Comparative study on the design of a condominium residential building with structural masonry walls located in Romania / Republic of Moldova

Abstract

For buildings with confined masonry structural walls, both European norms and Romanian codes that regulate their design require architectural-structural compliance and a mode of calculation which involves – in areas with high risk of earthquake – the use of high concrete and steel amounts. By taking into account the essential performance requirements of strength, stability, and economy of resources, the question of justifying these consumptions arises.
Thus, the authors propose to assess the need of excessive confinement of masonry walls in these seismic areas through a comparative study on designing a building with structural walls of solid brick confined masonry – placed simultaneously in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova – at such a distance that earthquake effect is similar, using the numerical program ETABS 2016.
Finally, in order to quantify the excess of material required, an estimated economic analysis regarding the cost of superstructures in the two cases analysed was performed.