Seismic analysis of a retrofitted reinforced concrete building in Mexico City

Abstract

This thesis presents a study on the dynamic characteristics and seismic performance of a retrofitted concrete building located in the soft soil area of Mexico City. The original structure consisted of reinforced concrete frames in two orthogonal directions. Damaged during an earthquake in 1979, the building was retrofitted by installing external steel braces in its transverse direction and reinforced concrete infill walls in its longitudinal direction. The retrofitted structure presented minor damage after the 1985 and 2017 earthquakes. The structural response of the building and the effectiveness of the retrofit has been assessed using an analytical model of the structure, in combination with data from post-earthquake damage inspections and ambient vibration tests. A three-dimensional linear elastic model of the building has been developed to study the modal characteristics of the building and its seismic response during the 1985 and 2017 events. The results of the analyses have been used to discuss the effects of the retrofit intervention, as well as the influence of the soil-structure interaction and other modeling assumptions in the response of the building.