Self-Centering Concrete Structures Using Smart Materials

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The primary performance criterion for structures designed with current seismic codes is to avoid loss of life and prevent structural collapse. Most structures will experience damage during large seismic events while satisfying the primary criterion. This will result in either significant downtime for repairing or demolition in the event of excessive damage posing economic consequences for building owners. In response, research has led to the development of self-centering technologies to limit permanent damage. In addition, a significant percentage of building stock in Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City was constructed prior to the 1970s, and it is seismically vulnerable to current estimates of seismic demand. A number of methodologies have been developed for global system rehabilitation or local element retrofitting to improve performance of deficient structures. The recent emergence of Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) provides an opportunity to develop novel self-centering structural systems for new and existing structures. SMAs can sustain significant inelastic deformations with the capacity to return to its original undeformed shape after removal of stress. Other salient characteristics include strength and displacement capacities that are comparable to that of steel reinforcement, in addition to stable hysteretic response and sufficient energy dissipation capacity.