Reinforced Concrete Glossary

This glossary reviews general terms used in design along with commonly found deficiencies in reinforced concrete structures.  These deficiencies have all caused poor performance, failure, and in extreme cases collapse in past earthquakes.  The presence of these deficiencies in a concrete structure should be taken under consideration for further investigation and retrofit.  All images courtesy of C.V.R. Murty (2005).

RC_frame

Design Considerations

Plan Irregularity
plan_irregularity
Building Shape
Building_Shape
Non-Symmetric Layout
non_symmetric_layout
Vertical Irregularity
vertical_irregularity

 

Structural Elements

Lateral Force Resisting System
LFRS
Shear Wall
SW
Boundary Elements
Capture

 

Common Deficiencies

Soft Story
Soft_story
Short Columns
short_columns
Adjacent Buildings: Pounding
pounding
Strong Beam - Weak Column Failure
strong_beam_weak_column
Torsion
torsion