Stiffness deterioration measured on a steel-reinforced concrete building

Earthquake observations and microtremor measurements were conducted on a 12-storey steel-reinforced concrete building just after its completion. Marked stiffness deterioration was observed over the following five-year period, during which time several earthquakes were recorded and two additional series of microtremor measurements were made. The large contribution made by non-structural elements (especially the curtain walls that cover all sides of the building) to the apparent stiffness of the entire building was lost during this period. Both ageing effects and stiffness reductions depend greatly on the amplitude of the structural response of this building.