Journal ArticleDOI
Seismic performance of a block of buildings representative of the typical construction in the Eixample district in Barcelona (Spain)
TLDR
In this paper, two typical central buildings and one typical corner building are modeled as C1, C2, and E buildings and a capacity spectrum based method is used to analyze the seismic behavior of these buildings considered as individual buildings and as an aggregate.Abstract:
Between the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, Barcelona was expanded, occupying the terrains connecting the old walled city and the nearby towns of the plateau of Barcelona. At that time, a large number of unreinforced masonry buildings were constructed and nowadays many of them are still used as dwellings. Though built individually, these buildings are connected to adjacent buildings, forming blocks composed of aggregates. In order to analyze the seismic behavior of isolated buildings and aggregates, two typical central buildings and one typical corner building have been chosen. The two central buildings and the corner building are referred as C1, C2, and E buildings. Two corner buildings and two central buildings have been connected in order to simulate a block side. This aggregate is referred as AGG and it is composed by the following sequence of individual buildings: E-C1-C2-E. Original plans and drawings of existing buildings are then used to model these buildings. The modeled buildings have five stories. Standard pushover analyses lead to evaluate their seismic performance by means of capacity spectra and fragility curves. The analysis has been carried out in the parallel (Ux) and transversal (Uy) directions to the street. Then, a capacity spectrum based method is used to analyze the seismic behavior of these buildings considered as individual buildings and as an aggregate. Two earthquake scenarios are considered. The first one is a deterministic scenario which is based on a historical earthquake occurred in 1,824, 25 km away from the city and the second one is a probabilistic scenario, which represents the ground motion with a probability of occurrence of 10% in 50 years. The soil local effects have been also considered and both scenarios have been used to assess the expected damage. Four non-null damage states are considered: slight (1), moderate (2), severe (3) and extensive-to-collapse (4). For the type of soil where most of the buildings are, and in the Ux direction, the four buildings show a similar behavior. The mean damage grade is 2.3 for the deterministic scenario and 2.7 for the probabilistic one. This means that moderate to severe damage is expected in both cases; furthermore, in the case of the deterministic scenario more than 10% of the buildings would suffer extensive-to-collapse damage and nearly 20% for the probabilistic scenario, confirming the high vulnerability of such buildings. The differences in the expected damage are due to the significant different characteristics of the response spectra of the earthquake scenarios in the range of the fundamental periods of the buildings.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Theoretical and Numerical Seismic Analysis of Masonry Building Aggregates: Case Studies in San Pio Delle Camere (L’Aquila, Italy)
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple methodology to forecast the masonry aggregate seismic response has been set up, calibrated on the results of two FEM structural analysis programs used to investigate three masonry building compounds.
Journal ArticleDOI
Predictive model for the seismic vulnerability assessment of small historic centres: Application to the inner Abruzzi Region in Italy
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented a predictive model for assessing the seismic vulnerability of small historic centres based on information collected in the aftermath of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake and calibrated the model on the basis of simple observations on the buildings' structural features.
Journal ArticleDOI
Historical masonry building aggregates: advanced numerical insight for an effective seismic assessment on two row housing compounds
TL;DR: In this paper, the seismic response of two complex historical masonry aggregates located in Sora (Lazio region, Central Italy), through advanced 3D FE numerical simulations, is investigated in the nonlinear dynamic range, assuming that masonry behaves as a damaging-plastic material with almost vanishing tensile strength.
Journal ArticleDOI
Seismic vulnerability enhancement of medieval and masonry bell towers externally prestressed with unbonded smart tendons
TL;DR: In this article, an approach for the seismic vulnerability reduction of masonry towers with external prestressing is proposed, where the devices are vertically and externally located in order to be removable when needed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Capacity, fragility and damage in reinforced concrete buildings: a probabilistic approach
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the use of simplified deterministic nonlinear static procedures for assessing the seismic response of buildings and evaluated the influence that the uncertainties in the mechanical properties of the materials and in the features of the seismic actions have in the uncertainties of the structural response.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Macroseismic and mechanical models for the vulnerability and damage assessment of current buildings
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed both vulnerability and capacity curves with reference to an assumed typological classification system; moreover, their cross-validation is presented in the paper and the parameters of the two methods and the steps for their operative implementation are provided.
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Damage models for the seismic response of brick masonry shear walls. part ii: the continuum model and its applications
TL;DR: In this article, the authors applied the damage model for mortar joints to an extended approach for the evaluation of the lateral response of in-plane loaded brick masonry shear walls, based on the simplifying assumption of an equivalent stratified medium made up of layers representative of the mortar bed joints and of the brick units and head joints.
Journal ArticleDOI
Urban Seismic Risk Evaluation: A Holistic Approach
TL;DR: The proposed general method of urban risk evaluation is multi hazard and holistic, that is, an integrated and comprehensive approach to guide decision-making on the potential physical damage and physical vulnerability of buildings and infrastructure when a hazard event strikes an urban centre.
Journal ArticleDOI
Seismic damage evaluation in urban areas using the capacity spectrum method: Application to Barcelona
TL;DR: The vulnerability of the buildings is significant in Barcelona and, therefore, in spite of the low-to-moderate seismic hazard in the region, the expected seismic risk is considerable.
Journal ArticleDOI
Seismic vulnerability and risk evaluation methods for urban areas. A review with application to a pilot area
Alex H. Barbat,M. L. Carreño,Lluis Pujades,Nieves Lantada,Omar D. Cardona,Mabel C. Marulanda +5 more
TL;DR: The most relevant seismic vulnerability and risk analysis methods are discussed and compared in this article using, as a pilot urban area, the city of Barcelona, Spain, where risk studies have been carried out over the last 15 years in the framework of different research projects.