Resumen de Assessment and retrofi t of defi cient reinforced concrete structures using advanced composites
Existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures built before the introduction of modern seismic codes contribute signifi cantly to the disastrous consequences of earthquakes.
The majority of these structures are substandard and defi cient in light of our current knowledge and design codes.
During his post-graduate studies, the author was involved in national and international research projects focusing on the assessment of seismic vulnerability of existing buildings and the use of advanced composite materials (fi brereinforced polymers, FRPs) for structural rehabilitation, appropriate to Turkey and New Zealand’s earthquake-risk building stock.
These projects were sponsored by NATO (Scientifi c Aff airs Division) and New Zealand’s Foundation for Research Science & Technology. During this period, the author collaborated with a broad spectrum of people from diff erent disciplines and backgrounds, including independent researchers, practising structural designers, manufacturers, and local government building offi cials.
Following meticulous analytical and numerical modelling, as well as verifi cation methods that included extensive experimental work, the author successfully developed simple but accurate assessment and design procedures for FRP retrofi t solutions. These cost-eff ective and low-invasive techniques were used to mitigate the poor performance of RC frames with infi ll masonry panels (which is a common construction practice in Turkey and Mediterranean countries) and defi cient RC corner beam–column joints with and without slabs.
The research fi ndings were disseminated through a number of conferences, in peer-reviewed journal papers and also industry technical guidelines. The project outcomes were ultimately incorporated into the Turkish Earthquake Code and New Zealand Seismic Assessment Guidelines and underpin current best practice for the international community of civil engineers.
