Presenting a Rapid Method to Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings in Iran

A high effort for the seismic evaluation of existing buildings has been undertaken during the recent decades. Nevertheless, due to the diversity of the buildings and the complexity of the various effective parameters on the seismic vulnerability of the buildings, preparation and compilation of the required standards are very difficult. For this purpose, in this paper, after reviewing the guidelines for rapid visual screening evaluation of the existing buildings as well as a systematic sampling of 116 buildings in Tehran based on a professional experience of professors and engineers in the related field, a rapid method for the seismic evaluation of existing buildings is presented. The questionnaire prepared for this purpose includes information related to the foundation and the soil, structural and architectural issues, connections, infill walls hue mechanical and electrical facility of the building. Using Delphi method, the experts’ opinions were employed to establish the weight factors for the list of the subjects considered in the questionnaire.