Full Course

Seismic Assessment & Retrofitting of Existing RC Structures using SeismoBuild and SeismoStruct

400.00€ (VAT charges apply to Italian customers)

Next course will start on October 13

Student special price: 400€ 250€
(VAT charges apply to Italian customers)

The purpose of the course is to introduce the students to the practical aspects of seismic assessment and retrofitting of existing reinforced concrete buildings, and at the same time to give them the opportunity to work on projects using some of the most advanced software available in this field. Upon completion, the participants will have gained significant knowledge on all the different methods for strengthening a structure that will allow them to evaluate and understand the available alternative solutions in different strengthening projects.

Free 3-month license of the SeismoBuild and SeismoStruct software packages will be provided during the course.

1 year access to videos and notes

Date: 16/06/2025 – 31/08/2025

 

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Category: SeismoSoft Software Courses

Description

Introduction

Earthquake engineering has advanced sufficiently in recent years, resulting in well-detailed, newly designed structures usually exhibiting adequate strength, stiffness and ductility to withstand severe earthquake ground motion. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the existing built infrastructure was constructed many years ago, when engineering expertise was not at today’s level of knowledge, and the safety regulations were less stringent. Consequently, in structures designed according to older codes the focus had been placed exclusively on the vertical gravity forces, with little or no consideration for the lateral resistance system. Moreover, even if seismic loads have been explicitly considered, it is most likely that these structures do no longer meet the constantly updated regulations, since the rapid progress in the field of earthquake engineering during the last two or three decades has radically altered the design philosophy and standards worldwide.

As a result, the vast majority of the existing buildings exhibit significant deficiencies (reduced resistance to seismic loads, relatively small stiffness or ductility, soft storeys – short columns) that render them vulnerable in seismic events of high intensity, and require structural upgrading and retrofit.

Course Objectives

The purpose of the course is to introduce the students to the practical aspects of seismic assessment and retrofitting of existing reinforced concrete buildings, and at the same time to give them the opportunity to work on projects using some of the most advanced software available in this field. Upon completion, the participants will have gained significant knowledge on all the different methods for strengthening a structure that will allow them to evaluate and understand the available alternative solutions in different strengthening projects. The course will provide in-depth insight both:

  • on the construction level; all the basic intervention techniques will be presented and different construction aspects will be explained, and
  • on the design level; guidelines in the strategy of interventions and the selection of the appropriate interventions’ method will be provided

Within this context many real case studies will be presented, and it will be explained why in each case a specific retrofit scheme was preferred over other alternatives. Furthermore, with the use of SeismoBuild and SeismoStruct , two software packages specialised in the analysis, assessment and strengthening of existing structures, the students will learn how to carry out the full assessment and strengthening procedures of existing structures, from the structural modelling, through to the analysis and the checks according to the selected Codes (ASCE 41-23 and Eurocode 8 Part-3).

Content

Module 1: Introduction to Seismic Retrofit

Why RC Buildings need strengthening. Inspection and testing in existing buildings

  1. Why do old RC Buildings need Strengthening
  2. What Old RC Buildings are like
  3. Main Standards for the Seismic Evaluation of Existing Structures
  4. Main Differences Between the Assessment & the Design Methodologies
  5. Inspection and Testing in Existing Buildings
    1. Building survey
    2. Scanning of the reinforcement
    3. Destructive and non-destructive testing of materials
    4. Material properties and testing for concrete, steel and infills

Module 2: Main Strengthening Techniques for Reinforced Concrete Buildings

  1. Main Strengthening Techniques, e.g.
    1. Reinforced concrete jackets
    2. New reinforced concrete walls
    3. Steel braces
    4. FRP wrapping & FRP laminates
    5. Steel plates and steel jacketing
    6. Damping devices
    7. Seismic Isolation
  2. Evaluation of Different Seismic Retrofitting Solutions by means of an example

