INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

Typical Failure Modes of RCC and

Masonry Buildings During Earthquake

by
P. C. Ashwin Kumar

DEPARTMENT OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
Fun Exercise!!!

Q. Which of the following sentence makes sense?

• The magnitude of earthquakes can be precisely predicted

• The return period of a certain magnitude earthquake can be precisely
predicted
• The locality of the future earthquake can be precisely predicted

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Fun Exercise!!!

Q. What is the reason for the occurrence of majority earthquakes?

• Volcanic Eruptions
• Tectonic Forces
• Nuclear Explosions
• Sliding or fall of large soil or rock mass
• Meteorite Impact
• Filling up of reservoirs and wells
• Act of God

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Fun Exercise!!!

Q. What are the basic theories that support the occurrence of earthquake?

• Continental Drift Theory

• Plate Tectonic Theory
• Elastic Rebound Theory
• Wrath of God

India
American Indians Japan

Poseidon Neptune

Mexican Asia “Wrath of god”

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Fun Exercise!!!

Q. How do we generally express the impact/strength of an earthquake?

• Focus and Epicenter

• Fault mechanism
• Magnitude and Intensity
• Duration of an earthquake

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Fun Exercise!!!

Q. The ground motion parameters on which the damage potential of an earthquake

depends ?
• Amplitude of ground motion (PGA, PGV, PGD)
• Frequency content
• Duration of an earthquake
• Intensity

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Fun Exercise!!!

Q. What is an earthquake resistant design?

• No damage in any earthquake

• No damage in strong earthquakes
• No damage and no collapse in strong earthquakes
• Considerable damage and no collapse in strong earthquakes

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Fun Exercise!!!

Q. How many seismic zones are there for the design of structures in India?

• 5
• 4
• 6
• Depends

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Fun Exercise!!!

Q. Do we design our structure for the earthquake that is expected at that location?

• Yes
• No

Design Basis Earthquake: 10% of probability of exceedance in 50 years

Average return period of 475 years

Maximum Considered Earthquake: 2% of probability of exceedance in 50 years

Average return period of 2500 years

ZMCE = 2 x ZDBE

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Design Philosophy

During Minor Earthquakes

• No damage or distress to occur in structural as well as non-structural
members

During Moderate Earthquakes

• Only repairable damage in structural as well as non-structural members

During Severe Earthquakes

• Building may become unusable but it should not collapse

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Seismic Safety

• Adequate Strength • Adequate Ductility • Adequate Stiffness

F Adequate Stiffness to
To reduce secondary order moments as
Fe much as possible

FR Stiffness
Δ
Δ1 Δ2 Δ P-Δ

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Seismic Safety

To reduce non-structural damages

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Damage Classification
Earthquake damages can be classified in three categories
Design Deficiencies
Soft-storey, insufficient lateral stiffness, short column, strong beam-weak
column, vertical or horizontal irregularities

Construction Defects
Bad workmanship, poor quality control, insufficient wrapping with stirrup,
insufficient mechanical property of material, insufficient adherence length

Deficiency in Service Life

Cut-off or removed columns, soft-story formation due to total or partial
absence of masonry infill walls

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

#1: Soft-Storey Failure

Distribution of inertia forces, yield mechanism and displacement

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Soft storey concept has technical and functional advantages over conventional
construction

Failure of open ground storey happens due to the combination of several unfavourable
reasons such as excessive mass on upper floors, P-Δ effects, lack of ductility in bottom
storey, torsion, etc.

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Sudden change in stiffness

over the height of a building
results in the creation of soft-
story causing increase in inter-
storey drift

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Bhuj Earthquake

Apollo Apartment, Ahmedabad G+6 Building, Bhuj

15-20 years old

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#2: Floating Columns

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Bhuj Earthquake

15th August Apartment, Nilima Park Apartment,

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad
Improper load path, deficiency in strength of ground floor columns, projected cantilever
beam, and non-ductile detailing deficiencies

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Bhuj Earthquake

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#3: In-plane Irregularity

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#4: Out-of-plane Irregularity

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#5 and 6: Plan and Mass Irregularity

Mansi Complex (G+10), Vastrapura Shikhar Apartment (G+10), Vezalpur

C-shaped Plan, No expansion joint, 1 year old, U-shaped Plan,
Massive swimming pool and pent house No expansion joint
on 10th floor
Failure: Heavy mass on top, improper framing Failure: Column shear failure, poor quality of
system construction material, unsymmetrical location
of lift leading to torsional effect IIT ROORKEE
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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Planar Irregularity

