RETROFITTING OF

REINFORCED CONCRETE
BUILDINGS
PRESENTED BY Under Guidance of
K.L. KRISHNA Mr. GURUPRASAD
(1ga05cv019) Sr. Lecturer
 Introduction
 Methods of increasing resistant capacity of
structure by various techniques is called
Retrofitting.
 Seismic retrofitting is the modification of
existing/damaged structures to make them
more resistant to seismic activity, ground
motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes.
 It can also be defined as increasing the seismic
resistant of damaged structure by various
techniques as per IS: 13935-1993
 Concept of Retrofitting
The basic concept of retrofitting aims at:-

 Up gradation of lateral strength of the

structure

 Increase the ductility of the structure

 Increase of strength and ductility

 Need for Retrofitting
Thus Seismic Retrofitting is required for buildings
under two circumstances:-

 Earthquake damaged buildings –Public safety ;

structural survivability; for utility and historic
significance.

 Earthquake vulnerable buildings that has not

experienced severe earthquake
 Source Of Weakness In RC frames

 Discontinuous load path

 Lack of deformation compatibility of structural

members

 Quality of workmanship and poor quality of

materials
 
 Classification Of Retrofitting
Techniques
Retrofitting Techniques

Global/Structural level Local/member level

Jacketing of Beams
Adding Shear Wall
Convectional
method
Adding Infill Wall Jacketing of Columns

Adding Bracing
Jacketing of Beam-
Column Joint
Adding Wing Wall

Wall Thickening Strengthening of

Individual Footing
Mass Reduction

Non- Supplement Damping

Convectional and Base Isolation
method
 Structural level (or Global)
Retrofit methods
1. Conventional methods: based on increasing the
seismic resistance of existing structure by
eliminating or reducing the adverse effect of
design or construction.
• Adding new shear walls
• Adding steel bracings
• Adding infill walls
2. Non- Conventional methods: based on
reduction of seismic demands
• Seismic base isolation
 1. Conventional strengthening methods
a) Adding new shear wall : One of the most common methods of
retrofitting is providing the shear wall to increase the lateral strength of
the reinforced concrete buildings. A reasonable ductility may also be
achieved if the walls are properly designed with a good detailing.
 Limitations of this method:
• Increase in lateral resistance but it is concentrated at a few places
• Increase in overturning moment at foundation causes very high uplift
that needs either new foundation or strengthening of the existing
foundation
• Increases the dead load of the structure
• Excessive destruction at each floor level results in functional disability of
the building
• Possibilities of adequate attachment between the new and the existing
wall
• Closing of the formerly open spaces can have major negative impact on
the interior of the building or exterior appearance.
b) Adding steel bracings: Another method of strengthening is use of
steel bracings. These are an effective solution for buildings with large
openings.
Advantages:
• Higher strength and stiffness can be provided
• Opening of the natural light can be made easy
• Bracing system adds less weight to the existing structure
• Most of the work can be performed with pre-fabricated elements and
disturbance to the occupants may be minimized.
• It is cost effective.
Limitations of this method:
• Lack of information about the seismic behavior of the added bracing
• Undesirable changes regarding original architectural features
• Section failure may cause impact on over all performance of the
building
• High level workers are necessary for construction
• Cost efficiency specially to welding is necessary
 Effective
slenderness ratio
60 to 80 or low

STEEL BRACINGS PROVIDED

c)Adding infill walls: Adding of infill walls as shown in the figure also
helps in increasing the structural strength against seismic force. It is
economical and effective method to improve strength and reduce drift of
frame.
Limitations of this method:
• Some columns in the frame are subjected to large axial tensile forces,
which may exceed the capacity of the column that have been designed for
little or no flexure but only for axial and gravity load.
 2. Non-Conventional strengthening methods
This method aims at reducing the seismic forces on the structure using
various techniques of base isolation. It is a powerful method of seismic
retrofitting for buildings.
a)Base isolation: The seismic base isolation technology involves placing
flexible isolation systems between the foundation and the superstructure.
Its main advantages are:
• Better protection against earthquake due to decreasing of shears
• Foundation system will not need any reinforcement to resist overturning moments
• Least interrupting the building activities since work is carried out at the basement
Base isolators:
 Flexible pads and rollers
 Seismic dampers
a) viscous dampers
b) friction dampers
c) yielding dampers
Its main advantages
are:
•Better protection against
earthquake due to decreasing of
shears

•Foundation system will not

need any reinforcement to resist
overturning moments

•Least interrupting the building

activities since work is carried
out at the basement
Process of Seismic Retrofitting by Base Isolation in Mid-storey

3. Cut off existing

1.Remove Finishing 2. Encase by half tube column
steel plate fill concrete

6. Cut off steel

panel
4. Install Isolator 5. Grout mortar
Base Isolation in Mid-storey
 Process of Seismic Retrofitting by Base Isolation in
buildings resting on pile.

