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Applied Sciences
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Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures
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Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Acoustics and Vibrations".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 12804

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Brando

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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Geology, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 65127 Pescara, Italy
Interests: steel structures; masonry structures; seismic engineering; seismic risk; cultural heritage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Giovanna Masciotta

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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Geology, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 65127 Pescara, Italy
Interests: masonry structures; dynamics; vibration analysis; structural health monitoring; seismic assessment of cultural heritage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Massimo Latour

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering / DICIV, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: seismic design; innovative materials; metal structures; advanced design; FE tools
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern architectural trends and languages adopted in recent decades in strongly urbanized areas have led to building constructions characterized by daring shapes and/or relevant heights. From a structural standpoint, for these buildings, earthquakes represent an impacting threat because of the lack of regularity, the influence of second-order effects related to significant slendernesses, and the huge masses that can be potentially excited along the height. Often, traditional construction technologies and conventional analysis methods are not sufficient, and an additional effort is required of designers for evaluating the suitability of these structures in withstanding seismic excitations.

Although for different reasons, the same type of issue concerns old, valuable existing buildings constituting in several countries the national cultural heritage, namely, monuments, religious buildings (churches, mosques, minarets, pagodas, stupas, etc.), noble palaces, museums, etc. These constructions are usually made of masonry and are characterized by the presence of recurrent structural elements that allow an easy interpretation of their structural behavior. However, the poor mechanical features and the scarce maintenance of the masonry materials, as well as the lack of those essential anti-seismic systems—for example, iron/timber ties—require strongly nonlinear analyses, possibly in the dynamic field, able to also capture those brittle failures arising even for low earthquake demands.

In the light of these remarks, with this Special Issue, we are interested in collecting papers promoting the use of advanced retrofitting techniques and sophisticated structural analysis methods to assess the seismic behavior of buildings with high architectural value. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • Application of nonlinear methods for tall buildings;
  • Seismic evaluation of complex building shapes;
  • New architectures seismically protected with special devices;
  • Seismic assessment of cultural heritage;
  • Advanced strengthening and retrofitting techniques.   

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Brando
Dr. Maria Giovanna Masciotta
Prof. Dr. Massimo Latour
Guest Editors

Short Biography

Giuseppe Brando is Associate Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Chieti-Pescara.
He published almost 200 research papers focused on diffenet topics. Among these, steel structures, seismic protection through dampers and seismi risk of cultural heritage are worthy of being mentioned. He is involved in several national and international research programs, which develop new strategies for the seismic risk mitigation at different scales. At the University of Chieti-Pescara He is part of the commitee for the Ph.D Program "Engineering, Earth and Planetary Science". He is also part of the SC9-TC250 sub-commitee, encharged to draft the new version of Eurocode 9.

Maria Giovanna Masciotta is Assistant Professor at the University “Gabriele d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara (Italy) and Research Associate at the Institute of Information Science and Technologies "A. Faedo" of the National Research Council, Pisa (Italy). In 2015 she obtained her dual-degree PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Minho (Portugal) and the University of “Gabriele d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, being therefore awarded with the mention of “Doctor Europaeus”. Between 2015 and 2019 she worked as a Post-Doc Researcher at the University of Minho within the Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE) and she was a lecturer in “Inspection & Diagnosis” of the International Masters in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions (SAHC). Maria Giovanna Masciotta's scientific research activity embraces the areas of inspection & diagnosis, NDT, dynamic testing, operational and experimental modal analyses, numerical modelling, structural health monitoring, damage identification, seismic vulnerability, maintenance and preventive conservation of built cultural heritage, having a track record of publications on these topics in both international peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • seismic nonlinear analysis
  • seismic protection
  • tall buildings
  • complex architectural shapes
  • cultural heritage
  • seismic strengthening

