Seismic Retrofit of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings

Book excerpt: Seismic Retrofit of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings Understand the complexities and challenges of retrofitting building infrastructure Across the world, buildings are gradually becoming structurally unsound. Many were constructed before seismic load capacity was a mandatory component of building standards, and were often built with low-quality materials or using unsafe construction practices. Many more are simply aging, with materials degrading, and steel corroding. As a result, efforts are ongoing to retrofit existing structures, and to develop new techniques for assessing and enhancing seismic load capacity in order to create a safer building infrastructure worldwide. Seismic Retrofit of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings provides a thorough book-length discussion of these techniques and their applications. Balancing theory and practice, the book provides engineers with a broad base of knowledge from which to approach real-world seismic assessments and retrofitting projects. It incorporates knowledge and experience frequently omitted from the building design process for a fuller account of this critical engineering subfield. Seismic Retrofit of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings readers will also find: Detailed treatment of each available strengthening technique, complete with advantages and disadvantages In-depth guidelines to select a specific technique for a given building type and/or engineering scenario Step-by-step guidance through the assessment/retrofitting process Seismic Retrofit of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings is an ideal reference for civil and structural engineering professionals and advanced students, particularly those working in seismically active areas.