Abstract
This paper presents an application of the response control retrofit method to reinforced concrete (R/C) buildings. In this seismic retrofit method developed for R/C buildings without sufficient ductility, the seismic capacity of an existing building is enhanced by installing steel damping braces on the external walls of the building to absorb seismic energy efficiently within small amplitudes of deformation. A friction damper is embedded in each brace along its axis. Since the frictional force acting on the damping brace is known to be about 300kN, the brace anchorage can be designed reliably against this working frictional force. The effect of this damping retrofit method has been confirmed through the full-scale seismic tests using a three-story R/C school building planned to be demolished. Also, this retrofit method has been applied to several cases of the actual buildings so far, including school buildings, apartment buildings, and hospital, etc.