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 9764 KiB  
Article
The Effect of the Vertical Component of the Earthquake on a Regular Masonry Wall
by Guido Camata, Alice Di Primio, Vincenzo Sepe and Cristina Cantagallo
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 2459; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042459 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1395
Abstract
The effect of the vertical component of earthquakes on the structural behaviour of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls is usually not considered by technical codes for ordinary buildings. Recent scientific literature, however, indicates that the earthquake vertical component may play a significant role in [...] Read more.
The effect of the vertical component of earthquakes on the structural behaviour of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls is usually not considered by technical codes for ordinary buildings. Recent scientific literature, however, indicates that the earthquake vertical component may play a significant role in the crack pattern of URM walls and their collapse. This paper investigates the effect of the vertical seismic component on the capacity and damage scenario for a two-story regular URM wall, described with a detailed micro-modelling approach. Pushover and nonlinear time history analyses are carried out with and without the vertical component and under different dead loads representative of typical stress states for URM structures. The inter-story drift and roof drift ratios are introduced as Engineering Demand Parameters (EDPs), and their correlation with the Ground Motion Parameters (GMPs) of the horizontal and vertical components is discussed. The results show a very good correlation between the seismic demand and the GMPs of the vertical component, demonstrating the influence of the vertical component on the global seismic response. Moreover, the study shows that the influence of the vertical component increases with the vertical load applied to the structure, which indicates that the vertical ground motion component cannot be a priori neglected for URM walls when moderate to large vertical GMPs are expected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures)
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17 pages, 9255 KiB  
Article
Numerical Assessment of Interacting Structural Units on the Seismic Damage: A Comparative Analysis with Different Modeling Approaches
by Mattia Schiavoni, Ersilia Giordano, Francesca Roscini and Francesco Clementi
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020972 - 11 Jan 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1420
Abstract
The conservation of the historical and artistic heritage is one of the main priorities of Italian and international policy. The great variety of masonry buildings that make up this heritage is characterized by different combinations of materials and construction techniques. Then, several damage [...] Read more.
The conservation of the historical and artistic heritage is one of the main priorities of Italian and international policy. The great variety of masonry buildings that make up this heritage is characterized by different combinations of materials and construction techniques. Then, several damage scenarios could be observed as a result, requiring appropriate retrofitting interventions. A rather accurate structural behavior analysis, especially for horizontal load conditions, allows for elaborating a correct seismic assessment. Albeit there are various numerical tools available to examine them, each one’s process starts by means of certain assumptions that could not be applied indiscriminately. This paper aims to compare two different types of modeling techniques to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. To achieve this goal, an earthquake-damaged complex in Central Italy was chosen as a case study. The structure was modeled using a finite element (continuous) and a distinct element (discontinuous) method. Both approaches underwent a nonlinear dynamic analysis using the strong motions recorded during the 2016 seismic sequence. The results show that both approaches can evaluate the weak structural points. However, in some cases, the distinct element method appeared more accurate in reproducing the cracks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures)
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32 pages, 18789 KiB  
Article
An Overview of the Historical Retrofitting Interventions on Churches in Central Italy
by Giorgia Cianchino, Maria Giovanna Masciotta, Clara Verazzo and Giuseppe Brando
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010040 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1836
Abstract
The seismic sequence occurring in Central Italy in 2016 represents a new test benchmark for historical masonry churches and a chance for a better comprehension of their structural behavior under earthquake actions. The many earthquakes that took place in the past have led [...] Read more.
The seismic sequence occurring in Central Italy in 2016 represents a new test benchmark for historical masonry churches and a chance for a better comprehension of their structural behavior under earthquake actions. The many earthquakes that took place in the past have led to stratifications of repair and retrofitting interventions that sometimes worsened the structural behavior, especially when resulting in the introduction of elements not compatible with the churches’ original layout. Within this framework, the present paper intends to provide a critical review of the main interventions carried out in the churches of Central Italy for mitigating their seismic vulnerability and to evaluate their effectiveness in light of the damage surveyed on a representative sample of masonry churches after the 2016–2017 seismic sequence. The work is organized into three parts: (1) historical analysis of the territory; (2) review of the featured interventions; (3) critical appraisal of the interventions in relation to the surveyed data and assessment of their effectiveness. The goal of the work is to shed light on the correct design of retrofitting interventions in ancient masonry structures in order to enhance the structural safety of such artefacts without compromising their historical and cultural value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures)
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19 pages, 10167 KiB  
Article
Seismic Assessment and Retrofitting of an Historical Masonry Building Damaged during the 2016 Centro Italia Seismic Event
by Marco Zucca, Emanuele Reccia, Nicola Longarini and Antonio Cazzani
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(22), 11789; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122211789 - 20 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1493
Abstract
The preservation and definition of the correct retrofitting interventions of historic masonry buildings represents a relevant topic nowadays, especially in a country characterized by high seismicity zones. Considering the Italian Cultural Heritage, most of these buildings are constructed in ancient unreinforced masonry (URM) [...] Read more.
The preservation and definition of the correct retrofitting interventions of historic masonry buildings represents a relevant topic nowadays, especially in a country characterized by high seismicity zones. Considering the Italian Cultural Heritage, most of these buildings are constructed in ancient unreinforced masonry (URM) and showed a high level of vulnerability during the recent 2009 (L’Aquila), 2012 (Emilia Romagna) and 2016 (Centro Italia) earthquakes. In this paper, the seismic assessment of an historic masonry building damaged during 2016 Centro Italia seismic event is presented considering different types of retrofitting interventions. Starting from the results obtained by the post-earthquake survey, different finite element models have been implemented to perform linear and non-linear analyses useful to understand the seismic behaviour of the building and to define the appropriate retrofitting interventions. In particular, reinforced plaster layer and cement-based grout injections have been applied in each masonry wall of the building in order to improve their horizontal load-bearing capacity, and an additional wall made with Poroton blocks and M10 cement mortar has been built adjacent to the central stairwell. In addition, in view of the need to replace the roof seriously damaged during the seismic event, a cross-laminated roof solution characterized by a thickness equal to 14 cm (composed by seven layers, each 2 cm thick) has been proposed. The results show that the proposed retrofitting interventions have led to a significant improvement in the seismic behaviour of the building. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures)
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13 pages, 2500 KiB  
Article
Three-Dimensional Modeling of Soil-Structure Interaction for a Bridge Founded on Caissons under Seismic Conditions
by Davide Pauselli, Diana Salciarini and Filippo Ubertini
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10904; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110904 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1872
Abstract
In recent years, the urgent need to increase the safety standards of viaducts and bridges—under static and dynamic loading conditions—has required the development of advanced modeling approaches able to accurately predict the expected behavior of such infrastructures in a reliable manner. This paper [...] Read more.
In recent years, the urgent need to increase the safety standards of viaducts and bridges—under static and dynamic loading conditions—has required the development of advanced modeling approaches able to accurately predict the expected behavior of such infrastructures in a reliable manner. This paper presents a comparison between the adoption of a simplified modeling approach, widely used in the current practice, where the response of the structural system neglects the effects of the soil-structure interaction (SSI) phenomenon (considering the base of the structure fixed at the ground surface) and a rigorous modeling approach that considers the full 3D problem with all the components of the system (superstructure, foundation, and soil), through a finite element model. The pier of a real-world viaduct in central Italy was considered, with the aim of starting from a specific case study with foundation characteristics that are frequently found in viaducts in Italy, to obtain results that can be generalized to a wide range of similar types. Its behavior was evaluated both in the dynamic range of small oscillations and in the field of the seismic response to low and strong motion events. The results show that, in terms of seismic demand, the fixed-based model appears more conservative, but it significantly underestimates both elastic and residual displacements and rotations Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures)
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26 pages, 9270 KiB  
Article
Design Proposal for Masonry Infill Walls Subject to Seismic Actions
by João Leite, Paulo B. Lourenço and Nuno Mendes
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(1), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010503 - 5 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1734
Abstract
Several factors influence the behaviour of masonry infilled frames, which have been the subject of previous research with moderate success. The new generation of European design standards imposes the need to prevent the brittle collapse of infills and makes the structural engineer accountable [...] Read more.
Several factors influence the behaviour of masonry infilled frames, which have been the subject of previous research with moderate success. The new generation of European design standards imposes the need to prevent the brittle collapse of infills and makes the structural engineer accountable for this requirement, yet it fails to provide sufficient information for masonry infill design. The present study aimed to compare experimental results with the provisions of the standard for the computation of the demand and capacity of infilled frames. Three reinforced concrete buildings with different infill solutions were constructed at a 1:1.5 scale. The infill walls were tested until collapse, or severe damage, using the shake table of the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, Portugal, and their response was measured using accelerometers attached to the walls. The European normative standard provides results close to the experimental ones as far as demand and capacity are concerned. Based on the experiments, two design proposals for infill walls are presented here, one for the definition of the natural frequency of the infills, and another for a reduction factor to account for the presence of openings in the out-of-plane capacity of infills. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures)
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Review

