Application of steel in refurbishment of earthquake-prone buildings

Rekonstrukcija postojećih zgrada je aktualna tema posljednjih godina. Nedavni potres u Zagrebu senzibilizirao je i javnost na problematiku osjetljivosti starih zgrada na seizmička djelovanja. Čelik ima značajnu ulogu u svim aspektima rekonstrukcije jer pruža pouzdana rješenja za sanacije i ojačanja. U radu je dan pregled metoda rekonstrukcije s naglaskom na postupak ocjenjivanja stanja postojećih zgrada i metode njihovog seizmičkog ojačanja čelikom. Obrađena su rješenja koja koriste nove čelične elemente ili poboljšavaju svojstva postojećih te su istaknuti i neki od inovativnih sustava ojačanja.Refurbishment of existing buildings has become an increasingly topical issue in recent years. The recent Zagreb earthquake has also increased public awareness about the issue of sensitivity of old buildings to seismic loads. Steel plays a significant role in all aspects of refurbishment as it offers reliable rehabilitation and retrofitting solutions. The paper provides an overview of refurbishment methods with an emphasis on the assessment procedure for existing buildings, and methods for their seismic retrofitting using steel. Solutions that use new steel elements or improve the properties of existing ones are discussed, and some innovative retrofitting systems are highlighted