REPAIR AND RETROFIT OF A 6 STORY REINFORCED-CONCRETE BUILDING DAMAGEDBY THE EARTHQUAKE IN SOUTH-EAST SICILY ON THE 13TH DECEMBER 1990

This paper presents the studies that led to the seismic retrofitting o f a six storey reinforced concrete building damaged by the 1990 earthq uake in south-east Sicily. A seismological study, available geological information and extensive geotechnical tests led to the definition of the ultimate design earthquake for the site. A detailed damage survey and a numerical damage simulation together with available information on the design and construction history denounced the highly deficient condition of the building against the design seismic action. After ha ving established, through a campaign of destructive and non-destructiv e tests, the main structural characteristics of the materials and of t he structural elements, joints included, seven different retrofitting systems are presented and discussed. Finally the recommended solution is presented in some detail and the methods of analysis and the conduc ted safety checks are briefly described. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd .