Evaluating the Seismic Performance of Concrete Elements

Seismic assessment of earthquake-damaged buildings typically involves damage surveys and structural analyses. In this unique project, the evaluations also included the seismic testing of nine full-scale beam-column connections and two portions of shear wall slab connections, extracted from reinforced concrete buildings with minor damage. The concrete specimens had to be tested in less than a year. As the number of specimens and limited time exceeded the capacity of available testing facilities, a local warehouse was turned into a temporary testing facility. …