Publication

Seismic Retrofit of Existing Structures Based on Digital Surveying, Non-Destructive Testing and Nonlinear Structural Analysis: The Case of Gjirokastra Castle in Albania

Savvas Saloustros
2022
Journal paper
Abstract

The present paper showcases the work carried out as part of the seismic retrofit of the Ottoman fortress of Gjirokastra, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Albania. The need for strengthening and retrofitting the structure stems from the fact that it is situated in a region of high seismicity and showed signs of structural distress at the time of investigation. The hill on which the castle is built also has stability issues. The seismic retrofit focused on a damaged stone masonry tower of the fortress and was designed following a comprehensive methodology for the inspection, diagnosis and geotechnical and structural analyses. Through the use of non-destructive tests, the existing soil conditions, the material properties and composition and the dynamic behaviour of the tower were assessed. Nonlinear finite element analysis was used to establish the cause of the existing damage and to determine the most effective strengthening solutions. The findings of the investigation revealed potential causes of the observed damage as well as the need to carry out retrofitting works at the tower beyond ground improvement solutions to bring the performance of the structure up to the code-specified level. This paper highlights the importance of planning and coordination between all the relevant disciplines involved in the project, so that apt inspection and diagnostic tools can be used to fill in the gaps where information is missing and to design optimal and integrated structural interventions in historic structures. Satisfactory seismic performance can be obtained by using a combination of retrofitting techniques, which specifically target the weak elements identified via the analyses.

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Ontological neighbourhood
Related concepts (34)
Seismic retrofit
Seismic retrofitting is the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. With better understanding of seismic demand on structures and with our recent experiences with large earthquakes near urban centers, the need of seismic retrofitting is well acknowledged. Prior to the introduction of modern seismic codes in the late 1960s for developed countries (US, Japan etc.) and late 1970s for many other parts of the world (Turkey, China etc.
Earthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that designs and analyzes structures, such as buildings and bridges, with earthquakes in mind. Its overall goal is to make such structures more resistant to earthquakes. An earthquake (or seismic) engineer aims to construct structures that will not be damaged in minor shaking and will avoid serious damage or collapse in a major earthquake. A properly engineered structure does not necessarily have to be extremely strong or expensive.
Seismic analysis
Seismic analysis is a subset of structural analysis and is the calculation of the response of a building (or nonbuilding) structure to earthquakes. It is part of the process of structural design, earthquake engineering or structural assessment and retrofit (see structural engineering) in regions where earthquakes are prevalent. As seen in the figure, a building has the potential to 'wave' back and forth during an earthquake (or even a severe wind storm). This is called the 'fundamental mode', and is the lowest frequency of building response.
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