1. Excavate 2.New Foundation 3. Cut off control piles

4. Set isolator base & grout 5. Install Isolator & fix 6. Cut off piles
 Member level (or Local) Retrofit
methods
 The member level/local retrofit methods are to
upgrade the strength of the member which is
seismically deficient
The most common methods used are as follows:
Jacketing of columns
Jacketing of beams
Jacketing of beam-column joint
Strengthening of individual footing
a) Jacketing of columns:
(i) Reinforced concrete jacketing: Jacketing of columns consist of adding
concrete with longitudinal and transverse reinforcement around the existing
column .This method of jacketing is the most suitable for reinforced concrete
buildings. So it is the widely used and cost effective for RC buildings, as it is
familiar to engineers and construction industry, suitable for repair. Also it
increases the (i) shear capacity of the columns in order to accomplish strong
column and weak beam design (ii) to improve flexural strength by longitudinal
steel provided continuously from slab and anchored to the foundation.

Limitation of these method/disadvantages:

• They considerably increase member c/s dimension, which may be a serious
draw back in buildings with less floor area.
• They disturb the occupants of the building during construction
• Production of dust and debris causes pollution and health hazards
• They also cause noise pollution at work area.
• Rusting of bars takes place.
1. Ties- 70 to 100 mm
2. Hooks- 90-135 degree.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES FOR COLUMN JACKETING
DETAILS FOR PROVISION OF LONGITUDINAL REINFORCMENT.
Details for reinforced concrete jacketing (UNDP/UNIDO,1983)

Properties of jacket  Match with the concrete of the existing structure

 Compressive strength greater than that of the existing structures
by 5N/mm2 (50kg/cm2),or at least equal to that of existing
structure
Minimum width of jacket
 10 cm for concrete cast-in-place and 4cm for shortcrete
 If possible, four sided jacket should be used
 A monolithic behavior of the column should be assured
 Narrow gap should be provided to prevent any increase in
flexural capacity
2
Minimum area of longitudinal  3A/fy, where , A area of the contact in cm and fy is in kg/cm 2
reinforcement
 Spacing should not exceed six times the width of the new
element (the jacket in case) up to the limit of 60cm.
 Percentage of steel in the jacket w.r.t the jacket area should be
limited between 0.015 to 0.04
  At least a 12mm bar should be used at every corner of the four sited jacket

Minimum area of the transverse  Designed and spaced as per earthquake design practice
reinforcement
 Minimum diameter used for ties is not less than 10mm or 1/3 of the diameter of the biggest
longitudinal bar.

 The ties should have 135-degree hook with 10 mm bar diameter anchorage.

 Due to difficulty of manufacturing 135-degree hooks at field, ties made up of multiple pieces, can
be used.

 Provide adequate shear transfer mechanism to assure monolithic behavior

Shear stress in the interface
 A relative movement between both concrete interface ( between the jacket and the element)
should be prevented

 Chipping the concrete cover of the original member and roughening its surface may be improve
the bond between the new and the old concrete

 For the four sided jacket the ties should be used to confine and the shear reinforcement to the
composite element

 For 1,2,3 sided jacket, special reinforcement should be provide to enhance monolithic behavior

 Connectors should be anchored in both the concrete such that it may develop at least 80% of the
Connectors yield stress.

 Distributed uniformly around the interface, avoiding concentration at specific location

 It is better to use anchored bar with epoxy resins.

