Publication
Assessment of seismic vulnerability of vernacular buildings in urban centers: the case study of Vila Real de Santo Antonio
| Summary: | Vernacular buildings are vulnerable to seismic action ascribed to inadequate past interventions, as seismic–resistant measures were often incorporated within the original structural system and constructive techniques. The term, Local Seismic Culture, is associated with specific seismic–resistant measures that a local community have been adopted and evolved throughout its history. In the growth of modern construction techniques and materials, however, it is a challenge to conserve its practice. Besides, the negligence of the effectiveness of the specific resistant measures is fostered by the long recurrence interval of great intensity seismic events. An historical center in Portugal, Vila Real de Santo Antonio, illustrates these issues from an urban scale to individual building blocks. As an new city built after the 1755 devastating earthquake, its urban plan and building construction followed the seismic mitigation approaches named after the Marquis of Pombal. Nevertheless, in the last two centuries, the seismic–resistant measures in this region have been altered or erased from the intended functionality. It is thus important to raise awareness of the seismic resistance and effectiveness that the original constructive methodology provided. In this study, a masonry building aggregate, the Alfândega block in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, located in the south region of Portugal, was chosen as a case study for the assessment of the seismic vulnerability based on a nonlinear static (pushover) analysis. Four numerical models were used to assess the seismic vulnerability of the structure as isolated buildings and as an aggregate block. The analyses demonstrated that the global behavior of this type of construction are interdependent of the constituted buildings in a complex manner. Generalization of the seismic behavior of such construction type should be averted. A parametric study of floor beam stiffness was also included in order to provide insight for future interventions. It was found that higher stiffness of floor system resulted a higher capacity and lower level of damages present in structure. |
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| Main Authors: | U Cheng Vong |
| Subject: | Engenharia e Tecnologia::Engenharia Civil |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Document type: | master thesis |
| Access type: | open access |
| Associated institution: | Universidade do Minho |
| Language: | English |
| Origin: | RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho |
| Summary: | Vernacular buildings are vulnerable to seismic action ascribed to inadequate past interventions, as seismic–resistant measures were often incorporated within the original structural system and constructive techniques. The term, Local Seismic Culture, is associated with specific seismic–resistant measures that a local community have been adopted and evolved throughout its history. In the growth of modern construction techniques and materials, however, it is a challenge to conserve its practice. Besides, the negligence of the effectiveness of the specific resistant measures is fostered by the long recurrence interval of great intensity seismic events. An historical center in Portugal, Vila Real de Santo Antonio, illustrates these issues from an urban scale to individual building blocks. As an new city built after the 1755 devastating earthquake, its urban plan and building construction followed the seismic mitigation approaches named after the Marquis of Pombal. Nevertheless, in the last two centuries, the seismic–resistant measures in this region have been altered or erased from the intended functionality. It is thus important to raise awareness of the seismic resistance and effectiveness that the original constructive methodology provided. In this study, a masonry building aggregate, the Alfândega block in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, located in the south region of Portugal, was chosen as a case study for the assessment of the seismic vulnerability based on a nonlinear static (pushover) analysis. Four numerical models were used to assess the seismic vulnerability of the structure as isolated buildings and as an aggregate block. The analyses demonstrated that the global behavior of this type of construction are interdependent of the constituted buildings in a complex manner. Generalization of the seismic behavior of such construction type should be averted. A parametric study of floor beam stiffness was also included in order to provide insight for future interventions. It was found that higher stiffness of floor system resulted a higher capacity and lower level of damages present in structure. |
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