Page 7 - Advanced Design Examples of Seismic Retrofit of Structures

xiv Preface

implemented retrofit projects in design methods perspective but also supplies
several photos and constructional details and problems regarding various retro-
fit projects. The book at times addresses the challenges in implementation of
some retrofit techniques and proposes solutions to each of the design and con-
struction challenges.
The content and treatment of the subjects in this book are intended to appeal
to graduate-level students, teachers, and professional engineering community
members. An aspect of the current book that distinguished it from previous texts
on seismic retrofit of structures is that this book provides detailed calculations
and step-by-step guidelines for the retrofit of various types of structural sys-
tems. In some parts, this book also adopts a practical approach that focuses
on providing readers with several photos of structural damages, retrofit details,
and construction phases of the retrofit projects. The major features of this book
that make it unique are as follows.

– The book is example-based and hence further helps readers to identify and
understand the problems regarding seismic retrofit of structures.
– It deals with real retrofitting projects in all the examples, and is full of
images and construction details.
– The book covers a broad range of structures from nonengineered houses to
frame buildings.
– It contains various retrofitting techniques through the examples, and in some
cases their performance is compared.
It is assumed that readers have good familiarity with the basic design concepts
of steel, reinforced concrete, and unreinforced masonry buildings. Moreover,
preliminary knowledge of the concepts and approaches in seismic retrofit of
structures is required. Because the US design and seismic retrofit codes are
among the most widespread design codes and their approach and methodologies
are widely adopted by other codes, emphasis has been placed on using the US
codes in this book. In addition, the seismic design codes of several countries are
more or less similar to the corresponding US codes, which makes the US codes
one of the best possible choices in this regard.
I must acknowledge that the book does not cover all the common structural
systems around the world; nor have all the possible retrofitting methods for the
example buildings been evaluated in detail in the chapters. The selection of the
best solution for the vulnerable buildings in the form of the implemented retrofit
methods is subjective and hence, retrofit methods other than those selected in
this book may seem more appropriate to some readers. I would be grateful for
any constructive comments or criticisms that readers may have and for notifi-
cation of any errors that they may detect.
Special thanks goes to the Organization for Development, Renovation and
Equipping Schools of IR Iran (DRES) for their support and cooperation in my
using some of its materials. From 2006 to 2016, vast undertakings were made by
DRES in the realm of seismic risk reduction and improvement of school safety.