This is the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (ASE) Building ASE II.  The building is one of many architecturally significant buildings in Bucharest that survived the destruction of World War II. Today itis occupied by the Department of Economic Studies in Foreign Languages, the Romanian-Canadian Institute, and the ASE Language Center.

Romania is a country of high seismic activity. The project team selected rubber bearings to prevent direct transmission of seismic motions to the building along with Taylor Devices’ Seismic Dampers to both absorb quake energy and reduce structural loads and deflections.  A total of eighteen dampers are used, each rated at up to 170 tons of output force. The first step in this retrofit was to cut the building away from its foundation and lift it with jacks to allow the rubber bearings to be installed.

On any retrofit of an historical structure, the first damper installed is used to verify the final attachment placement and fits. This damper needs some fresh paint from scraping along the concrete to work it into place.

Installation is complete in this segment of the basement. Work will continue until all eighteen dampers are installed and final installed lengths verified.

The damper install is now complete and I’m leaving beautiful Bucharest to head to the next structure being protected against seismic and/or windstorm inputs with Taylor Devices’ Dampers.