Evaluating and Identifying Concrete Buildings and Providing Implementation Solutions to Improve their Performance against Earthquakes

Abstract

The current study aimed to understand the condition of each stage of building construction, whether for existing or under-construction buildings, from design to execution, which is of paramount importance. Given the numerous damages that buildings and structures suffer as a result of errors and negligence, studying and documenting these structures in the form of practical guidelines, while considering their structural elements, facilitates their restoration. Studies of structures subjected to destructive events have shown that design and execution problems during construction often lead to damage ranging from minor to serious, even irreparable, damage. Concrete structures are no exception, as their numerous intricate and sensitive details make them highly susceptible to such defects. An experienced construction engineer identifies the most significant structural defects and then finds effective, traditional repair methods. Therefore, after identifying weaknesses in concrete buildings, this study aimed to explore the project engineer's role, from a construction management perspective, in providing practical, traditional solutions to strengthen these buildings. Based on the findings, the defects were grouped into separate sets, and statistical analysis determined the significance of each defect in contributing to the deterioration of concrete structures. Subsequently, a workflow algorithm was presented to improve and repair the damaged structure, and finally, the most important solutions for addressing these structures were presented.