(ii) Fiber Reinforced Polymer: here fiber reinforcement polymer jackets
are used.
Advantages:
• Carbon fiber are flexible and can be made to contact with the surface
tightly for a high degree of confinement because of its high strength and
modulus of elasticity.
• It is light weight
• Rusting does not occur
Limitations of this method:
• In some cases the presence of beam may require majority of new
longitudinal bars to be bundled in the corner of the jacket
• With the presence of the existing column it is difficult to provide cross ties
for new longitudinal bars which are not at the corner of the jacket.
• Jacketing is based only on engineering judgment as there are no
guidelines or code recommended for it.
(iii)steel jacketing: It is similar to reinforced concrete jacketing but here steel
plates are provided instead of reinforced bar

DRIVING BOLTS THROUGH PLATE

 Details of Steel Jacketing

Steel plate thickness At least 6mm.

Height of jacket 1.2 to 1.5 times the length in case of flexural column

Full height of column in case of shear columns

Shape of jackets Rectangular jacketing , prefabricated two L-shaped panels.

Free ends of jacket Welded throughout the height of the jacket, size of weld 1/4”

Bottom clearance 38mm (1.5”), steel jacket may be terminated above the top of
footing to avoid any possible bearing of the steel jacket
against the footing, to avoid the local damage to the jacket and
/or an undesirable or un intended increase in flexural capacity.
Gap between steel jacket and 25mm (1 inch) fill with cementation s grout
concrete column
25mm (1 inch) in diameter and 300mm (12”) long
Size of anchor bolts embedded in 200mm (8”) into concrete column
Blots were installed through pre-drilled holes on steel jacket
using an epoxy adhesive.

Number of anchor bolts Two anchor bolts are intended to stiffen the steel jacket and
improve confinement of the splice
b) Jacketing of beams: Jacketing beam is recommended for several purposes as
it gives continuity to the columns and increases the strength and stiffness of the
structure. While jacketing the beam it flexural resistance must be carefully computed
in order to avoid the creation of strong beam–weak column system. Due to column
jacketing there may be change in mode failure and redistribution of forces which
causes beam hinging, so the critical section of the beam and the participation of the
existing reinforcement should be taken into consideration. Jacketing of beam is
carried out in various ways 3 or 4-sided jackets.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF BEAM JACKETING
Improvement of shear strength using bars

•Existing beam
•Steel clamp
•Steel plate
•Nut
•Angle profile
•welding
Reinforcement Detail of Beam Jackets (UNDP/UNIDO, 1983)

Minimum width of jacket 8cm if concrete cast in place or 4cm for

shotcrete.
Longitudinal reinforcement
Percentage of the steel jacket should be limited
to 50 of the total area of the composite section
Shear reinforcement
Ignore the effect of the existing shear
reinforcement
New reinforcement should have 135 –degree
hook and at each corner of the tie there should be
at least one longitudinal bar
The bar used for tie should have at least 8mm
diameter
Multiple piece ties can be used, as discussed
Depth of jacket beams before for columns
Span/depth ratio
Storey height
c) Jacketing of beam-column joint: Beam column joint forms the critical
section failure of reinforced concrete frame structure. Beam column joint can be
retrofitted by reinforcement concrete jacketing or FRP jacketing or steel jacketing
method as mentioned before.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEAM-COLUMN JOINTS
d) Strengthening of Individual Foundation : Strengthening of the
foundation of the existing building to resist the seismic effect is known as
foundation retrofitting.
Foundation retrofitting are required due to two problems:
 The change of loads on the foundation by strengthening of the building.
 The failure of foundation it self due to various reasons.

Retrofitting of the shallow concrete foundations:

 Reinforced concrete jacketing
 bolting down the foundation
 Base isolation

Retrofitting of the pile/deep foundations:

 Micro pile Methods
 Screen pipe drain method
 Super Strengthening Pile Bents method
RETROFITTING OF FOUNDATION REINFORCED
CONCRETE JACKETING

(a)Beam and column ; (b)Foundation

1. Existing foundation; 2. Existing column; 3.Reinforced jacket; 4. Added concrete;
5.Added reinforcement
BOLTING OF FOUNDATION
Comparative Analysis of the Methods
of Retrofitting
Effects of Various Retrofit Methods on Structural Performance
Factors effecting retrofitting of RC buildings

 Technical consideration
 Cost benefit ratio
 Load on the structure
 Materials
 Design aspect
 Mode of failure
THANK YOU
A high powered roto-hammer is
used to create a pilot hole for the
sill plate screws

Next the sill plate bolt is driven into the hole

 After the bolts are set, they are torqued
down into place

The final hole is then drilled

The final bolt is driven into the foundation

wall and torqued down