Structural Retrofit Design of SEGIC Building for Universidad de Santiago Chile, Santiago, Chile

Structural Retrofit Design of SEGIC Building for Universidad de Santiago Chile, Santiago, Chile

Analysis/Design Team: Dr. Freddy Pina (PBRV) and Dr. Silvana Comminetti (USACH)
Tools: Sap2000, Etabs, Matlab, Matchcad

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40 year old reinforced concrete structure with several inefficiencies and lack of clear load path under lateral loads. The building was considered as a serious candidate for structural demolition and replacement. PBRV (F&F Engineers) provided a temporary solution for keeping the structure and improving the lateral load resisting system capacity under moderate to severe earthquakes, supporting lateral loads from new soil conditions due to the development of new construction near the site.

The retrofitted system comprised of new shear walls and concentrically braced frames with upgraded foundations. The building was retrofitted and currently has sustained the impact of 2 major earthquakes, the 8.8Mw El Maule in 2010 and the 8.1Mw Coquimbo in 2015. The building is still occupied and providing services in technology for the entire campus of the Universidad de Santiago of Chile.