2nd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND POST

DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING
(ICEE-PDRP 2019)
25-27 APRIL 2019, BHAKTAPUR, NEPAL

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM WITH

AND WITHOUT RETROFITTING ELEMENTS
Subhekshya Shrestha1, Prachand Man Pradhan2

The masonry structure and its seismic response depend on the quality of connections between the
different structural elements and on horizontal diaphragms’ in plane stiffness. Many low rise buildings
in Nepal are typically of timber on masonry walls (i.e. stones, bricks). Old masonry diaphragm relies
on wood as a sophisticated material which has small engineering principles applied to fabrication.
However, the inadequacy of new element added or retrofitting strategies and techniques in the form of
stiff diaphragm, i.e. ring beams, steel connections etc. inserted within the depth of walls has the effect
such as increased level of mass and stiffness which should be correctly assessed. Hence, a need to
rehabilitate the flexible diaphragms to masonry wall connection using accurate and compatible retrofit
strategy in such a way that the connection goes to non-linear behavior but the unit stays within elastic
behavior is required. This study focuses on forces developed in the connection between diaphragms to
wall connections.
This study is to identify and verify parameters of contact elements that represents connection for
numerical modeling of whole system. The modeling of retrofitted anchored elements in numerical
modeling will be quantified with the experimental studies of the past. This comparison and discussion
on seismic retrofit measures of providing adequate connectivity in unreinforced masonry typical
wooden flooring to wall will help get victims of earthquake disaster to settle back to their strengthened
home and renew their lifestyle. The historical construction details, materials, boundary condition and
stress state of floors and wall connection is studied. The measured building and its component is
expected to be modeled in SAP2000 giving the real sense as far as possible and the approach can be
modeling suitable connection type(concrete overlay/bracings) based on the connection as observed
from site and different literature. The material parameters for wood will be extracted from some
previous study, the connectivity’s cyclic behavior and characteristic will be captured by suitable force
deformation (load slip curve) and suitable hysteresis behavior is adopted.The nonlinearity of
connections are only taken into account and the material properties for the new retrofitted connections
are assumed to remain elastic.However, this study will undergo (geometric/material) non linearity for
masonry walls since masonry is highly non linear,linearity could not account for stress levels for
introducing retrofitting element in the structure.Since,the experimental datas for joist pull out ,push out
and nail strength datas are not directly available for the numerical verification,the experimental datas
conducted at different country’s representing similar Nepali diaphragm structures are taken into
account simulating the real behavior as much as possible in reference to codes such as ASCE 31-03 &
FEMA 310 for expected forces. Hence,the significance of retrofitted models in terms of load
deflection curve is compared with the unstrengthened models undergoing static nonlinear pushover
analysis. The models will be checked under modal cases before conducting nonlinear static analysis.

Masters in Structural Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal, subi.shres12@gmail.com

Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal,prachand@ku.edu.np