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21 pages, 9049 KiB  
Review
Seismic Analysis of Slender Monumental Structures: Current Strategies and Challenges
by Maria Giovanna Masciotta and Paulo B. Lourenço
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(14), 7340; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12147340 - 21 Jul 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2078
Abstract
The preservation and seismic risk mitigation of built cultural heritage is considered today as a major priority in the international political agenda. Among the great variety of heritage structures spread worldwide, masonry towers belong to one of the most vulnerable categories against earthquake [...] Read more.
The preservation and seismic risk mitigation of built cultural heritage is considered today as a major priority in the international political agenda. Among the great variety of heritage structures spread worldwide, masonry towers belong to one of the most vulnerable categories against earthquake actions due to their morphological and material singularity. The proper understanding of the structural behavior of these artefacts at the micro, meso and macro scales, combined with a thorough knowledge of the best analysis practices deriving from the shared experience of the scientific community working in this field, is a fundamental prerequisite to appropriately address their seismic assessment. In this context, the present work offers an extensive discussion on the major challenges that slender monumental towers pose in terms of characterization of their actual behavior under seismic actions. A critical appraisal of the principal analysis methods applicable to the study of these structures is also presented along with a brief review of the existing modelling strategies for their numerical representation. Relevant examples are discussed in support of each argument. In spite of being a relatively young discipline, earthquake engineering has made remarkable progress in the last years and appropriate modi operandi have been consolidating to tackle the seismic assessment of unconventional systems, such as slender heritage structures. The work is conceived in a format of interest for both practitioners and researchers approaching the seismic assessment of this type of structures, and for those in need of an overall practical review of the topic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Seismic Evaluation of Relevant Architectures)
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