Seismic Retrofitting of Masonry Structures in Sarpol -e Zahab after the Earthquake: An Investigative Study

The use of masonry materials in the construction of buildings has been common in Iran for a long time. Most of the existing buildings in the country, especially in small cities, towns, villages, and also in the old and deteriorating areas of large cities, are made of masonry materials. The vulnerability of these buildings in past earthquakes highlights the importance of retrofitting these structures. Masonry buildings are divided into two types. The first type is reinforced masonry buildings, where the structural elements, including walls, beams, columns, or piers, are reinforced by placing steel bars within the concrete core or within the cavities of perforated masonry units, which are filled with mortar or grout. The second type is framed masonry buildings, which are made of bricks, concrete blocks, or stone, and in which all or part of the vertical loads and all lateral loads in both main directions of the building are supported by unreinforced masonry walls. In these buildings, to maintain the integrity and continuity of the primary elements of the structure, including the walls, roof, and foundation, frame construction is used. Most of the existing buildings in the country are of the second type, meaning unreinforced buildings and, of course, without frames. Therefore, studying and researching methods for retrofitting these buildings is necessary and essential. This paper presents methods for retrofitting these structures.

کلیدواژه ها:

Sarpol -e Zahab Earthquake ، Retrofitting ، Seismic Improvement ، Masonry Materials ، Strengthening