restoring force characteristics, energy dissipation capacity, etc. were evaluated, and the shear resisting mechanism was assessed to explain the observed damage propagation. The foundation of the test specimen was free to uplift and the applied horizontal shear force was equilibrated by friction between the specimen and the reaction floor. The damage of the specimen concentrated on the adjacent frame and the structural wall had a minor damage with few cracks. A frame analysis considering the uplift of foundation was also conducted, where the numerical model accurately simulated the envelope curve of the restoring force versus drift angle relations.

Within the European FP7 Project “INSYSME”, the research unit of the University of Pavia has conceived a new seismic resistant clay masonry infill system with the purpose of controlling damage in the masonry and reducing detrimental effects of the panel-frame interaction, through a combined use of sliding joints inserted in the masonry and deformable joints at the wall-frame interface. The idea behind the proposed solution stems from principles already implemented in the past, in particular with reference to work by Mohammadi et al. [1] and Preti et al. [2]. The originality of this solution stays both in the adoption of different and innovative materials for the implementation of the flexible and sliding joints and in the experimental test and specimen types. An extensive experimental campaign has been performed, constituted by in-plane cyclic tests on one-storey one-bay full scale RC bare frame and on two different configurations of infilled frames (one full and one with a central o...

In Western Europe, many large housing estates have experienced spirals of intertwined physical and social decline. Such estates have wound up at the bottom of the housing hierarchy, which is manifested as high turnovers and vacancies. This qualitative multi-case study contributes to the research on the sustainable management of declining neighbourhoods’ housing stocks. The study learns from four individual cases in which vacancies were tackled with an extreme architectural transformation. In the investigated cases, large-panel buildings were partially deconstructed and renovated, and the reclaimed concrete panels were reused for new construction nearby. The approach integrates demolition, renovation and new construction − the three characteristic building stock management strategies in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The cases are located in Sweden (Gothenburg, 1984), the Netherlands (Middelburg, 1986), Germany (Berlin, 2004) and Finland (Raahe, 2010). Deconstruction was the landlords...

Infilled walls are normally considered as nonstructural elements. However, these walls are effective in carrying lateral loads. In this regard, an experimental investigation was planned and conducted to study the effect of braced and partially concrete-infilled, reinforced concrete (RC) frames in comparison to the bare frames. All these frames were tested up to collapse and subjected to only horizontal loads to obtain an effective and possible solution for soft story. In comparison to bare RC frames, partially infilled frames have more lateral load capacity. Central bracing is more effective than that of corner bracing. For the same load, braced and partially infilled frames deflected significantly less than that of the bare frames. Based on experimental observations, a mathematical model has been proposed to calculate theoretical ultimate load for braced and partially infilled RC frames.

The issue of housing for humans has been extensively studied and remains highly relevant. While multi-story buildings in both large and small cities have addressed the need for residential accommodations, key aspects essential to ensuring comfortable living and human activity have often been neglected. A potential solution lies in the renovation of existing structures to enhance housing quality while preserving the original framework. This paper aims to explore the relationship between renovation approaches and the structural systems of residential buildings. It examines case studies of building renovations utilizing various materials, highlighting their features and applicable solutions. The analysis includes examples from multiple countries with diverse social, economic, and climatic conditions. Renovation is defined in this study as the process of modernizing residential buildings and their surrounding areas. Through an evaluation of architectural strategies employed in building renovations, the study identifies general trends and principles applicable to the refurbishment of standard residential structures. Based on these findings, the authors propose recommendations for renovation strategies tailored to different structural types. The outcomes of this research offer a framework for implementing revitalization projects, urban regeneration efforts, and building adaptation initiatives.

Thecontributiondiscussestheenergyuseandcharacteristicsoftheresidentialbuilding stock in Jiangsu Province (China), with a focus on the potential of large-scale energy retrofit to mitigate environmental impact and running costs of its most inefficient vintages, while improving occupant comfort and reducing the need for demolition and reconstruction in the upgrading of the stock. Whilethehistoricalpartoftheresidentialstockisprofoundlyrootedinthelocaltraditions and adapted to the climate of the region, the development of the newer building typologies, that currently constitute the majority of the extant buildings, has been drastically shaped by different international influences starting form the 20

