The 1985 Mexican earthquake left a large number of damaged reinforced concrete buildings which appear to be suitable for repair and strengthening. This project will conduct a coordinated research effort with engineers in Mexico City that will be involved in reconstruction activities. The reconstruction process will provide an opportunity for the U.S earthquake engineering community to observe first-hand, a large-scale effort to determine the condition of buildings suffering various degrees of damage, assess the existing strength and design schemes to provide strength required by current codes, and review the construction procedures utilized as they pertain to U.S. practice. The research will use the results of experimental work at the University of Texas. Involvement by projects will be established to ensure that the work undertaken is pertinent to U.S. structures.
