Novel technologies for the seismic upgrading of existing European buildings

The present report provides a review of the seismic upgrading techniques for reinforced concrete, masonry and steel buildings, which constitute the majority of the building stock in the EU. Seismic upgrading techniques are divided in two major categories, depending on the way they “treat” the structure. The first category includes the ones that operate at the element level (local measures), and the second those that operate on the structure as a whole (global measures). Naturally, when it comes to upgrading an actual building, various techniques can and should be combined, addressing its specific characteristics, so that an economic strengthening scheme can be designed. Depending on their age as well as the materials used, seismic upgrading techniques can be divided into conventional and novel ones. The report puts more emphasis on the latter, although it does include short descriptions of the former, for the sake of completeness.