# A New Retrofitting Approach for Existing Buildings

> With approximately 6 million at-risk units across Turkey's building stock, seismic retrofitting stands out as a viable engineering alternative. Full-scale tests conducted by the fischer Group and Purdue University demonstrated that a diagonal steel brace system integrated with chemical anchors significantly improves the seismic performance of beam-column joints.

Published: 2026-08-27T06:26:00+00:00
Language: en
Categories: [Construction Chemicals and Adhesives](https://chemexworld.com/en/categories/sectors/construction-chemicals-and-adhesives.md), [News](https://chemexworld.com/en/categories/news.md)

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## Content

Addressing the seismic vulnerability of Turkey's building stock remains a vital engineering priority. According to data from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Turkey comprises **36 million independent units** (31 million residential and 5 million commercial), of which approximately **6 million are classified as at-risk** and **2 million require urgent transformation**. As rebuilding the entire inventory presents high costs and operational constraints, targeted seismic retrofitting serves as an efficient solution for structurally viable assets.

**Targeted Solutions for Critical Beam-Column Joints**

During seismic events, beam-column joints in reinforced concrete structures endure severe horizontal loads and stresses. To mitigate local failures that could compromise the entire structural system, the fischer Group partnered with **Purdue University** in the United States to conduct full-scale testing on reinforced concrete frames.

![](https://chemexworld.com/storage/uploads/fischer_deprem.jpg)

Key parameters of the tested engineering solution include:

- **Chemical Anchoring Systems:** Implemented using fischer injection mortar and threaded rods connected directly to the existing load-bearing framework.
- **Diagonal Steel Bracing:** Diagonal braces attached via chemical anchors delivered targeted, on-site reinforcement to critical joints.
- **Optimized Force Flow:** Exhibiting low deformation under high load, the chemical anchor system redirected critical stress concentrations from the joints toward adjacent structural elements.
- **Comparative Test Results:** While unreinforced structural frames experienced severe joint failure, the specimen retrofitted with the fischer system demonstrated superior resilience.

**Prof. Akanshu Sharma** from Purdue University stated that the experimental data clearly verified substantial performance improvements under simulated seismic loading.

**Engineering Support from fischer Turkey**

The scientific results obtained by fischer and Purdue University point toward cost-effective and practical methodologies for strengthening aging buildings. fischer Turkey supports structural retrofitting practices by providing engineered fixing and anchoring solutions that ensure theoretical structural designs translate effectively to on-site execution.