Module 3: Performance Levels, Checks, Nonlinear Analysis Methods

  1. Performance objectives, Performance levels & Seismic hazard levels
  2. Methods of analysis
  3. Nonlinear Static Procedure, NSP (pushover analysis)
  4. Nonlinear Dynamic Procedure, NDP (nonlinear time-history analysis)
  5. Checks and acceptance criteria

Module 4: Introduction to SeismoBuild

  1. Main features of the program
  2. Modelling and assessment of a 2-storey RC building
  3. Checks
  4. Creation of the technical report and the CAD drawings

Module 5: Detailed description of SeismoBuild

  1. Advanced Issues in the use of SeismoBuild
  2. Modelling and assessment of a larger RC building
  3. Strengthening of the RC building

Module 6: Practical Applications and Case Studies

  1. Industrial Building with short columns
  2. Post-earthquake strengthening of a 2-story building with serious damage (both seismic assessment and seismic retrofit)

Module 7: Introduction to SeismoStruct

  1. Main features and modules of SeismoStruct
  2. Tutorials

Exercises

  1. Modelling, assessment and strengthening of existing buildings

Professors

Stelios Antoniou is a co-founder and the CEO of SEISMOSOFT Srl. (www.seismosoft.com), a company that specialises in the development of state-of-the-art analytical tools for the nonlinear analysis, the assessment and strengthening of structures, and the processing of strong-motion data. Simultaneously, he is the Head of the Seismic Repair and Strengthening Section of ALFAKAT S.A. (www.alfakat.gr), a company with significant experience in the design and construction of private and public works, with particular emphasis on strengthening and retrofitting projects against seismic loads.
He is a graduate from the Civil Engineering Department of the National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A.), and holds a PhD in Earthquake Engineering from Imperial College, London. He has dozens of publications in scientific journals and European and World Conferences on various subjects of earthquake engineering, seismic retrofit and nonlinear analysis. He is the author of Seismic Retrofit of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings that has been published by Wiley-Blackwell.

Fanis Moschas is a senior-developer at SEISMOSOFT Srl. (www.seismosoft.com). He is a graduate from the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Patras, Greece, and holds a PhD in the area of Geomatics for Structural Health Monitoring from the same Institute. He has several publications in scientific journals and international conferences in the areas of Structural Health Monitoring, GPS Applications and Geophysics.

Methodology

The course is delivered in an online format through our innovative and comprehensive Virtual Campus, which offers a dynamic and flexible environment that allows participants to progress at their own pace. Within this virtual platform, participants maintain continuous and personalized interaction with professors, enabling them to resolve questions collaboratively, deepen their understanding, and acquire new skills. Interaction with both professors and fellow participants is further supported through webinars and discussion forums. The Virtual Campus provides a wide range of learning materials, including e-learning content, videos, technical articles, manuals, supplementary documentation, real case studies, and practical exercises.

Who this Course is For

Undergraduates, graduates, and practicing civil engineers, who are interested in learning the available techniques and solutions for the strengthening and structural upgrading of existing buildings, both on the design, as well as on the construction level.

Certificate

As evidence of the knowledge you’ve gained, you will receive a digitally verifiable certificate. Each certificate includes a unique QR code, allowing employers and institutions to instantly confirm its authenticity online. This secure system builds trust in your new credential and protects it against fraud.

Job Prospects

Structural upgrading and retrofit of existing structures is a very demanding field of engineering, where both specialised knowledge and significant experience are required. It is noted that particular attention is needed in the selection of the intervention scheme, since wrong decisions (e.g. inappropriate selection of strengthening method) may not only be proven ineffective, but also increase, rather than decrease the overall vulnerability of a structure. Hence, an understanding of the assessment and strengthening methodologies and the techniques available for retrofit is important for anyone working in civil engineering, especially for those who operate in seismic prone regions. Whether you are a student, a designer, a contractor, an academic, a researcher or working in civil engineering maintenance, having a solid background in the retrofit of existing structures will set you apart from the competition. The course has been designed and structured to enable all participants acquire such knowledge.

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