Advances in Economics, Law and Political Sciences

Risk Assessment and Rehabilitation of Historical Masonry Buildings

SORIN DAN, CORNELIU BOB, CATALIN BADEA, LIANA IURES
Civil Engineering and Installations Department
“Politehnica” University of Timisoara
Str. Traian Lalescu, No. 2, Timisoara
ROMANIA
sorin.dan@upt.ro; cbob@mail.dnttm.ro; catalion.badea@upt.ro; liana.iures@upt.ro
http://www.ct.upt.ro/cci/index.htm

Abstract: The paper is focused on the risk assessment, analysis, redesign and rehabilitation solutions applied for
old existing structures in seismic zones. The old malting building, erected between 1857-1876 at the
“Timisoreana” Brewery, is a five storeys masonry structure and a tower composed of: walls of (50-140) cm
thickness; inter-storey floors - brick masonry vaults supported by steel profiles; a tower, of about 14 m height
and 2.80 m diameter, supported by an interior dome. The main structural damages were: vertical cracks in the
tower masonry structure; corrosion of steel members: horizontal circular rings for confining the tower; profiles
for supporting the floor masonry vaults. The static and dynamic analysis at different actions showed up major
structural vulnerability, mainly due to the period of design and erection (19th century). In order to preserve the
old building as architectural monument and to reduce the seismic failure risk, some strengthening solutions
were designed and applied. The strengthening solutions were selected in order to obtain technical and
economical advantages: safe behaviour at seismic actions; slight change of overall structural stiffness; easy
strengthening technology and short refurbishment period; low rehabilitation cost.

Key-Words: masonry; old buildings; seismic zones; risk assessment; strengthening

1 Introduction of masonry walls at corners, crossing and

The main target of the paper represents the risk ramifications with RC elements and/or some steel
assessment and rehabilitation of an old masonry profiles; adding new inner walls and/or some
buildings located in seismic zones. outside abutments.
Masonry structures present some important
vulnerability in seismic zones: the overall lateral
stiffness values along the two main axes are 2 Rehabilitation of a Tower Structure
different; lack of seismic joints to divide building The old malting building, erected between 1857-
parts having different dynamic characteristics; lack 1876 at the “Timisoreana” Brewery, is a five storeys
of reinforced concrete straps at each level; defects of masonry structure and a tower (Fig. 1) composed of:
wall connections at corners, crossings and
ramifications as well as the presence of cracks;
inadequate bearing capacity at normal forces on the
walls.
On the other hand, structural weakness is
characterised by various irregularities and
discontinuities or by general structural
vulnerabilities: irregular distribution of stiffness at
lateral displacements; strength discontinuities; mass
irregularities; vertical load discontinuities.
Existing masonry structures without
reinforcement may be strengthened by different
classic and/or modern technologies: erection of RC
cores at appropriate distance combined with straps
at each level; masonry jacketing with reinforced
concrete; masonry confinement with steel profiles;
masonry coating with CFRP systems; interlocking Fig. 1. Old malting building.

