Seismic Vulnerability of Historical Brick Masonry Towers

Abstract eng:
Response of historical masonry towers to earthquake loading is somewhat different to that of other old buildings, mainly due to their material properties and unique geometry. In this paper, first the effects of these parameters on the dynamic properties of brick towers are explored. The influence of underlying soil on the dynamic response of the towers is also investigated. Then, considering two further variables, including earthquake magnitude and distance of the tower from the epicenter, the seismic vulnerability of historical masonry towers is evaluated with respect to the five aforementioned variables. It is concluded that the effects of underlying soil on the degree of vulnerability of the tower is profound. It is also shown that the distance of the tower from the epicenter and the geometric aspect ratio of the tower are also important parameters when evaluating the vulnerability of such structures to earthquake loading.

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