The continued interest in technological innovation in construction has greatly broadened the horizons of material science, developing a specific sector closely related to the recycling of waste products. This paper examines the thermal, mechanical and structural behaviour of an insulating light weight fibre reinforced concrete (ILWFRC), which is made by replacing natural sand and gravel with artificial aggregates resulting from the process of glass recycling. ILWFRC offers low density (approximately 650 kg/m 3), excellent thermal characteristics (thermal conductivity 0.1 W/mK), a compressive strength similar to brick masonry (3.5 MPa) with low cement content (265 kg/m 3) and stable postcracking behaviour. The mechanical and physical properties of ILWFRC were employed for the construction of a full-scale infill wall (having dimensions of 2.9 9 2.6 9 0.2 m), which was experimentally studied under in-plane and out-of-plane actions. Inplane response showed a maximum lateral load of 359 kN at 1.5% drift, with a residual capacity of more than 75% at 4% drift. The subsequent out-of-plane test was performed up to failure with a maximum lateral load of 67 kN, corresponding to about 7 times the infill self-weight. Keywords Artificial aggregates Á Circular economy Á Fibre reinforced concrete Á Infill wall Á Performance levels Á Insulating concrete Á Recycling Á Quasi-static cyclic response 1 Research significance In order to address the challenges of Directive 2002/ 91/EC on the energy performance of buildings [1] and of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste [2], several new construction materials have been developed over the years. Among these, and the focus of this article, is an innovative material, called insulating lightweight fibre reinforced concrete (ILWFRC). This new cement-based material is characterised by a reduced unit weight and excellent thermal and mechanical characteristics, due to the presence of 70% (by volume) lightweight recycled glass aggregates (patented by [3]) and synthetic fibres. These characteristics make it suitable for use in large structural and non-structural elements which are subject to moderate compressive stresses, such as load-bearing walls, partitions and infill walls. In this paper, an ILWFRC infill prototype is investigated. The characteristics of

In the present paper a numerical study is reported, aimed at investigating the role of openings in the in-plane response of infilled RC frames when masonry infills with sliding subpanels are adopted. Such innovative infills are meant to reduce post-earthquake damage and infill-frame interaction, with respect to traditional solid masonry infills. Their study was carried out mainly on the fully infilled configuration, and limited information is available about its response in presence of an opening. In the paper focus is made on the interaction of the infill with both the surrounding frame and with the specific post placed at the opening side, which is essential to confine the infill and protect the opening fixtures. The adopted numerical model is calibrated on the experimental results of a test performed on a real scale infill wall with horizontal sliding joints and a full-height opening on a side. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the influence of different design parameters. In detail, the focus is placed on the stiffness of the post and on the geometry of the infill (in terms of position of the opening, infill length and sliding joint configurations). The obtained results show the beneficial effect of the post deformability in reducing the infillframe interaction, with a significant reduction of the shear action exerted on the frame columns and on the post itself. Moreover, the obtained results allowed to define some preliminary recommendations for the design of the infill and of the post at the opening side.

Seismic vulnerability of the building stock in two major tourist destinations of Indian Himalaya, Nainital and Mussoorie, that receive a large floating population and fall in Zone IV of Earthquake Zoning Map of India where damage during an earthquake is expected to reach MSK intensity VIII, is evaluated using rapid visual screening (RVS) technique of FEMA and the likely seismogenic damage is depicted as a function of the damage grades of EMS-98. In all 6206 buildings falling under various categories of usage are surveyed in the two towns. Of the total 14 percent in Nainital and 18 percent in Mussoorie are observed to fall in Category 5 damage class. Particular care has been taken to assess damageability of lifeline structures that include hospitals, schools and hotels. In the event of an earthquake direct economic losses to the surveyed buildings alone in the two towns are estimated to be US$ 137.78 million.

A bányászati célú robbantások egyik kísérőjelensége a kőzetben terjedő szeizmikus hatás. Ennek mértéke befolyásolható különböző megoldásokkal, így káros hatása elkerülhető, de a jelenlétével mindig számolni kell. A rezgések nagyságát geofonnal mérhetjük, amit a hatósági előírások évente egyszer kötelezővé is tesznek a bányaüzem számára. Egy kiválasztott kőbányához közeli lakott területen végzett korábbi szeizmikus ellenőrző mérések eredményei kerülnek bemutatásra. A mért értékeket összehasonlítjuk a robbantásokkor és a jelenleg érvényes szabályzatok előírásaival.

