ANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE SEISMIC BEHAVIOR OF NON‑STANDARD REINFORCED MASONRY HOUSES RETROFITTED WITH CROSSED FERROCEMENT LAYERS

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, where many reinforced masonry (RM) houses are built without complying with seismic-resistant building standards. These non-standard RM houses are highly vulnerable to severe damage or sudden collapse during strong earthquakes. This study presents a numerical analysis of a retrofitting method for non-standard RM  houses using a ferrocement layer with a cross system on the walls. The research involved modeling a 1:4 scaled model of an actual damaged RM house in West Pasaman, Indonesia, using ETABS V.22 software, and applying time-history earthquake loads at acceleration levels of 0.3 g, 0.6 g, 1.0 g, and 1.5 g. The results show that retrofitted non-standard RM houses experience smaller maximum tensile stresses compared to non-retrofitted ones under all earthquake acceleration levels. The reduction in tensile stress indicates that the crossed ferrocement layer effectively improves wall stability and prevents severe damage. This strengthening method can be implemented without demolishing existing structures, making it a cost-effective and practical solution for reducing seismic risks in vulnerable housing.