Top Uses for Seismic Repair: Strengthening of Existing Buildings

Seismic repair and the strengthening of existing buildings

Some buildings degrade so deeply that they become inhabitable. And sometimes, the basic level of safety needed to restore them cannot be reached, which sadly leads to part or full demolition. There are many reasons why this happens – including errors in the original design, ageing, or general wear & tear.

The good news? There are ways to restore most buildings before they reach this state. One of the top methods we use is called seismic repair.

How is seismic repair used to strengthen existing buildings?

When we use seismic repair to add strength to a building’s original design, we target areas of the building that are pivotal to its erection – such as columns, joints, and hinges. These areas of the original design are often rushed, misjudged, or completed by an amateur – so they require strengthening and reinforcement later down the line. The areas we treat with seismic repair are:

Joints:

When the joints of a building need to be strengthened, they are usually inadequately reinforced and require immediate attention. Seismic repair includes reinforcing beam-column joints by using carbon fibre polymer strips and sprayed concrete.

2. Plastic hinge zones:

During seismic repair, we reinforce plastic hinge zones (plastic that has bent and deformed) by confining them in carbon fibre polymer fabric.

3. Columns:

To strengthen existing columns, we encase them in carbon fibre. This enables the columns to hold their original load-bearing weight after having previously suffered distress.

4. Corner columns:

Corner columns are considered vulnerable as they hold less vertical load-bearing weight. We use carbon fibre polymer to reinforce the corners to tackle this.

Walls:

Often, the walls of a degrading building can inherit cracks and voids. As part of a seismic repair job, we may remove and replace these walls, depending on the extent of the damage. If the damage is minor, we use crack injection techniques instead.

Ask about your FREE seismic repair assessment today

Before carrying out seismic repair on existing buildings and structures, we will visit your site to conduct a free feasibility survey and cost analysis. By assessing the conditions and any damage inflicted, we will be able to determine whether a seismic repair will enable your building to be safely occupied.

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