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Shaking table tests on seismic retrofitting of rammed-earth structures

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Abstract

Rammed-earth dwellings are widely used in rural areas worldwide; with poor mechanical properties and weak seismic resistance, these structures are vulnerable to earthquakes. This study presents a method for reinforcing existing rammed-earth buildings by strengthening the walls with externally bonded fibers. Shaking table tests were conducted to study the seismic performance of two rammed-earth model structures—with and without reinforcement. We observed the crack patterns, failure modes, changes in dynamic properties, in-plane deformation, wall response, and roof–wall interaction in the models. The results confirm that the seismic resistance of rammed-earth structures reinforced using the proposed method was substantially improved.

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Notes

  1. The NF compound is composed of sand, sodium silicate and hardener with a specific ratio. The application of a patent for the NF compound is currently in pending.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, the Ministry of Education, China, and the RETROFIT research project sponsored by the International Center for Collaborative Research on Disaster Risk Reduction (ICCR-DRR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Yaan Wang, Ming Wang & Kai Liu

  2. Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Ministry of Civil Affairs and Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100875, China

    Yaan Wang, Ming Wang & Kai Liu

  3. School of Civil Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China

    Wen Pan & Xiaodong Yang

Authors
  1. Yaan Wang
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  2. Ming Wang
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  3. Kai Liu
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  4. Wen Pan
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  5. Xiaodong Yang
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Correspondence to Ming Wang.

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Wang, Y., Wang, M., Liu, K. et al. Shaking table tests on seismic retrofitting of rammed-earth structures. Bull Earthquake Eng 15, 1037–1055 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-016-9996-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-016-9996-2

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