Seismic Retrofit of Existing Concrete Frame Structures Using Viscoelastic Damping Devices: A Research-in-Progress Update

Download or read book Seismic Retrofit of Existing Concrete Frame Structures Using Viscoelastic Damping Devices: A Research-in-Progress Update written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Army and Air Force have large inventories of concrete frame buildings built before the 1971 San Francisco earthquake, when seismic provisions in U.S. building codes were enhanced. Consequently, many of these buildings may not safely withstand the ground motions associated with large intensity earthquakes. The U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL) has developed a program to provide improved technologies for mitigating seismic hazards in older military buildings. This study investigated the effectiveness of a nonintrusive rehabilitation technique involving the addition of viscoelastic damping devices to a concrete structure. A one-third scale model of a concrete building was built and placed on the USACERL shaking table. The building was earthquake-tested using two sizes of dampers, and with no dampers in place. Preliminary observations showed that the model with dampers sustained only minimal damage. More detailed analysis continues.