This paper conducts a detailed review of the seismic hazard, inventory, bridge vulnerability, and bridge retrofit practices in the Central and Southeastern United States CSUS . Based on the analysis of the bridge inventory in the CSUS, it was found that over 12,927 bridges 12.6% are exposed to 7% probability of exceedance PE in 75-year peak ground acceleration PGA of greater than 0.20 g, and ne...

Masonry dwellings and small commercial buildings are located in areas as diverse as Adelaide, Australia, Wellington, New Zealand, and Memphis, Tennessee. The number of these masonry buildings and their design presents a danger to the human population and a potential economic loss when they are subjected to an earthquake. The dwellings of interest are constructed from unreinforced masonry. They ...

A multi-panel PMC infilled system, using polymer matrix composite (PMC) material, was introduced as new conceptual design for seismic retrofitting. A proposed multi panel PMC infilled system was composed of two basic structural components: inner PMC sandwich infills and outer FRP damping panels. The PMC material had high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios. Therefore, the addition...

One of the greatest causes of casualties in major earthquakes around the world is the collapse of non-engineered masonry buildings (those built without engineering input). Yet by definition non-engineered structures remain largely outside of the scope of modern engineering research, meaning that the majority of those at risk often remain so. A further barrier to realising research in this field...

in recent years, seismic evaluation and vulnerability of the existing buildings, that have been designed based on an earlier seismic design code or designed without seismic design criteria, has been very important. in this paper, the seismic evaluation and vulnerability of concrete buildings, using an old 5- story building with shear walls as an example has been discussed. for this building, fi...