Structural damage and lessons of the February 27/f earthquake in the Greater Concepción

Abstract

The Maule – Bio Bio earthquake of moment magnitude Mw​=8.8 occurred on 27th February 2010 and was the fifth strongest seismic event ever recorded worldwide. The damage in urban infrastructure and industrial facilities was significant and diverse in the Greater Concepción, second metropolis of the country. The principal damages were observed in tall buildings over 35 metres. Reinforced concrete elements of the lower floors presented large damage due to a lack of confinement of vertical reinforcement. Also it was observed large damage on old masonry shear walls and in some anchorage systems to the pedestal of foundation in industrial buildings. Soil liquefaction and large settlements were observed in many places around the city. A Damage Map was developed to define different damage levels on the ground. The damage map indicated that there were zones with damage concentration independent of the type of structure. Finally some lessons obtained by qualified professionals about the earthquake ground shaking and as a result of the behaviour of the structures are presented. These recommendations will determine great changes in the Chilean Earthquake Engineering.