Análisis estructural de la torre del homenaje de la Alhambra de Granada (España)

Abstract

This paper aim, on one hand, to describe the structural response of "Homenaje Tower", one of the towers of the Historical Complex of the Alhambra, in Granada (Spain) and, on the other hand, to look over the different techniques used in the structural analysis of historical buildings, applying them to the tower to assess the scope of each of them. The tower is analyzed from three methods that count on different levels of complexity. First, an analysis using graphical method for limit analysis is carried out to assess the different safety coefficients from a stability point of view. Secondly, a finite element linear elastic analysis is applied in order to identify possible stress concentration zones, in particular zones with tensile stresses. Finally, a nonlinear static pushover analysis has been carried out over five different numerical models to assess the structural response to horizontal loads of perimeter walls and interior porticos.