Structural vulnerability of old precast concrete structures

This work aims at evaluating the structural performance indexes of typologies of R.C. pre-cast industrial buildings of peculiar oldness, belonging to the pioneer era of this technolog y (1940s-1970s). These buildings have been designed with obsolete criteria and lower static actions with respect to the actual standards, without any conception of seismic or fire resistance. As such , they are a potential source of strong vulnerability. With reference to two industrial complexes located in Brianza (North ern Italy), both built with successive expansions from the ‘40s to the ‘70s, the structural performances of 10 different typologies are evaluated under static, seismic and fire load. These typologies, representative of the Italian precast building stock of this period , include vault roofs with truss strut-tie systems, restrained arches, tapered beams, and moment-resisting portal frames. A preliminary assessment of the vulnerability associated to these types of structures is performed based on their geometry and reinforcement details. The costs associated to strenghtening /retrofitting are also estimated for each typology.