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Bhuj Earthquake –Mass Irregularity

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#7: Short-Column Effect

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Short-Column Effect

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Short-Column Effect

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#8: Poor Quality of Construction Material

Mehta Chambers (G+3), Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad
Failure: Poor quality of material and corrosion of reinforcement

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Bhuj Earthquake – Poor Quality of Construction Material

Failure: Poor quality of material, corrosion of reinforcement, high cement to sand

ratio, insufficient concrete cover, poor concrete placement, salty water used for
construction
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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Quality Control Defects for Materials

• High water cement ratio

• Insufficient curing
• Quantity of fine aggregate low
• Unwashed sea sand
• Bad quality of reinforcement bar

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#9: Corrosion

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#10: Pounding

Anand Building (G+5), Bhuj

Irregular response of adjacent buildings of different heights and dynamic
characteristics. Damage can be controlled by drift control, building separation and
aligning floors in adjacent buildings
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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Structural elements of adjacent building may undergo severe damage due
to hammering effects

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Pounding

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#11: Inconsistent Seismic Performance of Building

Failure: Workmanship, Detailing Practices, Quality of Material and Design, Poor Soil Strata,
Construction on reclaimed land

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#12: Component Level Damage

Failure: Neither designed nor detailed properly, lack of confinement due to large
tie spacing, insufficient development length, inadequate splicing of bars, strong
beam-weak column
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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Component Level Damage- Beam column joint failure

Failure: Inadequacy of reinforcement, absence of confining hoop reinforcement,

inappropriate location of bar splices in columns
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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Component Level Damage- Beam column joint failure

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Confinement Deficiencies

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Poor Detailing Good Detailing

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#13: Non-structural Damage: Infill Walls

ONGC Building, Ahmedabad

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Non-structural Damage: Infill Walls

Captive Columns
The shear required to develop flexural yield in the effectively shortened column is
substantially higher than the shear required for flexural yield in the full-length
column??? IIT ROORKEE
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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

#14: Non-structural Damage: Exterior Walls

Magnitude of damage is dependent on quality of materials and method of construction

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Failure of Infill Wall

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#15: Water Tanks

Prabhu Kripa Apartments, Bhuj

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Water Tanks- Frame Supported

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Water Tanks- Shaft Supported

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#16: Staircases

Out of phase vibration of two blocks

Isolation of stairs from the primary structural system will minimize damage in stairs

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
Staircases

One of the solution:

separated staircase

Bracing action of staircase

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures
#17: Lack of Connection

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Failure Patterns Observed in RCC Structures

Undamaged Lift Core!!

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Location – close to foothills of Himalayas
#18: Slab Systems
RC systems including ribbed slab or flat slab without stiffening by shear walls are
susceptible to large deflections and damages

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Failure Patterns Observed in Masonry Structures

1988 Bihar-Nepal, 1991 Uttarkashi, 1993 Killari, 1997 Jabalpur, 1999 Chamoli, 2001
Bhuj

Common Factor: Major loss of life was due to collapse of low strength masonry
building

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Type of Construction: Bhuj 2001
Earthen houses reinforced with wooden sticks, sundried clay brick construction

Random rubble masonry Urban Area: Dressed

laid in lime/mud/cement stone/ Concrete blocks/
mortar, Roof with sun-burnt clay bricks in
Mangalore Clay Tiles cement mortar

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Damages: Bhuj 2001

Collapse of Corner Zone O/P Collapse of Wall

Common Reasons: No structural integrity (Absence of bands), No bottom tie member in
roof, inadequate connection between roof to wall, No connection between wall to wall
and within two wythes of wall

Good Construction!!!
Overturning of Wall Collapse of Roof IIT ROORKEE
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Type of Construction: Chamoli 1999

Load bearing box type made of stone, brick or concrete block. Old stone masonry
houses in mud mortar with large size of stones blocks sandwiched between many
thin wafers of slates arranged in layers. Wall thickness 45 cm to 75 cm with two
wythes separated by loosely placed filler materials
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Damages: Chamoli 1999

• Stone masonry without any layer of slates suffered more damage in comparison to
stone masonry with thin slates
• More damage due to ageing, inferior construction material, inadequate support of
roof, poor wall to wall connection, weak in-plane due to large opening, asymmetric
floor plan

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Type of Construction: Jabalpur 1997

Brick masonry with flexible roof Brick masonry with RCC slab w/o
earthquake resistant feature
Structures that suffered maximum damage were mud or burnt-clay brick in lime mortar

