Evaluación estructural del edificio "Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana", Núcleo del Guayas.

Abstract

This research evaluated the seismic performance of a heritage building using the acceptance criteria of ASCE/SEI 41-17 and the Ecuadorian Construction Standard (NEC-15). Due to the absence of in situ testing, a knowledge level of KL-1 and a knowledge factor of k = 0.75 were adopted. Based on the structural model, the existing conditions of the building were represented, and its response to seismic actions was evaluated. The maximum drifts obtained were 0.9% for Life Safety (LS) and 1.7% for Collapse Prevention (CP), both below the 2.00% limit. Likewise, the P-Δ effects and torsional irregularity met the criteria established by NEC-15. For the Life Safety, the beams do not meet the acceptance criteria. Rectangular and square columns meet all the checks in X (18 out of 18), although in Y the compliance drops to 15 out of 18. Circular ones, on the other hand, barely reach 1 out of 3 in X and none in Y. This same trend is repeated in Collapse Prevention: 14 of 18 in X and 11 of 18 in Y for the rectangular and square sections, in the face of a total breach of the circulars in both directions. These results confirm that not all elements comply with the requirements of the ASCE/SEI 41-17 standard, with circular columns being the most critical. Therefore, it is recommended to propose structural intervention measures that improve their performance