Article
Engineering, Geological
Fuat Aras
Summary: This study aims to determine whether the concrete class of an existing RC building can be identified using OMA. It is important to answer this question as the evaluation of the building's performance requires a material investigation, which can be intrusive for owners. OMA has been used as a non-destructive testing method to determine dynamic characteristics of structures, but certain factors limit its applicability for evaluating concrete class in RC buildings.
BULLETIN OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rocco Buda, Chiara Bedon, Raffaele Pucinotti
Summary: The paper discusses two retrofit solutions for an existing RC building in Italy, comparing the performance points and results of the application of a steel exoskeleton and an RC exoskeleton system through a series of push-over analyses. The buildings were mostly constructed between the post-World War II period and 1981, facing various structural, energy, and architectural issues that require retrofitting.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
C. Chrysostomou Christis, Votsis Renos, Kyriakides Nicholas, Illampas Rogiros, A. Filippou Christiana, Bousias Stathis
Summary: Considering the vulnerability of European buildings to seismic activity and their poor energy performance, an experimental study was conducted to investigate the efficiency of integrated seismic and energy upgrading systems. This study focused on the structural performance of masonry-infilled RC frames retrofitted with textile reinforced mortar (TRM) overlays combined with thermal insulation materials. The results showed that all upgrading systems improved the response of the structural system to cyclic loading, with the ones with two layers of TRM performing the best.
EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING & STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Marco Breccolotti, Luca Brocchi, Annibale Luigi Materazzi
Summary: This paper investigates the seismic behavior of structural RC shear walls made with precast panels according to proprietary technologies, showing that these walls have similar or greater ductility than cast-in-place shear walls from the same period.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Nadia Batalha, Hugo Rodrigues, Romain Sousa, Humberto Varum
Summary: Precast reinforced concrete buildings are common in European industrial parks, but they have shown poor performance in past earthquakes. The connection between beams and columns is a major concern, with pure friction and mechanical connections being common solutions. Seismic assessment showed that overall, these buildings have an acceptable structural performance, but unsatisfactory performance was observed in the beam-to-column connection without steel dowels. Non-structural performance, especially in terms of cladding elements, is predicted to be poor regardless of the building's construction period.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Halit Cenan Mertol, Gokhan Tunc, Tolga Akis, Yunus Kantekin, Ishak Can Aydin
Summary: Two major earthquakes struck Pazarcik and Elbistan in Turkiye on 6 February 2023, causing severe damage and resulting in close to 51,000 deaths and almost 215,000 completely destroyed/severely damaged buildings. A study conducted by a technical team revealed that the collapsed and damaged buildings were mostly constructed between 1975 and 2000 and did not comply with earthquake codes at the time. It is recommended to inspect the structural performance of other buildings near major fault lines and re-evaluate the peak ground accelerations along those fault lines.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Maria Zucconi, Marco Bovo, Barbara Ferracuti
Summary: This study analyzes the seismic performance of a reinforced concrete building designed without seismic criteria, considering bidirectional ground motions and evaluating the seismic vulnerability of the structure.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
P. Castaldo, E. Tubaldi, F. Selvi, L. Gioiella
Summary: This study investigates the effectiveness of buckling restrained braces (BRBs) for seismic retrofit of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings with masonry infills. The results shed light on the impact of BRBs and infill walls on the seismic performance of system components, and the effectiveness of BRB retrofit in a real case study.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Andrea Miano, Annalisa Mele, Andrea Prota
Summary: This study aims to assess the structural vulnerability of existing reinforced concrete buildings under hazards other than earthquakes. A set of simulated FEM models considering uncertainties in geometry and materials properties have been created, and a non-linear static incremental analysis has been conducted to evaluate the structural response parameters under specific ultimate limit states. The results show that the vulnerability of the RC buildings stock is affected by the geometrical features and the direction of differential settlements.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Sara Dimovska, Savvas Saloustros, Luca Pela, Pere Roca
Summary: The type of floor system plays a decisive role in the seismic performance of unreinforced masonry buildings. This study aims to provide a numerical procedure for the simplified modelling of jack arch floor systems and to investigate their seismic behavior. The results contribute to a better understanding of the effect of different floor types on the seismic response of masonry buildings.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Safak Arslanturkoglu, Bozidar Stojadinovic
Summary: This paper presents a graphical framework for evaluating seismic fatality risk of existing buildings. The framework provides a transparent view of the contributions of different sources of hazard and risk, and takes uncertainty into account to help engineers and building owners make better, risk-based decisions.
BULLETIN OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Pedram Omidian, Naser Khaji
Summary: Structural retrofitting is a common method to increase the resilience of existing buildings against earthquakes. This study proposes a multi-objective framework to select retrofit patterns that optimize seismic resilience and cost. The results show that retrofitting reduces sensitivity to earthquakes and improves performance in higher intensity scenarios.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Lorenzo Stefanini, Lorenzo Badini, Giovanni Mochi, Giorgia Predari, Annarita Ferrante
Summary: This study investigates the use of an artificial neural network (ANN) to assess the seismic response of existing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. Through extensive modeling and data analysis, a reliable function is established to predict seismic behavior, achieving high coefficients of determination through validation. This research enriches the existing framework, increases awareness of seismic issues, and provides a prioritization system for structural renovation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Michele Angiolilli, Sergio Lagomarsino, Serena Cattari, Stefania Degli Abbati
Summary: This paper describes the derivation of fragility curves for the seismic risk analyses of existing unreinforced masonry buildings inserted in aggregate. Nonlinear dynamic analyses were used to assess the seismic vulnerability of the masonry aggregate, with a focus on in-plane and out-of-plane mechanisms. The results show that the damage limit state of the reference building is mainly governed by in-plane behavior, while the collapse limit state is controlled by out-of-plane mechanisms, and higher connection levels between adjacent structural units increase the interaction between in-plane and out-of-plane mechanisms.
ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Keenan A. Walker, Michael R. Duggan, Zhaoyuan Gong, Heather E. Dark, John P. Laporte, Mary E. Faulkner, Yang An, Alexandria Lewis, Abhay R. Moghekar, Susan M. Resnick, Mustapha Bouhrara
Summary: This study investigated the association between white matter structure and multiple biomarkers in the process of Alzheimer's disease. The results showed that biomarkers of neuronal injury and reactive astrogliosis were associated with axonal density and myelin content, suggesting that axonal loss and demyelination may co-occur with neurodegeneration and astrogliosis ahead of clinically meaningful cognitive decline.
ANNALS OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Samar Momin, Holger Lovon, Vitor Silva, Tiago Miguel Ferreira, Romeu Vicente
Summary: Adobe construction accounts for 5.3% of the total building stock in Portugal, with higher density in the central region and Algarve. These buildings have low seismic resistance and are vulnerable to damage, potentially causing human fatalities. Novel engineering demand parameters and damage thresholds were proposed for seismic risk assessment.
