Vulnerability assessment of precast industrial facilities

Precast concrete industrial frame buildings host many workers and a substantial share of the productive activities of the countries where they are spread, some of which characterized by high seismic hazard. After introducing their evolution and their most typical structural arrangements, their performances and the failure modes observed through past earthquakes are described. The peculiarities governing their seismic behavior, including column flexibility and second order effects, role of frame connections, diaphragm stiffness, role of cladding panel connections or infill walls, and presence of overhead crane, are presented. Possible retrofit strategies are finally presented and critically commented.