Post-Earthquake Analysis, Retrofit, and Future Performance of the Centinela Building

In April 2016, a Mw 7.8 earthquake struck the coast of Ecuador, causing major destruction in the cities located near the epicenter. Most of the residential buildings did not collapse but they experienced substantial damage of the non-structural components and some structural elements. The design for life safety and collapse prevention criteria were satisfied; however, the damage level prohibited their subsequent occupancy. As a result, all social activities of the affected cities cannot normalize until this infrastructure is reconstructed. In this paper, the Centinela building, a structure affected by the earthquake, is investigated to determine the damage level and retrofit alternatives. In addition, a risk assessment is conducted to predict the response of the building during future events, considering both the structural and non-structural components. In the future, these types of assessments may serve as a decision-making tool for government agencies and owners.