Structural safety of colonial stone masonry buildings is severely jeopardized in most parts of Mexico by earthquakes and by ground subsidence. The situation is particularly severe in Mexico City where subsidence has been aggravated by excessive extraction of underground water. Despite of frequent rehabilitations, cumulative damage caused by differential settlements through the centuries has led many of these structures to a critical condition. This article provides a general description of the causes of differential settlements and their effects, reviews the new techniques developed and validated in Mexico City for correcting historic trends of differential settlements, and comments on the methods for improving structural behavior. Recent rehabilitations performed in two buildings are briefly described, emphasizing the criteria and techniques adopted and the underlying studies and analyses. The complexity of the actions to be taken and the basis of the supporting studies are outlined, with the conclusion that adequate performance of these buildings in the long term can only be achieved if the rate of regional settlement is significantly reduced by diminishing extraction of underground water.
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