Seismic assessment of reinforced concrete building strengthened with CFRP sheets using non-linear static approach
Muhammad AJMAL, Rashid ISMAEEL, Mona ISMAIL, Danish AHMED, Tahar AYADAT
Abstract. The gravity load-designed (GLD) reinforced concrete (RC) frames commonly found in Saudi Arabia have limited resistance to lateral loads and are susceptible to column-side sway or soft-story failures during earthquakes. Even in taller buildings where lateral wind loads were considered in the design, it is still crucial to perform a comprehensive seismic evaluation, as higher mode effects can sometimes lead to soft-story mechanisms in the mid to upper levels of the building. The recent seismic event in Saudi Arabia has raised concerns about the safety and vulnerability of RC buildings in the region. This paper presents a performance-based assessment of an existing eight-story RC shear wall building located in Madinah. The building is 8 stories reinforced concrete structure with dome at the top and ribbed plus flat slab system. Nonlinear static pushover analysis was conducted using SAP2000 software, accounting for the inelastic behavior of concrete and steel materials. The shear walls were modeled using mid-pier frame and user defined hinges were assigned. The nonlinear seismic analysis of existing building revealed that shear walls and columns are deficient against the lateral forces and strong beam-weak column mechanism was observed. To meet the seismic and increase the seismic load bearing capacity the building columns and shear walls of the building were retrofitted by Carbon Fiber Reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets and the seismic performance, strength, and durability of the retrofitted building was evaluated. The study showed that the proposed retrofitting scheme increased the base shear capacity and ductility of the building as well as controlled energy dissipation and strong column-weak beam mechanism were observed in retrofitted building. Also, the load-displacement behavior of the retrofitted building demonstrates a notable enhancement in both strength and stiffness, featuring an increased ultimate base shear capacity and greater deformation capacity prior to reaching the collapse threshold as compared to the existing structure. Overall, the base shear capacity of the existing building is increased by 26% after CFRP retrofitting and performance of the structure is enhanced.
Keywords
Performance-based Assessment, Shear-Wall, 3D Building, Pushover Analysis, Strong Column-Weak Beam, CFRP retrofitting, Hinges, Ductility
Published online 2/25/2025, 8 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Muhammad AJMAL, Rashid ISMAEEL, Mona ISMAIL, Danish AHMED, Tahar AYADAT, Seismic assessment of reinforced concrete building strengthened with CFRP sheets using non-linear static approach, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 48, pp 123-130, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903414-14
The article was published as article 14 of the book Civil and Environmental Engineering for Resilient, Smart and Sustainable Solutions
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] Ajmal, M. (2012). Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit Assessment of Multi-Storey Structures Using Pushover Analysis (POA) (Master’s thesis). King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. ProQuest 10184441.
[2] A. Elgammal, S. El-Khoriby, A. Seleemah, Seismic Retrofitting of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings Using Aluminium Shear Links and Eccentric Steel Chevron Braces. Arab J Sci Eng 49 (2024) 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-024-08908-8
[3] Elgammal, A., El-Khoriby, S., & Seleemah, A. (2024). Seismic Retrofitting of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings Using Aluminium Shear Links And Eccentric Steel Chevron Braces. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 49, 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-024-08908-8
[4] Almessari, B. (2023). Seismic Assessment And Strengthening of a Reinforced Concrete Building Using Pushover Analysis. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 18.
[5] Jafari, S., & Mahini, S. S. (2023). Enhancement of the Fragility Capacity of RC Frames Using FRPs With Different Configurations At Joints. Polymers, 15(3), 618. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030618
[6] Gupta, V. V., Reddy, G. R., & Pendhari, S. S. (2022). Performance-Based Design of RC Structures Subjected to Seismic Load Using A Hybrid Retrofitting Method With Friction Damper and Steel Bracing. Computational Engineering and Physical Modeling, 5(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.22115/cepm.2022.317119.1191
[7] Ajmal, M., Rahman, M. K., Baluch, M. H., & Celep, Z. (2013). Nonlinear Static Pushover Analysis of Existing and CFRP Retrofitted Shear Wall Building Frame. In SMAR 2013: Second Conference on Smart Monitoring, Assessment and Rehabilitation of Civil Structures, Istanbul, Turkey.
[8] Maheri, M. R., & Akbari, R. (2003). Seismic Behaviour Factor, R, For Steel X-Braced and Knee-Braced RC Buildings. Engineering Structures, 25, 1505–1513.
[9] Zou, X. K., Teng, J. G., Delorenzis, L., & Xia, S. (2007). Optimal Performance-Based Design of FRP Jackets For Seismic Retrofit of Reinforced Concrete Frames. Composites Part B, 38, 584–597.
[10] Ajmal, M., Rahman, M. K., & Baluch, M. H. (2013). Seismic Performance Assessment of a Retrofitted Shear Wall Frame of a Building In Madinah Using Non-Linear Pushover Analysis. In 9th International Concrete Conference and Exhibition, Manama, Bahrain.
[11] Mahini, S. S. (2015). Damage and Seismic Performance Assessment of FRP-Retrofitted Multi-Storey RC Buildings. Electron Journal of Structural Engineering, 14, 49–61.
[12] Ajmal, M., Rahman, M. K., Baluch, M. H., & Celep, Z. (2012). Pushover Analysis of Shear Wall Frame Retrofitted With High Strength Concrete Jacketing. ACTA National University of Science & Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
[13] Ajmal, M., Rahman, M. K., & Baluch, M. H. (2016). Seismic Vulnerability of RC Shear Wall Building With a Dome Roof in Moderate Seismic Region of Saudi Arabia. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 41, 1291–1310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-015-1882-8
[14] XTRACT (2007), Cross Section Analysis Program for Structural Engineers, IMBSEN & Associates, Inc.
[15] FEMA. (2002). FEMA 356: Pre-Standard and Commentary for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings.
[16] Lam, L., & Teng, J. G. (2003). Design-Oriented Stress-Strain Model For FRP-Confined Concrete. Construction and Building Materials.
[17] Ajmal, M., Ahmed, D., Baluch, M. H., Ayadat, T., & Rahman, M. K. (2023). Consistent Choice For Cohesion and Internal Friction For Concrete Constitutive Models. Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, 8, 43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-022-00976-9
[18] Mander, J. B., Priestley, M. J. N., & Park, R. (1988). Theoretical Stress–Strain Model For Confined Concrete. Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, 114, 1804–1826.
[19] Sonda, D., Cossu, M., & Miyamoto, H. K. (2012). Seismic Improvement of Monumental Churches With Domes. In 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Lisboa, Portugal.
[20] Ajmal, M., Rahman, M. K., & Baluch, M. H. (2012). Nonlinear Static Pushover Analysis of a Shear Wall Building in Madinah. In Seismic Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies.
[21] Fahjan, Y. M., Kubin, J., & Tan, M. T. (2010). Nonlinear Analysis Methods For Reinforced Concrete Buildings With Shear Walls. In 14th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia.
[22] Computers and Structures, Inc. (2009). CSI SAP2000: Static and Dynamic Finite Element Analysis of Structures (14.0).
[23] Ajmal, M., Ahmed, D., & Asiz, A. (2016). Structural Performances of Hybrid Tall Buildings Designed Using Ultra-Lightweight Floor Slabs. In Proceedings of SEMC 2016: The Sixth International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation (pp. 983–987). Cape Town, South Africa.