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.
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.
