Advancing Seismic Retrofitting: Unveiling the Impact of Shape Memory Alloys on Structural Resilience and Beyond

Reinforced concrete (RC) buildings face significant risks from natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes, necessitating prompt maintenance and retrofitting. This study explores the application of shape memory alloys (SMAs) as a promising retrofitting technique, leveraging their unique attributes such as super elasticity and shape memory effect. This research focuses on seismic retrofitting with SMAs, aiming to address gaps in understanding their behaviour under extreme loading conditions, such as seismic or impact loading. Employing a comprehensive methodology, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses, the study reviews relevant literature, categorizes key aspects, and conducts a comparative analysis of the selected papers. The investigated SMA applications include shear walls, frames, columns, and beam-column joints (BCJ). A comparative analysis was conducted for the aforementioned elements with residual HZ drift as the controlling parameter. Results indicate that SMA usage at lower levels can extend a structure’s fundamental period and reduce seismic energy transmission to higher floors. The study identifies effective retrofitting techniques, with enhancing coupled beams in shear walls emerging as the most promising (34mm residual drift), showcasing superior deflection reduction. Moreover, the investigation recommends future research directions, emphasizing the need for 3D analyses and how to create a semi-experimental environment, and exploration of SMA applications in seismic retrofitting. The study’s holistic approach provides valuable insights into state-of-the-art seismic retrofitting with SMAs, offering a foundation for future advancements and orientation for enhancing structures’ resilience against dynamic and extreme forces using SMA.