To comprehend the seismic vulnerability of a particular region, seismic damage assessment of a large number of buildings needs to be conducted. However, a realistic representation of structural damage can only be obtained through post-earthquake field observations and reconnaissance survey reports. Post-earthquake damage survey reports for Nepal (Gorkha) earthquake (2015) and Imphal (India) earthquake (2016) presented in this study are utilized to give an overall idea about the nature of seismic damage prevalent for the widespread civil engineering infrastructural developments in the particular geographical regions. Further, the study applies the existing rapid visual screening (RVS) schemes for predicting seismic vulnerability of the structures to judge the sanctity of the schemes. An extensive state-of-the-art review of the existing RVS schemes reported in the literature is presented. A comparative study exhibiting the efficacy of the existing RVS schemes is conducted on the basis of damage survey reports obtained from the Nepal and Imphal earthquakes. Finally, a modified RVS scheme is proposed here for seismic damage assessment of masonry and low-rise reinforced concrete buildings located in hilly regions of the Indian subcontinent and other developing countries. Excerpts from the study can be useful for researchers and practising engineers to perform seismic damage assessment of buildings using the proposed RVS scheme.

The Steel Eurocodes have an important role in the correct and adequate design of steel structures. Most of the programs, which are used for the static analysis of these structures, take into consideration the information offered by the Eurocodes, thus giving the opportunity to entrust them with the task to solve those problems, which are not clear and easily understandable for the user. As it will be proven in this article, the Eurocode 3 in some cases does not offer proper, clear explanations regarding some decisions. The main critics for the whole Eurocode package is that the user might not see clearly the connection between the scattered parts of the final solution.

This paper presents an approach to the performance of the natural lighting, when the use of appropriated solar lighting systems on the roof is applied in cultural buildings such as museums and foundations. The roofs, as a part of contact between the building and the external environment, require special attention in projects that aim at energy efficiency, being an important element for the capture of natural light in greater quantity, but also for being the most important point of generation of photovoltaic solar energy, even semitransparent, allowing the partial passage of light. Transparent elements in roofs, as well as superior protection of the building, can also play other roles, such as: meeting the needs of natural light for the accomplishment of the internal tasks, attending to the visual comfort; to bring benefits to the human perception and about the interior experience in a building. When these resources are well dimensioned, they also contribute to the energy efficiency and consequent character of sustainability of the building. Therefore, when properly designed and executed, a roof light system can bring higher quality natural light to the interior of the building, which is related to the human health and well-being dimension. Furthermore, it can meet the technologic, economic and environmental yearnings, making possible the more efficient use of that primordial resource, which is the light of the Sun. The article presents the analysis of buildings that used zenith light systems in search of better lighting performance in museums and foundations: the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in the United States, the Iberê Camargo Foundation in Brazil, the Museum of Fine Arts in Castellón in Spain and the Pinacoteca of São Paulo.

Most of recent constructed buildings have a common feature, the ground storey remains open, and there are no partition walls in ground storey. It is highly flexible in the ground storey, the relative horizontal displacement in the ground storey is much higher than what each of the storeys above it has. This highly flexible ground storey is also called soft storey. Soft storey (relatively weak ground storey) building shows a higher chance of collapsing during earthquake because of flexibility. The total horizontal force in ground storey is much higher than its upper storeys. Higher flexibility directly results in higher displacement in lower floors of such framed buildings. In such buildings due to open storey the moments & shear force in columns is on higher side as compared to other framed buildings. As the study suggest it is highly risky and need at most care in designing such buildings with open ground storey. For all the new RC frame buildings it is recommended that there should be no such sudden reduction in stiffness. 4 To reduce such effect it is recommended to have masonry walls or RC shear walls in ground storey. Infill helps in achieving a more flexible structure, and gives a strut like action between columns and beams (force is transferred from one node to another). In the present study the high rise building is studied by considering presence of infill walls and shear wall. The response spectrum analysis is performed for building with infill arrangement and RC shear wall on open ground storey. 1

Rapid visual screening technique has been resorted to for assessing seismic vulnerability and risk in the Himalayan township of Mussoorie that falls in Zone IV of the Earthquake Zoning Map of India. Damage during an earthquake in this zone is expected to reach MSK intensity VIII. A total of 3344 structures in 11 residential wards of the town were surveyed in the field. Data collected in the field were analysed under GIS environment which suggests that a total of 615 (18%) buildings show high probability of Grade 5 damage and very high probability of Grade 4 damage class. The economic loss likely to be incurred is estimated to be of the order Rs 238.85 crore in the township of Mussoorie alone. Modest estimates suggest that 369 persons might sustain grievous injuries in this event. The study highlights the fact that some of the lifeline buildings are under severe threat and are required to be retrofitted or replaced on priority basis.

