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Volume :27 Issue : 2 2000
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Behaviour of structural systems in residential buildings due to war damage caused by the Iraqi invasion
Auther : J. AL-DUAIJ*, H. AL S. FEREIG* AND T.A. AWIDA**
* Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering & Petroleum, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
**Structural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Am Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
ABSTRACT
The damage inflicted to buildings in Kuwait as a result of the Iraqi invasion and subsequent occupation before liberation required comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the safety for all supporting structural systems as a whole. Structural safety and cost dictated the feasibility of solutions which included repair, partial replacement, or complete demolition and rebuilding. The present study is a report of buildings surveyed by the authors as requested by the governmental authorities. The performance of their structural systems was examined under such abnormal loading (fire and/or shelling) as was carried out. A detailed description of case studies representing the behaviour of each system under fire and shelling is reported herein. Conclusions are made about the reliability of such structures and considerations for the construction industry.
Keywords: abnormal loading (fire and shelling); damage assessment; infill walls; RC frame structures.