ISBN: 978-960-474-386-5 221

 Advances in Economics, Law and Political Sciences
• walls of 50 – 140 cm thickness;
• inter-storey floors - brick masonry vaults
supported by steel profiles;
• a tower, of about 14.00 m height and 2.80 m
diameter, supported by an interior dome.
2.1 Structural assessment
The assessment of the structure was performed in
2007 according to the present-day Romanian codes
for existing structures and codes for design loads
magnitude.
The main structural damages are:
• vertical cracks in the tower masonry structure –
Fig. 2;
• corrosion of steel members: horizontal circular
rings for confining the tower; profiles for
supporting the floor masonry vaults.
Fig. 2. Vertical cracks of masonry tower.
The static and dynamic analysis at different
actions showed up major structural vulnerability,
mainly due to the period of design and erection (19th
century):
• the tower, about 14 m high, presents general
instability at seismic actions: the total bending
moment at tower base leads to an eccentricity
e0 = 1.78 m > Dext / 2 = 1.50 m where Dext is the
tower exterior diameter;
• in some zones of the tower masonry structure
actual stresses, due to various loads, are greater
than the tensile strength fti of masonry:
ISBN: 978-960-474-386-5
- σef = 0.93 daN/cm2 > fti = 0.8 daN/cm2 at the
tower – dome crossing (50 cm width
masonry);
- σef = 3.10 daN/cm2 > fti = 0.8 daN/cm2 at the
tower base (20 cm width masonry);
• in the masonry dome, which supports the tower,
the actual stresses by parallel direction are:
- σθ = 0.85 daN/cm2 > fti = 0.8 daN/cm2 at the
lower part of the dome;
- σθ = 2.19 daN/cm2 > fti = 0.8 daN/cm2 at the
upper part of the dome;
• temperature variations inside-outside the tower
produce actual stresses σt = 1.0 daN/cm2 > fti
which causes the vertical cracking.
The structure, also, presents general and specific
detailing lacks: no rigid floors at two storeys; no
straps at all levels; the ratio between span and width
of masonry shear wall is too large.
These major vulnerability classify the structure
as having high risk of failure at present seismic code
design magnitude.
2.2 Strengthening solutions
In order to preserve the old building as architectural
monument and to reduce the seismic failure risk, the
following strengthening solutions were designed:
• for general stability of masonry tower: vertical
reinforcement (Fig. 3) bars (4 x 2φ28)
embedded at the upper side of the tower in a RC
beam (Fig. 4) and welded on steel profiles
(Fig. 6) I 30 placed in the dome, at the tower
base (Fig. 5); vertical CFRP wrap (4 x 2 strips
of 20 cm width) on the entire tower height
(Fig. 3);
20 20
Tower
masonry wall
R=
1.3
0
2φ28
Vertical
0
1.8 CFRP strips
R=
0
1.5
R=
15
15
RC circular
beam
Fig. 3. Tower strengthening at base section.
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 Advances in Economics, Law and Political Sciences

Stirrup 35 Det. A 75
φ 8/15

connection
for 2 φ 28

25

30
+29.32

500
2 φ 28 welded at the bottom on HE 200 A
10
5φ16
I 30 P3 22x105...700 105
P4 P6

22
Vertical
CFRP strips

300
2φ28 I 30 P1

500
P2

Conectors 22x105...700 I 30 P4 105

22
P6

150
φ16 Vertical P5
CFRP strips P9
HE 200 A...150 22x105...105
P8
2 φ 28
Tower P8
22x105...105
masonry wall
I 30 P3 22x105...700 I 30 P4
P6
P4 P5
5 20 10

105

125
HE 200 A...150
P9

Fig. 4. Tower strengthening at top section. P8

22x105...105 I 30 P1
P2

Fig. 6. Detail of connection between vertical bars

1.462 60 1.225 60 61 60 61 60 1.225 60 1.462
and base steel profiles.
1.20
30

30

30
25
I 30...2663
1.525
P1

P1

P1

P1

P1
2.663

P3 P4 P5 P5 P4 P3
25 1.70 1.70 1.088 1.088 1.70 1.70 25
1.525

2 φ 28 Steel
P3 P4 P5 P5 P4 P3 roof
I 30...4075

30 Det. A 30 +29.32
2 φ 28
1.088
P2
4.075

Det. A 30
P3 P4 P5 P5 P4 P3
8.90

Det. A
P2
1.088

2 φ 28
P2

P2

P2

Det. A
P3 P4 P5 P5 P4 P3
I 30...2013 I 30...1700 I 30...1950 10
2 φ 28 CFRP
1.528

strips
C1-30x35cm

C1-30x35cm

P3 P4 P5 P5 P4 P3
10
I 30...1088
2.663

I 30...2663
1.525

P1

P1

P1

P1
P1

Masonry
tower
10
25
30

30

30

93

1.00 9.60 1.00

10

Fig. 5. Steel beams network for tower stability.

10

• in masonry structure, at zones with stresses 10

+15.65
greater that masonry tensile strength, were
Masonry
placed horizontal RC straps: at the tower – dome

dome crossing (Fig. 3); at the base of dome; at

the level of steel profiles I 30 network (Fig. 5)
Fig. 7. CFRP strips for tower confinement.
for its embedding into vertical masonry
structure;
• on the vertical cracked tower: corroded circular
steel rings for confining the tower on outside
2.3 Construction procedures
The old malting building at the “Timisoreana”
face were replaced by horizontal CFRP strips –
Brewery was firstly repaired and rehabilitated.
Fig. 7.

