| **Summary:** This multi-family urban housing construction was practiced in Romania between the 1960s and 1990s. The load-bearing system is a precast reinforced concrete large panel construction.Buildings of this type are typically highrises (10or 11 stories high), although there are also low to medium-rise buildings (4 to 8 stories high) of this construction type (with different structural details). In general, buildings of this type are of rectangular plan, with honeycomb ("fagure") layout, housing typically four apartments per floor. Wall panels are laid in both the longitudinal and the transverse direction. The panels are mechanically coupled at the base, with continuous vertical reinforcement bars.This region is well known as a seismically prone area, with the epicentre of damaging earthquakes close to Vrancea. Earthquakes with the Richter magnitude of over 7.0 occur on average every 30 years. Bucharest, the capital, is located around 150 km south of the epicentre and lies in the main direction of the propagation of seismic waves. The Bucharest area is located on the banks of the Dmbovita and Colentina rivers, on non homogenous alluvial soil deposits.During the earthquake of 4 March 1977 (Richter magnitude 7.2), over 30 buildings collapsed inBucharest, killing 1,424 people. There was no significant damage reported to the buildings of this construction type in the 1977 earthquake.Consequently, this construction technique has continued to be practiced since the earthquake.The building described in this report was builtafter the 1977 earthquake, and has not been exposed to damaging earthquakes so far. | **Summary:** This multi-family urban housing construction was practiced in Romania between the 1960s and 1990s. The load-bearing system is a precast reinforced concrete large panel construction.Buildings of this type are typically highrises (10or 11 stories high), although there are also low to medium-rise buildings (4 to 8 stories high) of this construction type (with different structural details). In general, buildings of this type are of rectangular plan, with honeycomb ("fagure") layout, housing typically four apartments per floor. Wall panels are laid in both the longitudinal and the transverse direction. The panels are mechanically coupled at the base, with continuous vertical reinforcement bars.This region is well known as a seismically prone area, with the epicentre of damaging earthquakes close to Vrancea. Earthquakes with the Richter magnitude of over 7.0 occur on average every 30 years. Bucharest, the capital, is located around 150 km south of the epicentre and lies in the main direction of the propagation of seismic waves. The Bucharest area is located on the banks of the Dmbovita and Colentina rivers, on non homogenous alluvial soil deposits.During the earthquake of 4 March 1977 (Richter magnitude 7.2), over 30 buildings collapsed inBucharest, killing 1,424 people. There was no significant damage reported to the buildings of this construction type in the 1977 earthquake.Consequently, this construction technique has continued to be practiced since the earthquake.The building described in this report was builtafter the 1977 earthquake, and has not been exposed to damaging earthquakes so far. |
