Seismic retrofit strategies of buildings

Abstract

The Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, has developed a Handbook on Seismic Retrofit of Buildings under the sponsorship of the Central Public Works Department and under the aegis of Indian Buildings Congress. The Handbook contains seventeen chapters covering different aspects of seismic retrofit The first chapter is a stand-alone chapter that explains the concepts of seismic design and retrofit in a language suitable for the lay person. Besides the introductory chapters, there are chapters on evaluation and retrofit of various types of buildings. The types of buildings cover non-engineered, masonry, reinforced concrete, steel buildings and historical and heritage structures. The geotechnical seismic hazards and retrofit of foundations are placed as separate chapters. Retrofit using fibre reinforced polymer composites, energy dissipation and base isolation devices are introduced. A chapter on quality assurance and control is included. This paper presents the content of the Handbook and two case studies briefly.