Integrated Structural Health Assessment of Industrial Buildings in Areas of High Seismic Risk

In high seismic risk zones, comprehensive structural health assessments are crucial for critical buildings, for example those in the energy distribution networks. Recently, a feasibility analysis was conducted for a pressurised spherical tank for liquified gas storage, demonstrating the validity of structural monitoring using ambient noise. This work presents an extension of the previous work, applied to a different type of industrial building, composed of a steel frame and reinforced concrete. The method was extended, including a pushover analysis to identify critical conditions that may lead to failure. The objective of the work is to identify vulnerable structural components and to predict collapse mechanisms of a structure located in a seismic prone area. The methodology is based on the characterisation of the structure of the shallow subsoil to evaluate the site-specific seismic response and on the identification of the natural resonance modes of the buildings to assess the state of the structure. A combination of passive and active surveys is used to this end. A finite element model is then built and calibrated. Finally, a push-over analysis is carried out to estimate the capacity curve for the structure. Comparison between capacity curves and design spectra would provide insights into displacement demands and elastic behaviour, giving information for enhancing the resilience of the structure and estimating safety thresholds of earthquake intensity, expressed in terms of Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA). Integrating geophysics and engineering knowledge, this feasibility study aims to enhance understanding of structural behaviour under potential seismic loading conditions and to help in after maintenance planning of critical infrastructures.