Dynamic identification and seismic analysis of the "Serra do Pilar" monastery church

Abstract

This paper presents part of the work developed for the seismic behavior study of an ancient structure, over 400 years old. The church structure was numerically modeled via the finite element method, using a three dimensional model with parameters calibrated by experimental testing. In situ and laboratory tests on extracted samples were performed, and dynamic tests were carried out for modal identification and structural stiffness calibration. The seismic analysis was performed in two calculation phases, under the action of artificially generated accelerograms representative of the local seismicity. Results of linear elastic dynamic calculations allowed the global behavior to be analyzed and provided the input for more detailed local analyses of structural parts where the non-linear behavior was considered. Finally, the seismic vulnerability of the structure is briefly addressed and discussed.