Evaluation of the dynamic response for a historic byzantine crossed-dome church through block-joint and kinematic analysis

Abstract

The protection of historic masonry structures against earthquakes constitutes a rather complex problem. The calculation of their anticipated response involves significant difficulties, such as the selection of the proper simulation in conjunction with the measurement of the materials mechanical properties. In the present research the central church (Catholicon or Katholikó) of the Monastery of Kaisariani located on a hillside at the foot of Mount Hymettus on the east of Athens, Greece, is selected as a case study of a historic structure to study its seismic response. The Catholicon is a Byzantine crossed-dome church constructed during the 11th/12th centuries. Full survey and detailed in-situ and laboratory tests were carried out by the multidisciplinary team of an on-going research program in order to document its geometry, the construction details and the mechanical properties of the constituent materials. The current condition of the structure and its seismic behavior were assessed by means of a block-joint and kinematic analysis. Specifically, the stability of selected macroelements was evaluated through (a) pushover analysis applied to block-joint models of arches and vaults and (b) kinematic analysis of rigid bodies. The investigation was performed within the research project "Seismic Protection of Monuments and Historic Structures - SEISMO" which is co-financed by the Greek Ministry of Education and Religions and the European Union under the action "Thales" within the context of the Operational Programme - Education and Lifelong Learning, NSRF 2007-2013.