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16 WCEE Chile 2017

A special session Global implementation of confined masonry construction technology for seismic risk reduction: challenges and opportunities was held at 16WCEE in January 2017 (Santiago, Chile). The session featured recent projects and initiatives related to implementing confined masonry in different parts of the world, including i) an overview of the activities of the Confined Masonry Network, a global initiative to advocate confined masonry as a construction technology, and ii) an overview of confined masonry applications in Latin American countries, where confined masonry has been used for decades, and also other countries where confined masonry has been used in post-earthquake rehabilitation projects. Presentations from the special session are featured below.

Confined Masonry Network: An Overview of Guidelines and Initiatives, Svetlana Brzev, T. Hart, Paper #1825
Presentation 1825

Confined Masonry Buildings: The Chilean Experience, Maximiliano Astroza, F. Andrade, M.O. Moroni, Paper #3462
Presentation 3462

Relevant Aspects of the New Mexico City’s Code for the Design and Construction of Masonry Structures, Juan Jose Perez-Gavilan, A. Pérez G., L. E. Flores, R. Jean, J. Cesin, O. Hernández, Paper #449
Presentation 449

Development of Confined Masonry Seismic Considerations, Research and Design Codes in Peru, Daniel Quiun, P. Santillan, Paper #2883
Presentation 2883

Case Study: Design and Construction of Confined Masonry Homes in Indonesia, Tim Hart, J. Pazdon, L. Blaisdell, E. Hausler Strand, Paper #694
Presentation 694

Introducing confined Masonry in a Fragile State: The Case of Haiti After the 2010 Earthquake, Ivan Bartolini, T. Schacher, Paper #4477
Presentation 4477

Seismic Retrofit of Confined Masonry Houses in Haiti: Lessons from Implementation, Clement Davy, M. L. Blaisdell, K. M. Sinclair, E. Hausler Strand, Paper #3888
Presentation 3888

Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit for Reducing the Vulnerability of Housing in Colombia: Development and Implementation, Diego Nacif Hartley, M. L. Blaisdell, J. Caballero, E. Hausler Strand, Paper #4200
Presentation 4200

IIT Gandhinagar India Faculty and Student Housing

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In the first widespread application of confined masonry in India, the new campus of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar is using confined masonry for its student hostels and faculty and guest housing. Thirty buildings with 9 flats each are being built for faculty as well as student hostels that will house 1,200 students. These buildings are part of a larger campus that includes a central core of academic buildings constructed with RC frame construction. The massive construction project includes some on-site materials fabrication.  IIT Gandhinagar’s Construction Workers Welfare Programme was also recently recognized with the national HUDCO Award for “Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment 2013-14″, citing the housing, safety and welfare practices it has implemented for construction workers. EERI member Sudhir K. Jain is Director of IIT Gandhinagar and is overseeing the application of this technology in the construction of his new campus. 

Kanpur, India Workshop

An International Strategy Workshop on Promotion of Confined Masonry was organized at Kanpur (India) during 26-28 January 2008 by National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), and the World Seismic Safety Initiative (WSSI). A small group of experts from India, U.S.A., Switzerland, Peru, Mexico, China, Indonesia and Canada developed a strategy to promote confined masonry worldwide, with two major objectives: improve the design and construction quality of confined masonry where it is currently in use; and introduce confined masonry in areas where it can reduce seismic risk. A confined masonry network was created at this meeting to promote safe and economical housing worldwide by bringing quality confined masonry into the design and construction mainstream

Worldwide Applications

Confined masonry is found in Mediterranean Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. The following sections primarily excerpt material from Earthquake-Resistant Confined Masonry Construction by Svetlana Brzev, summarizing applications in various countries. Continue reading →