Proceedings of 1st Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 1CroCEE

Zagreb, Croatia - March 22nd to 24nd, 2021

Edited by Laksusic, S. and Atalic, J.
Copyright © 2021 CroCEE

THE IDENTIFICATION OF DAMAGES OCCURRED IN

REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES DURING DURRES
EARTHQUAKE 2019

Msc.Drilona Disha(1) , Prof.Asoc.Hektor Cullufi(2)

(1)
Proffessor, Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Tirana, [email protected]
(2)
Proffessor, Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Tirana, [email protected]

Abstract
The earthquakes occurred in Durres in September and November 2019 has made so many
damages in reinforced concrete structures that were build before and after 1990. Especially the
greatest one of November 26 with Mw = 6.4 was destructive for so many structures . It was made the
survey of the damages to make a classification based in two phases. The conclusion of the survey was
that the damages occurred because of materials used, structural elements in poor details and the
absence or inadequate use of RC shear walls. Some other buildings have unplanned floors without
permit which were not included in the design of the structure and have leadhet in damages. Some
recommendations are given in this paper to reinforce the structures according to Eurocodes, that must
be implemented in these damage buildings.
Keywords: reinforced concrete structures, earthquake damage, structural system, dynamic behaviour

1. Introduction
This paper present a site survey of the damages made by Durres Earthquakes, which include a visual
inspection of some type of structures in general and some structural elements in particular. To give a
more specific opinion about the type of damages occurred needs a detailed analysis and experimental
test should be conducted. The type of structural systems, choosen to be presented in this paper are
reinforced concrete frame structures, combined structure (masonry and RC frame) and a masonry
structure. In this combined type of structure which was build in Durres before 1990 with RC structure
were so damaged. The damages occurred were seen in exterior and interior partition walls, columns,
joints and stairs. All of the objects of this typology, built before 1990 were built according to
Albanian Construction Codes KTP and those after 1990 sometimes using also Eurocodes norms.
Damages also occurred because of the materials used and their properties. To have a full detailed
situation of the objects and their grade of destruction an explicit in situ and laboratory testing is
required. For every object damaged urge to implant reinforcement according to Eurocode. Here we
present some damages illustrated in pictures.

2. Damage identification
Damage identification was the first thing to see the effect of the Earthquake. Some buildings were not
affected by damages and some others were destroyed. Damage classification was made based on the
structural system, material properties and details used. Ground effects were also a very important
element in damage of structures. For some objects the double resonance phenomena or liquefaction
has created collapse or serious damages.
Proceedings of 1st Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 1CroCEE
Zagreb, Croatia - March 22nd to 24nd, 2021
Edited by Laksusic, S. and Atalic, J.
Copyright © 2021 CroCEE

2.1 Damages in RC frames with masonry infill walls

Most of RC frame structures without core with masonry infill experienced huge damages by this
Earthquake. Before 1990 in Albania the most common buildings were built using masonry structural
systems. The buildings with combined structure (RC frame with masonry infill) were the first built
shortly after 1990. The structural systems are called combined because they have a RC frame and
masonry exterior walls (38cm). These buildings exhibited many problems connecting to non structural
elements such as partition walls, doors, plaster, stairs etc: Fig. 1.

Figure 1. Exterior damages on 6 story building with combined structure

Such buildings were designed by Albanian Code KTP which does not give exact rules on how
masonry infill should be modelled in the openings. The out of plane displacement of the walls from
the frame were observed maybe because the wall follows the out of plane movement in the direction
of seismic wave propagation. Sometimes the connection between walls and concrete frame was
inadequate or totally missing. The materials also had a significant role in the seismic behaviour
especially the concrete quality (which was very poor in most cases) and the adherence with steel bars.
During the investigations the steel bars used in this building could be seen through the cracks. They
were smooth and significantly affected in the bearing capacity of constructive elements.
The stairs were another element damaged by the earthquake. In the structural system without a
concrete core the stairs are the only connection between floors, so their bearing capacity was
exceeded: In Fig.2: the column damage is observed also because of exceeding bearing capacity.

Figure 2. Damages in stairs and columns

Proceedings of 1st Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 1CroCEE
Zagreb, Croatia - March 22nd to 24nd, 2021
Edited by Laksusic, S. and Atalic, J.
Copyright © 2021 CroCEE

Exterior and partition walls have sustained huge damages by the earthquake, due to the inappropriate way of
designing and constructing. Poor detailing of exterior and interior walls could be observed. Because of that,
fracture of infill walls was quite a common sighting after the earthquake, as shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 3. Damages in masonry exterior walls

The damages occurred affected the bearing capacity of the entire structure, so the building was
demolished by explosion.

