W.Y. Kam

Strength Hierarchy at Reinforced Concrete Beam-Column Joints and Global Capacity

Strength hierarchy assessment is a method that can be utilized to identify the weakest structural element at a reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column joint. The method was extensively used in various research activities at the University of Canterbury, which mainly involved beam-column joint subassembly tests. However, this method required improvements and refinements in order to be adopted in multi-story building applications. In this paper, the improvements made to the method are reported. In the improved method, capacity of the weakest element at every beam-column joint in an RC frame building can be related to the corresponding global base shear demand. The method has been illustrated via two example applications: an RC frame lacking joint shear reinforcement and a modern RC frame with adequate joint shear reinforcement. The case study examples confirmed the accuracy and the effectiveness of the method.

Experimental and numerical validation of selective weakening retrofit for existing non-ductile R.C. frames

The development of cheap, whilst effective and relatively non-invasive structural retrofit techniques for existing non-ductile reinforced concrete (RC) structures still remains the most challenging issue for a wide implementation on a macro scale. Seismic retrofit is too often being confused as purely structural strengthening. As part of a six-years national project on “Seismic retrofit solutions for NZ multi-storey building”, focus has been given at the University of Canterbury on the development of a counter-intuitive retrofit strategy for earthquake vulnerable existing rc frame, based on a “selective weakening” (SW) approach. After an overview of the SW concept, this paper presents the experimental and numerical validation of a SW retrofit strategy for earthquake vulnerable existing RC frame with particular focus on the exterior beam-column (b-c) joints. The exterior b-c joint is a critically vulnerable region in many existing pre-1970s RC frames. By selectively weakening the beam by cutting the bottom longitudinal reinforcements and/or adding external pre-stressing to the b-c joint, a more desirable inelastic mechanism can be attained, leading to improved global seismic performance. The so-called SW retrofit is implemented on four 2/3-scaled exterior RC b-c joint subassemblies, tested under quasi-static cyclic loading at the University of Canterbury. Complemented by refined 3D Finite Element (FE) models and dynamic time-history analyses results, the experimental results have shown the potential of a simple and cost-effective yet structurally efficient structural rehabilitation technique. The research also demonstrated the potential of advanced 3D fracture-mechanics-based microplane concrete modelling for refined FE analysis of non-ductile RC b-c joints. Keyword: Selective weakening, seismic retrofit / rehabilitation, concrete beamcolumn joint, modelling concrete, 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The recent publications of technical guidelines [11, 22], FEMA 356 pre-standard [10] and international standards (Eurocode8-Part 3 [8] the ASCE-SEI 41 standard[2]) represent significant progress and address crucial needs in seismic rehabilitation and retrofit for modern urban society. It is widely recognised that poorly detailed nonductile reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frames pose significant risks to urban population in seismic zones. Research on the seismic performance of pre706 ATC & SEI 2009 Conference on Improving the Seismic Performance of Existing Buildings and Other Structures

Performance-Based Issues from the 22 February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake

At 12:51 pm local time on 22 February 2011, a Mw 6.2 aftershock of the September 4, 2010, Darfield Earthquake shook the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The aftershock occurred on an unmapped fault less than 8 km from the city center resulting in the collapse of two reinforced concrete office buildings and one concrete parking garage, and severe damage to numerous others. The region has continued to suffer from aftershocks and further damage to building structures throughout the year following the February earthquake. This paper summarizes the observed damage to buildings in the Central Business District (CBD), with a specific focus on identifying future research to support the development of performance-based design procedures.