Vulnerability assessment of 36% healthcare facilities in the province of Uttarakhand that has high probability of witnessing a large magnitude earthquake in near future reveals 67.02% to be put to disuse immediately after an earthquake. Healthcare facilities in Pithoragarh, Haridwar, Almora, Tehri Garhwal, Champawat and Nainital districts are observed to be particularly vulnerable and this is to make mobilisation of medical response a major challenge and result in escalated loss of human lives, enhanced trauma of the earthquake affected population and consequent civil discontent. The earthquake is estimated to cause economic loss of US$ 37.06 million to the surveyed health infrastructure alone. An investment of US$ 17.94 million is assessed as being required for ensuring seismic resilience in the surveyed health infrastructure which in turn is estimated to save critical medical instruments and facilities worth US$ 19.12 million that would otherwise be lost under collapsing buildings. Having identified non-compliance of building codes, poor quality of construction and lack of maintenance as being the factors enhancing vulnerability of healthcare infrastructure it is recommended to undertake measures for (i) prioritised demolition and reconstruction of Grade 5 buildings, (ii) detailed assessment and phased retrofitting of Grade 4 and Grade 3 buildings, (iii) effective and strict compliance of building bye-laws, (iv) stringent punitive measures for life threatening lapses in public buildings, (v) mechanism for routine vulnerability assessment and corrective maintenance of public buildings, and (vi) making disaster safety a precondition for operating any healthcare facility and linking it to their licensing.

ISO 15686 on Service Life Planning of Constructed Assets provides guidance which is applicable to both new and existing constructed assets and their parts. However, there has been limited exposition of the applicability of the guidance to existing buildings. This paper provides perspectives on practical application of the principles to condition assessment (survey and appraisal) of the long-term performance of existing buildings, in particular in respect of the building envelope and how maintenance interventions and life cycle costs are predicted or estimated. The authors are currently actively involved through CIB W080 and ISO TC59/SC14 in preparing for the revision of the ISO 15686 standards to take account of experience over the last 20 years, including the development of the factor method and its applicability, and guidance on life cycle costing of existing buildings. The paper will develop key themes from the series of ISO 15686 standards, which are particularly relevant to assessment of existing buildings and other constructed assets.

The present study focuses on the use of coupled shear walls with and without dampers for resisting seismic loads. Multistory structures with and without shear walls are analysed. Different parameters, such as the structure's base shear, storey drift, storey displacement, storey stiffness, and storey shear, are evaluated, and a comparative study is performed. It is observed that coupled shear walls with fluid viscous dampers reduce storey drift by 24% and storey displacement by 45% when compared to buildings without shear walls. A coupled shear wall with a damper has a 29% higher stiffness than a coupled shear wall without a damper, thus performing effectively in resisting lateral forces induced by an earthquake.

Construction is one of the most significant sectors consuming virgin materials and producing waste and greenhouse gases. The circular economy has been proposed as a solution to the industry's environmental problems. However, the transition has proved difficult and biased towards recycling rather than waste prevention and reuse. It is not known how the industry could adopt reuse-based solutions, even if reuse could reduce the environmental burdens more so than recycling. This chapter provides insights into how the construction sector could become more circular and low-carbon by reusing building components. It stems from developing the ReCreate project (Horizon 2020), which investigates the deconstruction and reuse of prefabricated concrete elements not originally designed for disassembly. The analytical approach used here is Frank Geels's multi-level perspective for technology transitions. This chapter is a theoretical contribution that identifies and explains a wide spectrum of diverse catalysts necessary for the reuse transition, ranging from technological development (in deconstruction, remanufacturing, design, and digitalisation) to societal and economic developments (in behaviour and acceptance, work skills, safety, regulation, business models, and value chains). It also discusses catalysts' roles and timeframes in the nexus of a sociotechnical regime (business-as-usual construction) and niche innovation (reuse), which is attempting a breakthrough. A conceptual framework is provided for facilitating a reuse transition in the construction sector.

This special issue explores when, why and how demolition occurs with the aim to understand its environmental, socioeconomic and cultural drivers, and consequences in policy and practice alike. Based on previous research, demolition is known to have many adverse effects. The potential for avoiding building replacement (demolition and subsequent new build) and favouring retention is also in this special issue's interest. The papers in the issue contribute insights from different scales, from the level of a building to that of a city. As a whole, the articles touch upon all types of impacts, i.e. environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects. Eight case studies from various contexts, mainly Europe, but also the US and Australia, contribute novel methods, findings and policy insights. This editorial sets the need and background for research into demolition, classifies the included papers to three categories, explains their contributions to research and practice, and outlines outstanding research gaps and agenda for further research. The papers are categorised as: (1) drivers and policies on demolition versus retention; (2) environmental and social impact assessment at building level; and (3) practical demolition decision-making. The contributions suggest, among other findings, positive environmental impacts from building retention as opposed to demolition, and discuss how policy designs from the city to the building level can either encourage or discourage retention. Due to its implications, many of which remain understudied, demolition and its alternatives should gain importance on research, design, planning, construction and real estate agendas in the years to come.

