Waidfussweg
The Waidfussweg residential development in Zurich comprises several residential buildings dating from 1935 and 1950. An initial seismic assessment of the development was carried out in 2017.
In 2025, LEO Consulting performed an updated assessment, incorporating newly collected expansion joint data and applying nonlinear analysis methods.
As part of the investigation, the actual widths of the expansion joints were first measured on site and incorporated into the structural models. The structure was then assessed under seismic loading as a spatially connected system.
The analysis covered both the global structural behaviour of the buildings and local mechanisms, such as the out-of-plane behaviour of masonry walls, particularly in areas with timber floor structures. The use of nonlinear methods allowed for a more realistic representation of the inelastic behaviour of the masonry and a more differentiated assessment of the available structural reserves.