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Damages: Jabalpur 1997

O/P failure of wall Diagonal shear failure Failure at connection

• Aging, Inferior construction material, inadequate support of roof and roof trusses,
poor wall to wall connection, out-of-plane instability of walls, lack of integrity

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Type of Construction: Killari 1993

Dry pack masonry Roof

• Walls 700-1800 mm thick random rubble stone masonry in mud mortar
• Roof with timber rafter running in two perpendicular direction over which wooden
plank and thick layer of mud (300-800 mm) is laid
• Dry pack masonry also used
• Mixed form of construction- Brick masonry over random rubble masonry

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Damages: Killari 1993

O/P failure of wall Corner Failure Diagonal failure

• Masonry with mud had deteriorated over the years and weakened due to large
number of foreshocks
• Reinforced concrete slab failed due to failure of masonry walls below
• Corner strengthening strategy reduced the amount of damage

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Damages: Uttarkashi 1991

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Typical Damage Patterns

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Typical Damage Patterns
#1: Out-of-plane Failure
• Inadequate anchorage of wall into the roof diaphragm
• Limited tensile strength of masonry and mortar
• Long span diaphragm causes excessive horizontal flexure

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Typical Damage Patterns
Example

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Typical Damage Patterns
Example

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Typical Damage Patterns
Example

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Typical Damage Patterns
Example

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Typical Damage Patterns
#2: In-plane Failure
• Excessive bending or shear- evident from double diagonal (X) shear cracking
• Planes of principle tensile stress in walls remain incapable of withstanding repeated
load reversal
• “X” cracks occur mainly in short piers or in slender piers. Worst at ground floor

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Typical Damage Patterns
Example

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Typical Damage Patterns
Example

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Typical Damage Patterns
#3: Failure of Connection
• Connection for transferring in-plane shear stress from the diaphragms to the vertical
element and to support out-of-plane forces on these elements
• Failure characterized by diagonal cracks on both walls causing separation and
collapse of corner zones
• Phenomenon magnifies due to inadequately strengthened opening near the wall
edges and insufficient connection between floor and walls

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Typical Damage Patterns
Example:

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Typical Damage Patterns

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Typical Damage Patterns
#4: Failure of Diaphragm
• Rare phenomenon
• In-plane rotation of the diaphragm ends and the absence between good shear
transfer between diaphragms and reaction walls account for damage at the corners

FEMA 306 (1999) Damage due to diaphragm flexibility,

Loma Prieta Earthquake 1989
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Typical Damage Patterns
#5: Failure of Non-structural Components
• Parapet walls, mumty, canopies, projections, etc.

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Typical Damage Patterns

Loma Prieta Earthquake

Failure of Parapet Wall

Oregon Earthquake
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Typical Damage Patterns

#6: Pounding

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Typical Damage Patterns

#7: Buckling of wythes

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Typical Damage Patterns

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Fun Exercise

Q. Which structural configuration should be considered under earthquake resistant

design?

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Fun Exercise

Q. Which structural configuration should be considered under earthquake resistant

design?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Which structural configuration should be considered under earthquake resistant
design?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Potential Vulnerability?

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Fun Exercise

Q. Identify the reason for collapse

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Fun Exercise

Q. Identify problems in the structural configuration

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Fun Exercise

Q. Identify problems in the structural configuration below:

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Fun Exercise

Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise

Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise

Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise

Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise

Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise

Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Identify the failure pattern and cause

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Fun Exercise
Q. Identify the failure pattern and cause

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Fun Exercise
Q. Identify the failure pattern and cause

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Fun Exercise
Q. Identify the failure pattern and cause

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Fun Exercise

Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise

Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Potential Vulnerability?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Reason for failure?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Is this a solution?

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Fun Exercise
Q. Earthquake Resistant Design is

• Architects Business
• Engineers Business

• Constructors Business
• A political Will

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Principle Causes of Failure
Principle causes of damage to buildings are:

RCC Masonry
• Soft-storeys • Out-of-plane failure
• Floating columns • In-plane failure
• Mass irregularity • Shear or flexure failure

• Poor quality of material • Junction or corner failure

• Horizontal irregularity • Local failure
• Faulty construction practices • Pounding
• Buckling of wythes
• Inconsistent seismic performance
• Inadequate connection
• Soil and foundation effect
• Pounding of adjacent structures
• Inadequate ductile detailing in
structural components

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References
• EQ-563 Lecture Class Material by Prof. Yogendra Singh
• Earthquake resistant design of structures by Pankaj Aggarwal and
Manish Shrikhande

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THANK YOU!!!

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