2.2 Damages in RC frame structures

The structure observed have a structural system with RC type without core. These types of structures
show defects especially in columns and beams. Another problem that has caused damages was the
absence of shear walls. The poor quality of the concrete used was the most important element leading
to serious damages. This reason is presented in Eurocode 8, recent finding on collapse vulnerability of
nonconforming concrete columns [1]. Visual investigations revealed damages in some parts of the
column and imperfection of reinforcing steel. The handmade concrete used onsite in some buildings
was non homogeneous and with low compressive strength. The aggregates used with improper
granulometry and the corrosion of steel, has resulted in decreased bearing capacity. Most of the
columns damaged were the ones at the ground floor because of exceeding their bearing capacity:
Fig.4.
Proceedings of 1st Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 1CroCEE
Zagreb, Croatia - March 22nd to 24nd, 2021
Edited by Laksusic, S. and Atalic, J.
Copyright © 2021 CroCEE

Figure 4. Damages in columns in RC frame structures

In case when the joints were realized according to technical norms the building did not sustained a lot
of damage of column because of the plastic hinges did not occur. The stirrups in the critical zones of
the damaged columns were positioned at a distance larger than 20 cm and the hooks were short.
The building shown in Fig.5 was built after 2000 and collapsed due to the earthquake. It wacs a 4
storey building, with a tall ground floor 5m height. The collapse occurred because of the soft storey
effect and the plastic hinges created by non appropriate design of the joints and reduction of the
general stiffness of the building. It was subsequently demolished by controlled explosion.

Fig 5. Damages occurred in a RC frame structure

For the object shown in Fig.6 the structural elements were not affected. The structural system was a
RC frame with central core. The only problem was the in and out of plane movement of the walls
because of the absence of right connection with the frame. The columns and beams did not suffer any
damage.
Proceedings of 1st Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 1CroCEE
Zagreb, Croatia - March 22nd to 24nd, 2021
Edited by Laksusic, S. and Atalic, J.
Copyright © 2021 CroCEE

Fig 6. Damages in a RC frame structure with central core

2.3 Damages in masonry structures

The buildings using load-bearing masonry type of structure were built before the 1990. The example
presented in this paper is a 5 storey building with damages located primarily in the exterior walls
because of the absence of reinforcement. The extent of damage in such buildings was not significant
with cracks only in the exterior walls that did not affect the general structural stability.

Fig 7. Damages in a masonry structure

3. Recomendations and conclusions

After the site inspection a classification was made based on the degree of damage that occurred in
every building. The damages observed on site were different from one building to another; some have
suffered non-structural damages and some others were collapsed. All the buildings have problems
with exterior and partition walls. Their connection with RC frames is inappropriate in most cases. The
absence of the reinforcement in infill walls was also observed. The connection between columns and
Proceedings of 1st Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 1CroCEE
Zagreb, Croatia - March 22nd to 24nd, 2021
Edited by Laksusic, S. and Atalic, J.
Copyright © 2021 CroCEE

beams in some cases have created plastic hinges, with columns sustaining more damaged than the
beams. The masonry structures have reacted well - but the RC frame structures with infill walls were
the most damaged. The RC frame structures with central core and regular shape suffered non
constructive damages in general. The damages or the collapse of these structures was in the case of
soft storeys or short columns. The quality of materials was a strong element in damage grade of the
structures.
To make an intervention to the structural system it is important to have a classification of the
buildings,- depending on age and their structural system. The grade of damages is necessary to
convert according to EC-8-prEN (1998)-3 [1], in Limit State classification. For further analysis is
required information about structural system and geotechnical conditions, details of construction
elements, materials used, information of damaged and non damaged elements and the intervention
made to them at any time during their lifetime.
Some buildings need interventions to the structural system to modify their capacity and seismic
behaviour. Some construction elements need to be retrofit or partial demolition. The intervention
should be according to Eurocode norms which need to be soon formalized in the country. Another
important thing is the cost of intervention which sometimes is very high and maybe the demolition is
more effective.

6. References

[1] Eurocode 8- Design of structure for earthquake resistance. Part 1-4. “Strengthening and repair of buildings”
Commission of the E uropean Communities, Brussels, 2001.