Thecontributiondiscussestheenergyuseandcharacteristicsoftheresidentialbuilding stock in Jiangsu Province (China), with a focus on the potential of large-scale energy retrofit to mitigate environmental impact and running costs of its most inefficient vintages, while improving occupant comfort and reducing the need for demolition and reconstruction in the upgrading of the stock. Whilethehistoricalpartoftheresidentialstockisprofoundlyrootedinthelocaltraditions and adapted to the climate of the region, the development of the newer building typologies, that currently constitute the majority of the extant buildings, has been drastically shaped by different international influences starting form the 20

This dataset contains the material volumes, masses, and intensities for a total of 45 residential building cohorts in Finland from the 1940s to the 2010s. The specific building types included are one dwelling houses and blocks of flats. The data were drawn from representative case buildings and their derivatives. The data are primarily based on construction drawings, complemented by other documents such as bills of materials. The source material was mainly obtained from the archives of the building inspection authority of the city of Vantaa, Finland. Material volumes were derived from the construction drawings either directly from annotations or, when needed, by further measurements made based on the same material. For minor lacks of information in the original documents, documents of similar buildings and literature were consulted. A total of 26 buildings were inventoried directly. For each included combination of building type, construction decade, and bearing material these were the ones with the most common façade material. In addition, 19 buildings with the second most common façade material were formed based on these to represent the 45 cohorts. Material masses, and by extension intensities, were calculated based on the recorded volumes and typical densities of construction materials used in Finland. The material volumes, masses, and intensities per material and in total are presented as three spreadsheet tables, along with a description sheet, on three corresponding hierarchical levels of aggregation: per representative building, per vertical building level (foundations, basement, first storey, etc.), and per building part (floor, exterior walls, interior walls, etc.). Furthermore, they are distinguished between the building structure and complementary building components (windows and doors). The data can be used in academic, policy related, and practical investigations of the building stock, such as in evaluating the material consumption consequences of different spatial planning strategies on various levels or estimating the materials embedded in the built environment and their potential for capitalisation in the circular economy.

Open ground storey buildings are a common architectural design found in many regions worldwide. These structures feature an unobstructed ground floor, often used as parking or commercial spaces, with residential or office floors above. However, the design of open ground storey buildings presents unique challenges in terms of structural stability and safety during seismic events. This paper provides a comprehensive literature survey that examines the implications of major international codal design provisions on such structures. The study begins by exploring the global building codes and regulations governing open ground storey buildings. It investigates the specific provisions related to structural design, material requirements, and construction practices aimed at enhancing the seismic performance of these buildings. Various international codes, such as the International Building Code (IBC), Eurocode, and Indian Standards, are analyzed to identify similarities and differences in their approaches. The consequences of these design provisions are then examined in terms of structural behavior and performance during seismic events. The literature survey delves into case studies, experimental tests, and numerical simulations conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of these provisions. Key factors such as lateral load distribution, column design, and bracing systems are discussed in detail. The findings of this study highlight the importance of implementing appropriate design provisions to ensure the safety and resilience of open ground storey buildings. By understanding the implications of major international codal design provisions, engineers and architects can make informed decisions to enhance the seismic performance of these structures. This research contributes to the body of knowledge in structural engineering and provides valuable insights for future developments in building codes and regulations.

The Steel Eurocodes have an important role in the correct and adequate design of steel structures. Most of the programs, which are used for the static analysis of these structures, take into consideration the information offered by the Eurocodes, thus giving the opportunity to entrust them with the task to solve those problems, which are not clear and easily understandable for the user. As it will be proven in this article, the Eurocode 3 in some cases does not offer proper, clear explanations regarding some decisions. The main critics for the whole Eurocode package is that the user might not see clearly the connection between the scattered parts of the final solution.

The seismic vulnerability of masonry infills has been observed persistently during post seismic surveys, and their seismic behaviour has been investigated for decades due to its complexity involving different aspects that need to be addressed and the diversity of existing masonry infill typologies. Despite the copious experimental studies conducted, only a few of them had the opportunity to analyse different aspects of the same masonry typology due to the reduced number of specimens usually involved in a testing campaign. The out-of-plane response of masonry infills, and the reduction of the out-of-plane resistance of the infill panels due to the damage caused by in-plane deformations, are usually the most critical aspects regarding human life safety. Furthermore, the out-of-plane experimental tests on masonry infills have almost always been conducted through pseudo-static tests with different loading techniques (4 point loading, central loading, constant pressure with airbags or ot...

