Author(s)

M. Betti & A. Vignoli

Abstract

In this paper a basilica-type church is analysed in order to assess its structural behaviour and its seismic vulnerability with respect to the actual state of conservation. A quasi-static approach for the evaluation of the seismic loads have been used (as indeed is common in many analyses of the seismic behaviour of masonry structures). The comparison demand vs. capacity confirms the susceptibility of this type of building to extensive damage and possibly to collapse, as is frequently observed. Keyword: masonry, earthquake loading, non-linear analysis, FE modelling, identification, seismic vulnerability. 1 Introduction Church buildings, which represent a large portion of the Italian cultural heritage, have demonstrated during the past to be particularly susceptible to damage and prone to partial or total collapse under earthquake loads. The high seismic vulnerability of this type of building is due both to the particular configuration (often characterized by open space, slender walls, lack of effective connections among the structural elements) and to the mechanical properties of the masonry material (highly non-linear behaviour and very small tensile strength). If in principle, the prediction of the structural response of monumental buildings is not different from that of other constructed facilities (e.g. a bridge) it is an even more challenging task for several reasons. Each monumental building is by definition a unique building characterised by its own history, often resulting in a composite mixture of added or substituted structural elements, strongly interacting; the dynamic (and static, for that matter) behaviour of ancient

Keywords

masonry, earthquake loading, non-linear analysis, FE modelling, identification, seismic vulnerability.