Experience on Seismic Vulnerability Assessment and Retrofitting of Supreme Court Building

Abstract

The Supreme Court of Nepal is the highest court in Nepal. The Supreme Court of Nepal is an important building, built of brick in mud masonry structure and over 54 years of age which got moderate structural damage due to the recent Gorkha earthquake 2015. The need for safety of the building lying at high seismic zone in Nepal, the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment and Retrofit design was carried out to improve the building response in future earthquakes. The seismic vulnerability of the building was assessed after the following:(a) historical investigation about the building, (b) detailed geometrical investigation, (c) identification of materials by means of surveys and literature indications, (d) Detailed Intrusive Tests, (f) Detail linear static analysis of the building by means of a Finite Element (FE) model. After these steps, the FE model was used to assess the safety level of the building by means of linear static analyses and identifying a proper retrofitting strategy for this building. Both side wall jacketing and splint and bandage in some inner walls using the bar wire mesh was carried out for retrofitting this building.

A Comparative Analysis of Retrofitting Techniques for Seismically Vulnerable Historical Building

“…Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) and steel elements are commonly used to augment the strength and stiffness of masonry walls. FRP materials, such as carbon or glass fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, are applied externally to masonry surfaces to provide additional tensile strength and confinement, thereby improving the overall structural performance of the walls [35].…”

“…Steel elements, such as anchors, ties, or plates, can be strategically embedded within masonry walls to enhance their load-bearing capacity and resistance to lateral forces [34]. These elements help redistribute loads more efficiently during seismic events, reducing stress concentrations and preventing brittle failure modes like shear or flexural cracking.…”

“…The effectiveness of FRP wrapping in seismic retrofitting has been validated through extensive research, laboratory testing, and field applications. Studies have demonstrated that FRP-wrapped structural elements exhibit improved flexural and shear capacities, enhanced ductility, and superior resistance against seismic forces compared to untreated elements [33,35].…”