Within the European FP7 Project “INSYSME”, the research unit of the University of Pavia has conceived a new seismic resistant clay masonry infill system with the purpose of controlling damage in the masonry and reducing detrimental effects of the panel-frame interaction, through a combined use of sliding joints inserted in the masonry and deformable joints at the wall-frame interface. The idea behind the proposed solution stems from principles already implemented in the past, in particular with reference to work by Mohammadi et al. [1] and Preti et al. [2]. The originality of this solution stays both in the adoption of different and innovative materials for the implementation of the flexible and sliding joints and in the experimental test and specimen types. An extensive experimental campaign has been performed, constituted by in-plane cyclic tests on one-storey one-bay full scale RC bare frame and on two different configurations of infilled frames (one full and one with a central o...

The structural safety assessment procedures proposed in Part 3 of Eurocode 8 (EC8-3) for the case of reinforced concrete structures are addressed. The practical evaluation of the member chord rotation demand according to EC8-3 is examined in detail along with several alternative formulations. The need for these formulations is demonstrated by presenting example situations where the EC8-3 proposal is difficult to apply. The effectiveness of the proposed approaches is assessed through an example application and recommendations for their practical use are defined. Romão, Delgado, Costa: A Study addressing the EC8-Part 3 Assessment Procedures ... 1262

The unexpected misbehavior of buildings during the recent frequent earthquakes in Mediterranean region resulted in significant loss of human lives, injuries and economic losses due to the poor capacity of their structural systems and built-in materials to sustain seismic load. Among the lessons learned from recent earthquake in southeastern Europe is that identifying existing buildings' vulnerability and thus reconsidering and improving their seismic safety, should become one of the top priorities for both, state and local government in seismic prone regions.

Reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures with masonry infills are common in seismic-prone regions. Masonry infills are activated in in-plane and out-of-plane directions under seismic loading and often damaged during earthquakes. Several recent investigations have shown that the combined effects of in-plane and out-of-plane loads are particularly dangerous for masonry infills. However, most of these studies focused on solid infills, and there is little information about the influence of openings on the seismic performance of infills, even though openings may alter the seismic performance of infilled frames significantly. This paper presents results of two experimental tests carried out on masonry infills with full-height door openings. One was tested under pure out-of-plane load, and the second one with sequential in-plane and out-of-plane loads. Thereafter, results of these two tests are compared with experimental findings obtained from two experimental tests with similar loading p...

This paper thoroughly investigates residential buildings of the period 1920-1960 in Athens and evaluates their bioclimatic response and energy performance. A methodology adapted to the specific context of the city is proposed and applied in order to assess and extract results related to the climate analysis of the city of Athens, the general/architectural design and construction characteristics of the apartment buildings constructed during the period 1920-1960, the bioclimatic strategies applied on them, and the achieved thermal comfort based on questionnaires answered by their users. The results of the current study indicate that the residential architecture of that period in the city of Athens is adapted to an extent to the local climate with various climate responsive strategies. As an outcome of the analysis, the most frequently applied strategies depending on the period of construction are presented. For this reason, the examined period is divided into 3 sub-periods: 1st period, 1920s-1930s (late neoclassicism & eclecticism), 2nd period, 1930s-1940s (modernism), 3rd period, 1940s-1960s (postwar modernism).

Housing blocks constructed from prefabricated elements have been the backbone of housing resources in many Polish cities in the last fifty years. Over the time, the residents’ expectations regarding the residential amenity standards, as well as demographic structure of the estates built in the communist era have changed. Therefore, the current residents’ needs significantly differ from the needs and expectations of those who took over the newly built flats in the last quarter of the 20th century. Fundamentally, the functional and spatial standards of flats built before 1989 are already out of date. The proper functioning of the usable dwelling space of these apartments has gained additional importance due to the inhabitants getting progressively older and, especially recently, the prolonged SARS CoV-2 pandemic. The introduction of the lockdown, which involved strict restrictions on movement outside the place of residence during the pandemic, made the apartments the centre of life an...

