Strengthening the 50 Years Old Building of National Art Gallery in Tirana with Concrete Jacket Layers and Steel Rebars: Benefits and Challenges

Idlir Dervishi and Dea Sinoimeri
Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Although not damaged by the powerful earthquakes of 2019, the existing building of the National Gallery of Arts in Tirana, will undergo a strengthen of its structural elements, to make it a building with high seismic safety, in accordance with Eurocode’s Guidelines. The strengthen of the structure consists mainly in the reinforcement of the existing foundations and columns with concrete jacket layer, applying vertical-horizontal reinforcement, and the construction from scratch of 5 reinforced concrete walls. The beams and slabs which have optimal existing reinforcement and dimensions, do not need concrete jacket layers and additional reinforcement, but will be repaired with high strength structural mortar. The technique of strengthen structural elements with carbon fiber coating (FRP) could have been chosen, but according to the analysis carried out with empirical calculations and with finite element calculation programs, the technique of strengthening with a concrete jacket layer, resulted more effective in economic terms and not only. In this paper, an analysis of economic benefit of strengthen the structure with concrete layers and steel reinforcement will be presented.

Presentation