Seismic evaluation and innovative retrofit of a historical building in Tunisia

Abstract

This paper summarizes work conducted within the framework of a European Commission funded project on the use of appropriate modern seismic protective systems in the conservation of Mediterranean historical buildings in earthquake‐prone areas. The case study is the one‐and‐a‐half‐century‐old Palace of Ksar Said, located near the Capital of Tunisia. At the center of the palace, a collection of portraits and furniture are preserved in a room of great architectural and historical value which is the most precious part of the building to be protected. Ambient vibration tests were conducted to measure the acceleration at selected locations of the building. Output‐only modal identification techniques were applied to extract the modal signature of the structure. A finite element model of the palace was elaborated based on the measured characteristics of stone and mortar and updated according to its measured vibratory response. Seismic vulnerability assessment of the building was carried out via three‐dimensional time‐history dynamic analyses of the structure. Results indicate a high vulnerability that confirms the need for intervention. A retrofit scheme is proposed that consists of a steel frame directly, attached to the portrait room structure with added fluid viscous dampers. Vulnerability assessment of the retrofitted building reveals a substantial improvement especially in the vicinity of the portrait room. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Damage assessment of Nepal heritage through ambient vibration analysis and visual inspection

“…The evaluation of seismic damage, when supported by diagnostic tests, is a necessary tool to acquire the characteristics of a building, to identify its weaknesses, and to understand what are the best solutions to be implemented [16][17][18] . The knowledge of a building is essential to define the necessary action and intervention to improve the seismic capacity of the building [19][20][21] . For this reason, the diagnostic, especially non-destructive tests [22][23][24] , plays a fundamental role 25,26 .…”

The 2001 Infornortics Search Engine Meeting

“…Most of the examples of retrofitting with energy dissipation devices involve steel moment‐resisting frames33–36 or reinforced concrete frames7, 37–40.…”

“…El‐Borgi et al 40 present a study for the seismic retrofitting of a 1500‐years old palace located near the Capital of Tunisia. The proposed retrofit scheme consists of a steel frame directly attached to the structure with added fluid viscous dampers.…”

Non-destructive testing for the analysis of moisture in the masonry arch bridge of Lubians (Spain)

“…In the last decades, societies have developed a growing concern for the conservation, protection and enhancement of historical monuments. These facts have led to the use of non‐destructive testing (NDT) for their evaluation, as it does not alter the condition of the structure , which is a prerequisite when choosing a technique, given their historical character .…”