Damage observed in structures of different types during the inspection after the Durrës earthquake of 26.11.2019 and proposals for their repair

During the inspection of various construction structures such as: school buildings, houses, multi-storey buildings, etc. of different structural systems after the Durrës earthquake of 26.11.2019, various damages were observed in structural and non-structural elements. Damages were of various natures such as: defects during the implementation of structures, defects in the quality of materials, construction of additional floors on existing ones, use of structures with poor ductility such as massive masonry systems, negligence of supervision or construction without supervision, etc. In reinforced concrete structures, damage to the ground floor columns (mainly in plastic hinge regions), damage to the protective layers of the reinforcement and the presence of corrosion in the reinforcement, collapse of the masonry fillings, etc.; in massive masonry structures, diagonal cracks in the walls, partition in the corners at the connections between the walls, and at the connection of the wall with the ceiling tile have been observed. Some of the retrofit and repair methods that can be used to strengthen existing structures are: reinforced concrete jacketing, steel confinement, FRP wraps, FRP rebars, etc