Seismic Retrofitting Reinforced Concrete Structures with Precast Pre-Stressed Concrete Braces: An Overview

Abstract

It is crucial to innovate retrofitting solutions for safeguarding buildings from catastrophic failure in earthquake-prone regions. An approach to retrofitting reinforced concrete (RC) buildings involves the use of precast pre-stressed concrete braces (PPCB). Employing PPCB for seismic retrofitting of RC structures is a novel method that has yet to be extensively researched. This approach obviates the need for wet concrete work at the site, thereby enhancing efficiency and minimizing the disturbance of the retrofitting process. This study aims to evaluate and develop this method. In this research, we investigated the seismic performance of this system using finite element analysis (FEA). The results showed that PPCB effectively decreased lateral displacement, changing the force-resisting mechanism into truss action and improving the building’s seismic performance. However, when the brace’s compression strength is lower than the existing frame’s, the retrofitting system exhibits low stiffness and is ineffective at reducing lateral drift. Conversely, in models with two or more compressive strength ratios (brace to frame), braces demonstrated high strength and stiffness. Thus, PPCB can provide significant strength and stability to structures. Furthermore, we proposed and evaluated two novel configurations for this retrofitting system: a single diagonal and a V-shape.