RETROFITTING OF

BUILDINGS
Overview of Infrastructural Development in India
• IMPORTANCE:
The infrastructure sector is a key driver of the Indian economy. The Indian government
places a strong emphasis on this sector as it is crucial to India’s overall growth.

• PLANS AHEAD:
The expansion of roads, railways, ports, power plants and renewable energy
infrastructure is critical to India’s goal of becoming a US$5 trillion economy by 2028-
29.

Infrastructure development is crucial to achieve the India 2047 vision for a $40
trillion economy and be reclassified from a developing economy to a developed
economy.
Definitions:
• Repair:
The term repair means bringing back the same level of strength, which the
structure had prior to damage.

• Strengthening:
The term strengthening means increasing the strength and/or ductility of the
building beyond repair to increase its structural capacity to withstand different
loading situations.

• Retrofitting:
The term retrofitting means upgrading the strength and structural capacity of an
existing structure to enable it to safely withstand the effect of future strong
earthquake. Retrofitting includes both repair and strengthening.
• Retrofitting is the science and technology of strengthening the existing structures
or structural elements to enhance their performance with new technology,
features and components.

• Rehabilitation:
This term means the intervention in a damaged building to provide improved
structure.

It is a broad/comprehensive term that refer to the process of improving a building’s

structural integrity, energy performance, and overall quality.

It include all types of repair, retrofitting, and strengthening that lead to improved
structural performance and reduced vulnerability to earthquake, fire and other
attacks.
• Restoration:
The process of re-establishing a structure’s original appearance, materials, and
form is called as Restoration.

This can help to increase a building’s value and extend its lifespan.

• Restoration and Rehabilitation are different processes that can be used to

treat a building or structure in civil engineering.

• But the difference lies in its working. In Restoration, measure are taken to
bring the structure back to its original state. While, Rehabilitation includes
upgrading of structure to meet the current needs by adding or altering to a
structure and keeping their historic value intact.
• Building’s condition, intended usage and historic significance are the key
factors which decides the selection of process (either Rehabilitation or
Restoration).

Objective of Retrofitting:
• The basic objective behind retrofitting or repair works is to-
1) Extend the service life
2) Enhance the Performance of the structure
3) Increase the load-bearing capacity of the structure.
 What’s the need of Retrofitting ?
• To improve structural integrity and performance.
• To upgrade functionality.
• To upgrade infrastructure with latest codal provisions.
• To restore the heritage value of structure.
• To improve durability and extend the service life of structure.
• To improve aesthetic of existing structure.
Benefits of Retrofitting:
• Compared to construction of new infrastructure or demolition after complete
deterioration, Retrofitting has following benefits-
1) Saving in Financial Resources.
2) Conservation of natural Resources.
3) Saving in equipment and manpower resources.
4) Saving in Consumer cost.
5) Environmental benefits compared to demolition.
• Concrete is the second most consumed material on earth and used
in the construction of different civil engineering structures.

Concrete + Steel = Reinforced concrete structures

• This system was introduced by ASTM in 1920s.

• Till 1971, RC structures was assumed to have infinite life
however, post 1971 due to increase in severity of exposure
condition and improper construction practices downfall of these
structures started happening and they start losing their life span
much before their intended period.
• Deterioration is nothing but anything which affects the structure’s
performance for its intended function.
Reasons of Deterioration of Concrete Structures
• Material related distresses
• Design/Load related distresses
• Construction related distresses (high w/c, poor compaction, inadequate curing,
form works not placed properly, improper placement of rebar, inadequate cover
thickness, poor quality material, removal of formwork early etc.)
• Foundation related distresses (subsoil settlement, etc.)
• Distresses due to weathering action
• Distresses due to natural calamities (earthquake, flood, Tsunamis etc.)
• Distresses due to accidents (fire, shocks, blast etc.)
 Principle’s of Retrofitting
• The prioritization of building to be retrofitted should be based on Seismicity,
importance and risk of damage. In areas of high seismicity a cost benefit
analysis may be required to decide on prioritization.
• The structural inadequacy should be identified by analysis and inspection,
strengthening should be aimed to correct such deficiencies.
• High quality of construction and insertion of special binding elements to
connect old and new elements should be ensured.
• The possibility of reduction of dead loads and shifting of heavy loads from
upper stories to lower ones in a building must be explored.
 Retrofitting Techniques:
• The retrofit techniques can be categorized into
1)Global
2) Local

• Global retrofit is required when entire load resisting system is

deficient.
• The local retrofit is used when it is established that limited structural
members are deficient.
Retrofit Techniques
Local retrofit methods:
Global retrofit methods
• The jacketing of beams and columns can be
• Shear walls
done locally by providing jackets of
• Infill walls (i) reinforced concrete, (ii) steel, and
• Steel bracing (iii) composite, using fiber glass, fiber
• Supplemental damping devices reinforced plastics (FRP), carbon fiber, etc.
• Seismic base isolation • Steel jackets have been used in columns.
• The local retrofit methods employed for
beam column joints include, (i) low
viscous epoxy resin and non-shrink high
strength mortar, (ii) bonded steel plates,
and (iii) corrugated steel jacketing.
SHEAR WALL:
• A vertical structural element that resists lateral forces and helps keep building stable.

• Especially important in high rise building.

• Can be of variety of materials including concrete, steel, wood or insulated concrete forms.
But mostly concrete is used as it provides more lateral strength and rigidity.

INFILL WALLS:
• Non-load bearing panels built between the floors of a structural frame that
support the cladding system.
• Provides lateral stiffness to the structure.
• Enhance the fire resistance and acoustic insulation.
BASE ISOLATION:
Base isolation is a construction technique that separates a building's structure
from its foundation to reduce damage from earthquakes.
•Lead-rubber bearings: These bearings are made of alternating layers of rubber
and lead, with a solid lead plug in the middle. The rubber acts as a spring,
making the bearing soft laterally but stiff vertically. The steel plates on top and
bottom attach the bearing to the building and foundation.
•High-damping rubber bearings: These bearings use rubber with added fillers to
increase damping.
•Lead high-damping rubber bearings: These hybrid bearings combine the
rigidity of a lead plug with the energy dissipation of rubber.
Base isolation was first developed in Japan and New Zealand in response to
major earthquakes. It's now used in many countries, including the United States,
China, Russia, Italy, and Chile.
•Tan Tzu Medical Center, Taiwan: This 1,300-bed medical center has
325 lead-rubber-bearing base isolators and 88 fluid viscous dampers.

•Basaksehir Health Campus: This hospital in Turkey is considered

the world's largest seismically isolated building, with 2,040 seismic
isolators.

•Bhuj Hospital, Gujarat, India: This was India's first base-isolated

building, built in 2003.

•Gurgaon, India: An 18-story RC frame structure in Gurgaon uses

friction dampers.