Outline of 3Q Series and lntroduction of Projects Using 3Q Series

Japan is under high risks to encounter big earthquakes and it has been shown that the existing buildings with a low performance of seismic resistance are likely to be severely damaged in case of big earthquakes. To save the lives and properties in these buildings, seismic retrofitting is obligatory on the owners of the buildings and the society. The retrofitting of a building usually involves noise, vibration and dust during the work which means the occupants are unable to stay in the building and are required to relocate. It has been a major reason to dissuade building owners from retrofitting the buildings. This paper introduces a series of retrofitting techniques called 3Q series. 3Q series minimise the impacts on occupants and allows retrofitting without relocation of occupants. This paper also introduces some retrofitting projects using 3Q series including the retrofitting of some historically valuable buildings.