Improving earthquake resistance in rc buildings via steel bracing members

In this study, the effect of retrofitting with steel bracing members on the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete buildings was examined. A reinforced concrete building with low concrete strength was modeled for the numerical study. This modeled building was strengthened with steel X-braced members to create a total of two buildings. To evaluate the seismic behavior of the modeled buildings, incremental dynamic analyses were performed using static pushover analysis and 11 different earthquake records. Due to the symmetrical structure of the modeled buildings, a total of 220 analyses were carried out simultaneously in the x and y directions. As a result of the analysis, the capacity curves of the existing building and the strengthened building with steel bracing members, maximum responses, inter-storey drifts, and fragility curves according to the damage status were obtained. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the maximum response of the building strengthened using X steel cross members increased significantly compared to its current state, while the damage to the structural elements was significantly reduced.