Seismic vulnerability of the building stock in two major tourist destinations of Indian Himalaya, Nainital and Mussoorie, that receive a large floating population and fall in Zone IV of Earthquake Zoning Map of India where damage during an earthquake is expected to reach MSK intensity VIII, is evaluated using rapid visual screening (RVS) technique of FEMA and the likely seismogenic damage is depicted as a function of the damage grades of EMS-98. In all 6206 buildings falling under various categories of usage are surveyed in the two towns. Of the total 14 percent in Nainital and 18 percent in Mussoorie are observed to fall in Category 5 damage class. Particular care has been taken to assess damageability of lifeline structures that include hospitals, schools and hotels. In the event of an earthquake direct economic losses to the surveyed buildings alone in the two towns are estimated to be US$ 137.78 million.

Hospital buildings must be fully operational after the earthquake to protect the lives of patients as well as to provide emergency care and medical treatment to the victims. Prioritization and justification of founding of such hospital buildings is an effective step under earthquake disaster preparedness. In this work, a seismic loss estimation tool (SRAI.SA) is used considering hazard on regional ground motion attenuation relation at micro-seismic level. The proposed tool is used to prioritize different hospital buildings of a metropolitan city of India during walk down survey. Rapid visual screening given by FEMA and structural vulnerability index by NORSAR questionnaires are also used for prioritization based on scoring during same walk down survey. It is found that prioritization graphs by all the three methods are almost at parity. Since rapid visual screening and structural vulnerability index methods are qualitative method and need experience and judgment of the expert, the loss estimation tool ensures effective tools for prioritizing buildings through which decision makers can be guided in prioritizing buildings and identifying buildings that require immediate attention for detailed investigation.

Seismic vulnerability of the building stock in two major tourist destinations of Indian Himalaya, Nainital and Mussoorie, that receive a large floating population and fall in Zone IV of Earthquake Zoning Map of India where damage during an earthquake is expected to reach MSK intensity VIII, is evaluated using rapid visual screening (RVS) technique of FEMA and the likely seismogenic damage is depicted as a function of the damage grades of EMS-98. In all 6206 buildings falling under various categories of usage are surveyed in the two towns. Of the total 14 percent in Nainital and 18 percent in Mussoorie are observed to fall in Category 5 damage class. Particular care has been taken to assess damageability of lifeline structures that include hospitals, schools and hotels. In the event of an earthquake direct economic losses to the surveyed buildings alone in the two towns are estimated to be US$ 137.78 million.

The concerns regarding the seismic assessment of existing buildings are becoming an important issue for public authorities and the scientific community. Whilst in the US procedures for seismic safety assessment were made available few years after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, in Europe the introduction of a specific Eurocode for seismic assessment only took place few years ago with the publication of Part 3 of Eurocode 8 (EC8-3). The experience with the application of the European code is therefore very limited. Few studies related to the application of the EC8-3 procedures to RC structures have already been conducted, but none have been performed for the case of steel structures. In this paper a comparative study of the European and American seismic safety assessment procedures as defined in EC8-3 and in the ASCE41-06 is carried out. To this end, the two standards are employed in the seismic assessment of four different steel buildings, designed according to different criteria. Special attention is devoted to the use of linear elastic analysis methods, both in terms of their applicability criteria and corresponding safety checks. The main results in the study are discussed and the difficulties in the application of the European code are identified.

The system of shear wall as an additive in retrofitting of soft storey structure has been investigated in previous and present research to improve the strength of structures due to seismic load. The aim of this research is to conduct comparative study on Equivalent Static Analysis (ESA), Response Spectrum Analysis (RSA) and Time History Analysis (THA) of structure between reference sample and shear wall systems was performed in order to determine the strength and stiffness of soft storey structure. The locations and shapes of shear wall system were used as retrofitting method. The retrofitting of soft storey structure was done for fives (5) models consist of one (1) model without shear wall as reference sample and the other four (4) models of different location and shape of shear wall systems. The models were tested by using SAP200 computer software to performed strength of structure. The models had been checking by value of lateral displacement and base shear resistance. Based on the collected data, the additional of shear wall was found to increase the strength and stiffness of soft storey structure. The swastika shape of shear wall and provide at centre experienced the maximum base shear resistance in all X, Y and Z direction and the least displacement compared to other model. Through this study had shown the improvement of strength of soft storey structure by applying shear wall system as an additive strength and stiffness of structure due earthquake event.

There is a need to develop suitable screening methods for seismic safety of existing buildings relevant to Indian building typologies so that prioritization may be undertaken on the deficient buildings. Based on systematic studies on damage data of 270 buildings in Ahmedabad during the 2001 Bhuj (M7.7) earthquake, a rapid visual screening procedure is proposed for RC frame buildings in India. An expression has been developed for assigning Performance Scores to buildings based on presence or absence of some very general, broad based, and easily observable vulnerability parameters that can be seen from a sidewalk type survey.

The assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures is one of the major aspects for engineers and practitioners. In particular, existing infrastructures, as bridges and viaducts, are extensively exposed to environmental actions, materials aging, degradation, and variation of magnitude of traffic loads during their service life. Hence, the assessment of existing structural systems assuming the same criteria conceived for the design (i.e., partial factor method-EN 1990) can be too conservative and, sometimes, may lead to unnecessary and expensive structural interventions. In this context, fib Bulletin 80 defines the partial factor methods suitable for the assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures accounting for their residual service life, information from in situ and laboratory tests, measurements of variable actions and reduced target reliability levels according to both economical and human safety criteria. The methodologies proposed in fib Bulletin 80 have been applied to assess the safety of an existing prestressed reinforced concrete bridge built in 90s and located in Italy. The results are compared to the outcomes from the assessment performed according to EN1990 and, finally, limits and advantages of the methodologies proposed by fib Bulletin 80 are discussed.

The assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures is a critical aspect for engineers and practitioners. In particular, existing infrastructures, as bridges and viaducts, are extensively exposed to environmental actions, materials aging, degradation and variation of magnitude of traffic loads during their service life. Hence, to perform the assessment of existing structural systems assuming the same criteria conceived for the design (i.e., partial factor method – EN 1990) can result to be too conservative and, sometimes, leads to unnecessary and costly structural interventions. In this context, fib Bulletin 80 defines a new partial factor method suitable for the assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures and infrastructures accounting for their residual service life, information from in situ and laboratory tests, measurements of variable actions and reduced target reliability levels according to economical and human safety criteria. The methodologies proposed in fi...

In the present paper a numerical study is reported, aimed at investigating the role of openings in the in-plane response of infilled RC frames when masonry infills with sliding subpanels are adopted. Such innovative infills are meant to reduce post-earthquake damage and infill-frame interaction, with respect to traditional solid masonry infills. Their study was carried out mainly on the fully infilled configuration, and limited information is available about its response in presence of an opening. In the paper focus is made on the interaction of the infill with both the surrounding frame and with the specific post placed at the opening side, which is essential to confine the infill and protect the opening fixtures. The adopted numerical model is calibrated on the experimental results of a test performed on a real scale infill wall with horizontal sliding joints and a full-height opening on a side. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the influence of different design parameters. In detail, the focus is placed on the stiffness of the post and on the geometry of the infill (in terms of position of the opening, infill length and sliding joint configurations). The obtained results show the beneficial effect of the post deformability in reducing the infillframe interaction, with a significant reduction of the shear action exerted on the frame columns and on the post itself. Moreover, the obtained results allowed to define some preliminary recommendations for the design of the infill and of the post at the opening side.

Structural damage usually happens during earthquake events. This had caused damage of properties and even worse, loss of lives. Usually, the greatest losses were not caused by the quake specifically, but rather because of the fall of the structures. The vulnerability is a degree which buildings are exposed to harmful and destruction and in this case, it's to earthquake incident. The fast development in urbanization prompt higher hazard from earthquake occurrences; including in the area with intermediate earthquake activities city like this city. This study addresses the expeditious assessment of a great number of buildings in Ranau Township involving measures to identify hazards, evaluate building stocks and calculate vulnerability using a scoring method, FEMA 154 form. The selected area was selected based on building data from the local municipality. Two types of buildings were assessed; commercial buildings and residential buildings. The basic structural score was determined based on building types. Modifier score is a major factor that gives impacts to structural performance during earthquake. These two types of scores will determine the final score of the building and its vulnerability. The outcome of the study reveals a different vulnerability level where early precaution and modification are needed because of the high vulnerability risk. This method can be applied for further analysis in other seismic-prone areas.

This paper draws attention to the crucial problem of how to approach to design issues based on cultural identity within a global world, by referring to Petra and Nabataean architecture. This issue is related to the Nabataean architectural style and its impact as a cultural identity on the built environment in Jordan. The purpose of this article is to help architects and owners to identify the Nabataean architectural features or elements that give the modern buildings their visual character. These features should be considered in modern design in order to preserve them to the maximum extent possible. It aims to analyse the Nabataean architectural vocabulary and to create a system that would enable architects and owners to create future architecture from these deep solid roots. It also illustrates and presents some of the experiments by contemporary architects in Jordan who used some of the Nabataean architectural vocabulary in an attempt to revive this heritage. Pursuing this researc...