M. A. Sherafati - Lecturer of civil engineering, Shiraz lA University,Shiraz, Iran
A. R. Mahdizadeh - Ph.D. candidate, State Organization of Schools Renovation, Tehran, Iran

Following the destructive bam earthquake of 2003, the Iranian Govenunent initiated a vast program of seismic retrofitting for existing school buildings throughout the country. Based on the obtained experiences, Seismic vulnerability and rehabilitation studies for each of thousands of existing schools throughout the country, needs a long-tenn period of time and would make the project with limited budget, unachievable in the defined period. For this reason a research team which the authors of this article were members of, started an investigation into the introduction and use of some new and typicalmethods for retrofitting of common type of buildings that would result in higher performance of structures and save the occupant lives in probable future earthquakes. Unreinforced masoruy buildings which are widely constructed in urban areas of Iran and in many other countries are the most commontype. Existing unreinforced masoruy buildings, especially those constructed before the enforcement of enhanced seismic codes, have long been recognized as the structures vulnerable to earthquakes. An advantageous method for retrofitting of this type of construction is safe room. In this method steel elements such as beams and columns are added inside masoruy building rooms to bear the weight of the roof and walls after the structure failure and save the residents. Tiris article is the report of this method along with the scientific base and gained experience

Safe Room, Typical Retrofitting, Masoruy Buildings