Numerical Simulation of the Dynamic and Earthquake Behaviour of Greek Post-Byzantine Churches

Abstract eng:
A series of linear and non-linear numerical simulations are presented of the dynamic and earthquake behaviour of post-Byzantine churches in Greece. They are made of masonry including a dome and a cruciform vaulting system. The peripheral walls include apses and a variety of door and window openings. Two such churches were selected with a large number of geometrical and structural features in common. The first is Agia Triada in Drakotrypa, in the prefecture of Karditsa, and the second is the Metamorfosi tou Sotiros, in Zavorda, in the prefecture of Grevena. The later was subjected to a damaging earthquake sequence (1995) and is undergoing repair. The linear numerical simulation focuses on the influence that certain parts have on the dynamic behaviour, such as the dome, the vaulting, the tympana, the apses and the door and window openings. The demands, in terms of normal and shear stresses, predicted by the linear numerical simulation, are utilized with a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion to quantify the capacity of the stone masonry. The non-linear numerical simulation attempts to predict the initiation and propagation of failure at various masonry structural elements by applying the combination of gravitational and seismic forces with a modified Von-Misses failure envelope. A step-by-step incremental analysis approach is adopted with imposed patterns of horizontal displacements similar to the fundamental modal shapes. The initiation and propagation of failure together with the corresponding load-displacement curves are presented and discussed. The actual formation of seismic damage is utilized to validate the realism of the numerical predictions.

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