TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CIVIL

ENGINEERING OF BUCHAREST
Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages

Master: Structural Engineering

REABILITATION OF CONCRETE
STRUCTURES
2nd Assignment
SEISMIC ASSESSMENT PROCESS
1. Establish the performance requirements.
Mandatory limit states: ULS and SLS

2. Additional limit states:

Collapse-Prevention and Immediate-Occupancy

3. Specific on-site seismic conditions:

(specific accelerograms, PGA values, design spectrum).
Selecting seismic hazard level for different limit states.

4. COLLECTING INFORMATION – identify the characteristics of the

existing building by analyzing the building documentation and by on-site
investigation (measurements and tests)

5a. Limited knowledge 5b. Normal knowledge 5c. Full knowledge

6. Establish the confidence factor CF and the

corresponding values of the design materials strength
SEISMIC ASSESSMENT PROCESS
7. Qualitative evaluation: check load path; structural redundancy; regularity
conditions; slab type, foundation system; nonstructural elements.

8. Damage evaluation

9. Quantitative evaluation: 1st Level Methodology (simplified analysis)

10. Quantitative evaluation: 2nd Level Methodology (elastic analysis)

11. Quantitative evaluation: 3rd Level Methodology (non-linear analyses)

12. Final evaluation and conclusions.

Assign the seismic risk class.
Decisions for structural intervention.
 1ST LEVEL METHODOLOGY
It can be used for:
 RC frame buildings up to 3 levels, located in seismic zones with PGA
≤ 0.15 g

 RC shear wall buildings up to 3 levels, located in seismic zones with

PGA ≤ 0.20 g

 Some masonry buildings (as specified in Annex D of P100-3)

 Any building located in seismic zones with PGA = 0.1 g

*1st level methodology can be solely used if the evaluated existing

building belongs to the 3rd or 4th class of importance.
 1ST LEVEL METHODOLOGY
Simplified procedures for evaluating the building
vibration periods
Seismic action → lateral equivalent force
Reduced values for behavior factor “q” that
depends on the structural material
Simplified seismic efforts distribution between the
vertical structural elements
Strength checks only for the ULS
 1ST LEVEL METHODOLOGY

Behavior factor “q” for 1st level methodology –

maximum values

Type of structure q
Reinforced concrete frame structures 2.5
Reinforced concrete shear wall structures 2.0
Buildings with reinforced concrete skeleton (not frames) with 2.0
infill masonry panels design only for gravity loads
 1ST LEVEL METHODOLOGY
Fundamental vibration period is roughly
determined as:
3
T1 = kT  H 4

kT = 0,07 for RC frame buildings

kT = 0,045 for RC and masonry wall buildings
kT = 0,110 for steel frame buildings
kT = 0,075 for buildings with eccentric steel braces
kT = 0,050 for buildings with centric steel braces

H is the total building height (in meters) over the embedment section

Alternatively, for RC frame structures with up to 10 levels above ground:

T1 = 0,1 n
n - the number of levels above the embedment section
 1ST LEVEL METHODOLOGY
The mean values of the normal stresses in the vertical
members (columns or walls) produced by vertical loads are
determined based on their tributary area considering the
values of the gravity loads associated to seismic design
situations according to EN-1990 (or to the Romanian code
CR 0-2012).
In a simplified manner, in the 1st level methodology the
"indirect" axial force from the seismic action is taken into
account only in the marginal columns.
 1ST LEVEL METHODOLOGY
The mean values of tangential stresses in the vertical
member (columns and walls) is determined with the
approximate relationship:
Fb
m =
Ac
Fb – seismic base shear force
Ac – the sum of the areas of walls' cross sections (only the
walls having the same direction as the seismic force) and the
sum of the areas of columns’ cross sections (only the frames
having the same direction as the seismic force)
 1ST LEVEL METHODOLOGY
The global seismic risk indicator - R3 represents the
ratio between the capacity and the seismic demand
(in terms of strength):
𝑣𝑎𝑑𝑚
𝑅3 =
𝑣𝑚

𝑣𝑎𝑑𝑚 = 0.7 𝑓𝑐𝑡 – allowable value of the mean shear stress in RC columns

𝑣𝑎𝑑𝑚 = 1.4 𝑓𝑐𝑡 – allowable value of the mean shear stress in RC walls

𝑛𝑎𝑑𝑚 = 0.3 – allowable value of the mean normalized axial stress in RC columns

𝑛𝑎𝑑𝑚 = 0.15 – allowable value of the mean normalized axial stress in RC walls
QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION
THROUGH STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
The global seismic risk indicator - R3 (expressed
as percentage) is used as a guidance for a
preliminary selection of the appropriate
seismic risk class:

Seismic risk class - Rs

I II III IV

Values R3 (%)
< 35 35 – 64 65 – 89 90 – 100
SEISMIC RISK CLASSES
 Class RsI –
constructions with high risk of structural collapse to
earthquake waves associated to the design ULS

 Class RsII –
constructions that may suffer major structural
damages, but the loss of stability is unlikely for the lateral
movement associated to the design earthquake.

 Class RsIII –
constructions where structural damages may not
significantly affect the structural safety, but may record
important non-structural degradation.

 Class RsIV –
buildings where the expected seismic response is
almost similar to that achieved for new buildings designed
according P100-1/2013.
DECISIONS FOR STRUCTURAL
INTERVENTION
The authors of P100-3/2019 considered that:
An existing building is safe enough if it is able to fulfill the
requirements corresponding to the ULS for earthquakes with
an Mean Recurrence Interval = 100 years.

Therefore, structural intervention is required if R3 < 0,65