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 Advances in Economics, Law and Political Sciences

Than, in 2008, the masonry tower structure was The general stability of masonry tower was
strengthened (Fig. 8). ensured by vertical reinforcement bars and vertical
CFRP wrap on the entire tower height (Fig. 11).

Fig. 8. Strengthening of tower structure. Fig. 11. Vertical rebars and CFRP strips.

In the dome, at the tower base was placed the Vertical reinforcement bars were embedded at
steel beams network (Fig. 9) and embedded in the the upper side of the tower in a reinforced concrete
masonry walls by means of reinforced concrete beam (Fig. 12 and Fig. 13) and welded at the bottom
straps (Fig. 10). side on steel profiles from the tower base.

Fig. 9. Steel beams network. Fig. 12. Reinforcing of the tower top beam.

Fig. 10. RC straps for steel beams embedding. Fig. 13. Reinforced concrete top beam.

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 Advances in Economics, Law and Political Sciences
3 Conclusions
The assessment of the old malting building, erected
between 1857-1876 at the “Timisoreana” Brewery,
emphasized some structural damages and the static
and dynamic analysis at different actions showed up
major structural vulnerability, mainly due to the
period of design and erection.
In order to preserve the old building as
architectural monument and to reduce the seismic
failure risk, the following strengthening solutions
were designed and applied:
• for general stability of masonry tower: vertical
reinforcement bars embedded at the upper side
of the tower in a RC beam and welded on steel
profiles placed in the dome, at the tower base;
vertical CFRP wrap on the entire tower height;
• in masonry structure, at zones with stresses
greater that masonry tensile strength, were
placed horizontal RC straps: at the tower –
dome crossing; at the base of dome that
supports the tower; at the level of steel profiles
for its embedding into vertical masonry
structure;
• on the vertical cracked tower due to temperature
variations: corroded circular steel rings for
confining the tower on outside face were
replaced by horizontal CFRP strips.
The strengthening solutions for rehabilitation of
historic structure were selected in order to obtain
technical and economical advantages: safe
behaviour at seismic actions; slight change of
overall structural stiffness; easy strengthening
technology and short refurbishment period; low
rehabilitation cost.
ISBN: 978-960-474-386-5
References:
[1] BOB C., DAN S., “The Increase of Building
Performance to Seismic Actions”, Bulletin
AGIR, 5(4) (in Romanian), 2000.
[2] Nanni A., Tumialan J. G., “Fibre-Reinforced
Composites for Strengthening of Masonry
Structures”, SEI Journal of IABSE, Vol. 13,
No. 4, 2003.
[3] Bob C., Dan S., “Analysis, Redesign and
Rehabilitation of Reinforced Concrete Framed
Structures in Seismic Regions”, fib
Symposium: Concrete Structures in Seismic
Regions, Athens, 2003.
[4] Töljsten B., “FRP Strengthening of Concrete
Structures”, New Inventions and Applications,
Vol. 6, No. 3, 2004.
[5] Bob C., Bob L., Florea V., Gruin A., “New
Techniques for Rehabilitation of Masonry
Structures”, IABSE Symposium: Structures and
Extreme Events, Lisbon, 2005.
[6] Dan S., Bob C., Enuic C., Bob L., Badea C.,
Gruin A., “Modern Solutions for Strengthening
of Structural Elements”, IABSE Congress:
Creating and Renewing Urban Structures,
Chicago, 2008.
[7] Dan S., Bob C., Gruin A., Badea C., Iures L.,
“Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Framed
Structures in Seismic Zones by Using CFRP”,
WSEAS International Conference: Engineering
Mechanics, Structures, Engineering Geology
(EMESEG ’08), Heraklion, Greece, 2008.
[8] Dan S., Bob C., Bob L., Gruin A., Badea C.,
“Modern Solutions for Strengthening of
Masonry Structures”, 11th WSEAS International
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