RAPID: Data Collection on the Performance of Adhesive Anchor Retrofits in Unreinforced Masonry Buildings during the February 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this Rapid Response Research (RAPID) award is to collect perishable data from the February 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake on the performance of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures that had been retrofitted with adhesive anchors. Such anchors are used to connect floor or roof diaphragms to masonry walls or parapets. Wall-to-diaphragm connection retrofit using these anchors is the most common seismic rehabilitation technique used in both the U.S. and New Zealand. The URM building stocks in the United States and New Zealand, including both unretrofitted and retrofitted buildings, share many similarities. Perishable data will be collected from as many of the 59 retrofitted URM buildings in the Christchurch area, as well as from comparable unretrofitted buildings, as is possible during the 28-day duration of the field work. This data will be used for follow-on research of this retrofit strategy for the URM building inventory in the United States. This activity will expand current understanding of URM building vulnerabilities to earthquake effects. By focusing on the observed performance of URM buildings with adhesive anchor retrofits, the data collected and its analysis will provide enhanced assessment methods for evaluating seismic rehabilitation techniques for URM buildings. The goal is to advance the seismic safety of URM buildings, which are widely constructed in the U.S. and one of the most seismically vulnerable building types. The results of this research will be widely distributed to the earthquake engineering community, including organizations responsible for updating and improving national seismic design provisions.