PESHAWAR, June 18: The Earthquake Engineering Centre (EEC) on Tuesday performed the first ever test in the country on a full-scale retrofitted confined brick masonry building to determine its seismic capacity and risk assessment for future earthquakes.
Such buildings had withstood the Oct 2005 Azad Jammu and Kashmir earthquake and thus, prompting the launch of a research to examine the possibility of putting up such buildings in other earthquake-prone areas, says a press release issued here on Tuesday.
The test was performed by Dr Khan Shahzada, associate professor at the civil engineering department of University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar.
Its results showed that the lateral/seismic capacity of confined brick masonry buildings after retrofitting was three times greater than the un-reinforced masonry buildings, which were also tested earlier at EEC in 2010.
The research project, ‘retrofitting of full-scale confined masonry building’ was financed by the directorate of science and technology (DOST), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
After the Oct 2005 Azad Jammu and Kashmir earthquake, the use of confined brick masonry buildings has increased, while its seismic capacity assessment before and after retrofitting has to be determined on scientific basis.
There was no scientific data available to inform the industry whether it was safe to use brick masonry for construction or not.
Dr Shahzada, the principal investigator, performed the test on a full scale confined brick masonry building after retrofitting.
Very simple technique has been used for the retrofitting of the buildings. For example, the application of wire mesh and plaster on the surface of the masonry wall, and cement-based grout injected through cracks and internal pores in masonry.
These techniques were found very effective in enhancement of the seismic performance of the masonry buildings. This technique is strongly recommended for improving earthquake resisting capacity of the damaged as well as existing masonry buildings not only in Pakistan but anywhere in the world.
The test was performed in the presence of Shaista Afridi, deputy director of Pilot Research Projects of DOST, Peshawar, faculty and students of UET, Peshawar civil engineering department.
Dr Shahzada said it would not only bring socioeconomic benefits for the country, as most of the buildings could be made safe by using this technique but could help in reducing earthquake-related losses.
He appreciated DOST for financial support and said the technical support from researchers, including Dr Mohammad Fahad, Engineer Imad Ahmad and Engineer Mustafa Ali, was immense.
Chairman of the UET, Peshawar civil engineering department Professor Akhtar Naeem Khan visited the Earthquake Engineering Centre and appreciated this research work and declared it of the international standard.