EAPSI:Seismic Performance of Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Shear Walls

Marcilla Travis, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

This project will closely analyze structural deficiencies that lead to total collapse and non-repairable damage of reinforced concrete buildings due to earthquakes. There will be specific concentration on buildings that have or can benefit from using shear walls. The main focus of this project is to study in detail the series of failures that lead to total loss, and to evaluate the economic benefits of adding shear walls. Research will be conducted at GNS Science located in Lower Hutt, under the mentorship of Dr. S.R. Uma, a renowned expert in the field of earthquake engineering and structural response. In depth engineering reports will be made available that focus on structural failure details from the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. The outcomes of this project will lead to improved recognition of dangerous buildings, improved accuracy of computer modeling, and greater understanding of the economic benefits of retrofitting dangerous structures. New Zealand is an optimal location to study seismic performance because of the Christchurch earthquakes which destroyed many structures and because of the detailed engineering reports that have been produced since. This project will help develop nonlinear structural analysis skill and technique to accurately simulate localized failures in concrete structures. Nonlinear computer simulation of structures is a still-developing tool for engineers to study how a building behaves as a whole under dynamic loading. In the United States, nonlinear modeling techniques are being used to evaluate the seismic risk of structures that were built before modern buildings codes and structural analysis tools. Even with recent advances in nonlinear modeling techniques, it is difficult to accurately simulate the total collapse of buildings like the Pyne Gould building in Christchurch which killed 182 people in 2011, because of the multitude of smaller local failures that lead to the global collapse. Understanding the deficiencies of concrete structures and taking steps to retrofit them must allow for, at a minimum, life-safety of building occupants, minimal loss of building functionality, and economic viability. By improving understanding of retrofit options and trade-offs, this project will inform decision-making about the identification and improvement of dangerous RC shear wall structures in the U.S. and around the world. This award is funded in collaboration with the Royal Society of New Zealand.