SEISMIC REHABILITATION OF LOW-RISE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS

SHARON L. WOOD *
University of Texas at Austin

The structural systems used for low-rise industrial buildings vary considerably between the US and
Turkey. Precast concrete frames are used extensively in Turkey, while tilt-up concrete wall systems
are very common in the US. In spite of the differences in the structural systems, low-rise industrial
buildings in the two countries share a number of features: (1) the choice of structural system is
dictated by the need for large interior spaces at a low cost, (2) recent earthquakes have illustrated the
inherent seismic vulnerabilities of these structural systems, and (3) structural systems that were
developed for one-story buildings are now being used for multiple-story structures. Experience in
the US has demonstrated that the performance of one-story tilt-up systems can be improved by
increasing the strength and deformation capacity of the connections between the diaphragms and the
lateral-force resisting system.
1. Precast Industrial Buildings in Turkey
The most common type of precast industrial building in Turkey has one story (Fig. 1). The buildings tend to
be rectangular in plan with one to four bays in the transverse direction and ten to thirty bays in the
longitudinal direction. Long-span roof girders are oriented along the transverse axis of the building. Beams
with U-shaped cross sections are oriented along the longitudinal axis of the building. Purlins span between
the roof girders at regular intervals. Structural diaphragms are typically not present at the roof level.
The columns are supported by precast socket footings, and are assumed to be fixed at grade level. The
typical, one-story industrial building depends entirely on the cantilevered columns for lateral strength and
stiffness. Even when precast wall panels were used for cladding, the connection details were developed such
that the wall panels did not contribute to the lateral stiffness of the building.
Structural damage and collapse of precast buildings was widely reported throughout the epicentral regions
of the August 1999 Kocaeli and November 1999 Duzce earthquakes in Turkey (Atakoy, 1999; EERI, 2000).
Three types of structural damage were frequently observed in the one-story industrial buildings: flexural
hinges at the base of the columns; axial movement of the roof girders which led to pounding against the
supporting columns or unseating of the roof girders; and out-of-plane movement of the roof girders which led
to tilting of the beams and rotation off the supports.
2. Tilt-Up Industrial Buildings in the US
The lateral-load resisting system in a one-story tilt-up building is formed by reinforced concrete wall panels
which are positioned around the perimeter of the structure. The wall panels are cast horizontally on site and
then lifted into place. The panels are tied together with a roof diaphragm. Along the west coast of the US,
plywood roof diaphragms are used almost exclusively. Light-gage steel roof diaphragms are common in the

Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

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Advances in Earthquake Engineering for Urban Risk Reduction

eastern and southern US. Both types of diaphragms are considered to be flexible when compared with the
wall panels.
Gutter Beams

Purlins

Transverse Bay Width

10 - 25 m

Roof Girders
Precast Columns

Story Height
6-8m
Longitudinal
Bay Width
68m

Figure 1. Typical configuration of one-story industrial building in Turkey

A typical configuration for a tilt-up warehouse with a plywood roof diaphragm is shown in Fig. 2. The
roof height was 9 m for this structure. When subjected to lateral loads, the tilt-up buildings are designed
assuming that the diaphragm behaves as a deep beam. Inertial loads are carried through the diaphragm to the
end wall panels and into the foundation. Chord reinforcement is typically located in the wall panels at the
elevation of the roof.
The seismic response of a tilt-up building is closely linked to the strength and deformation capacity of the
connections between primary structural elements. Critical connections are located between the roof and the
wall panels and between adjacent wall panels. A large number of tilt-up buildings sustained serious structural
damage during the 1971 San Fernando earthquake because the connections between the roof diaphragms and
wall panels failed. Building code provisions in the US were modified in 1973 to reflect this vulnerability.
At the time of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, most of the tilt-up buildings in the epicentral region were
less than twenty years old (EERI, 1996). The observed damage was directly linked to the age of the building.
Buildings constructed before the adoption of the 1973 Uniform Building Code sustained the most damage.
The connections between the top of the wall panels and the roof diaphragm failed, leading to partial roof
collapses and wall panel collapse.
150-mm Concrete Wall Panels (Typical)

Glulam Beams

30 m

200-mm Diameter Pipe Columns (Typical)

90 m
Figure 2. Floor plan of typical tilt-up warehouse in the western US

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Buildings constructed before the adoption of the 1973 UBC, but rehabilitated before the 1994 Northridge
earthquake exhibited the best performance. In most cases, the number of ties between the roof diaphragm
and the wall panels had been increased and subdiaphragm ties had been added in the roof. Damage in these
buildings was typically limited to failure of suspended ceilings, leakage of sprinkler pipes, and minor flexural
cracks in the wall panels. Damage in buildings designed using the post-1973 code provisions, was often
caused by failure of the roof-to-panel connections. Cases of partial collapse due to "unzipping" of the system
as the welded connections between adjacent wall panels failed were also reported.

References
Atakoy, H. (1999). 17 August Marmara Earthquake and the Precast Concrete Structures Built by TPCA Members, Turkish Precast
Concrete Association, Ankara, Turkey.
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (1996). Northridge Earthquake Reconnaissance Report, Vol. 2, Earthquake Spectra,
Supplement C to Vol. 11.
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (2000). 1999 Kocaeli, Turkey, Earthquake Reconnaissance Report, Earthquake Spectra,
Supplement A to Vol. 16.

Keywords: industrial buildings; seismic rehabilitation; precast low-rise structures; tilt-up industrial buildings;
connections

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Advances in Earthquake Engineering for Urban Risk Reduction