Improving Seismic Resilience of Existing RC Structures

Recent seismic events, e.g., the 2023 Turkey and Syria earthquakes, have brought forward the necessity for improving the resilience of existing RC structures.These events have shifted the emphasis from Performance-Based Design (PBD) to Resilience-Based Design (RBD) to maintain functionality and limit damages caused by natural or man-made hazards.Resilient designs emphasize robustness, adaptability, and swift recovery, enabling structures to withstand disruptions and quickly restore functionality.Retrofitting, preventive and essential maintenance, and innovative strategies like ensuring sufficient deformation capacity, alternate load paths, and compartmentalization enhance resilience.Concrete materials, known for durability and hazard resistance, play a pivotal role in resilient construction.Several measures for improving the resilience of existing RC structures by retrofitting are discussed in this paper.