Spanish colonial missions and Mexican rancho and pueblo adobe structures are among California's earliest existing structures and the only above-ground remains of the state's original settlement by the Spanish and Mexican people. The Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994, resulted in tragic losses to a number of these historic adobe buildings. The earthquake also provided a rare opportunity to assess the damage that can occur to such structures as the result of a large earthquake. The intent of this study—part of the GCI's long-term commitment to researching conservation measures appropriate for historic adobe structures—was to survey the damage to buildings and make an informed evaluation of their seismic performance. The ultimate goal was to use the lessons learned from the Northridge earthquake and the results of retrofit research to help owners, building officials, cultural resource managers, architects, and engineers to understand the risks earthquakes pose to historic adobe buildings and the necessity for taking considered action to limit those risks.

This book describes tests performed on model adobe buildings to evaluate seismic damage mitigation techniques applicable to the retrofitting of historic and culturally significant adobe structures. Part of the Getty Seismic Adobe Project (GSAP), the three-year program outlined in this volume was designed to develop and test minimally invasive, inexpensive, and easily implemented methods of protecting such structures from severe earthquake damage. Small- and large-scale models were tested on computer-controlled shaking tables at Stanford University and at the IIZIS Earthquake Engineering Laboratory in the Republic of Macedonia, respectively. The authors identify typical failure modes of adobe structures and describe specific retrofit techniques to help minimize such failures. Extensive photographic documentation is included.

Adobe, or mud brick, has been widely used as a building material in the American Southwest, including California. The vulnerability of many original adobe structures to damage or destruction from earthquakes has been of great concern. The guidelines presented here address the practical aspects of this problem and represent the culmination of 12 years of research and testing on the seismic retrofitting of adobe buildings. These guidelines can assist in the planning of seismic retrofitting projects consistent with both conservation principles and established public policy.

Advanced Design Examples of Seismic Retrofit of Structures provides insights on the problems associated with the seismic retrofitting of existing structures. The authors present various international case studies of seismic retrofitting projects and the different possible strategies on how to handle complex problems encountered. Users will find tactics on a variety of problems that are commonly faced, including problems faced by engineers and authorities who have little or no experience in the practice of seismic retrofitting. - Provides several examples of retrofitting projects that cover different structural systems, from non-engineered houses, to frame buildings - Presents various retrofitting methods through examples - Provides detailed, step-by-step design procedures for each example - Includes real retrofit projects with photos of the details of various retrofitting techniques - Contains several modeling details and hints making use of various software in this area

Earthen architecture constitutes one of the most diverse forms of cultural heritage and one of the most challenging to preserve. It dates from all periods and is found on all continents but is particularly prevalent in Africa, where it has been a building tradition for centuries. Sites range from ancestral cities in Mali to the palaces of Abomey in Benin, from monuments and mosques in Iran and Buddhist temples on the Silk Road to Spanish missions in California. This volume's sixty-four papers address such themes as earthen architecture in Mali, the conservation of living sites, local knowledge systems and intangible aspects, seismic and other natural forces, the conservation and management of archaeological sites, research advances, and training.

Long-Term Performance and Durability of Masonry Structures: Degradation Mechanisms, Health Monitoring and Service Life Design focuses on the long-term performance of masonry and historical structures. The book covers a wide range of related topics, including degradation mechanisms in different masonry types, structural health monitoring techniques, and long-term performance and service life design approaches. Each chapter reflects recent findings and the state-of-the-art, providing practical guidelines. Key topics covered include the theoretical background, transport properties, testing and modeling, protective measures and standards and codes. The book's focus is on individual construction materials, the composite system and structural performance. - Covers all issues related to durability, including degradation mechanisms, testing and design, monitoring and service life design - Focuses on different masonry construction types - Presents a 'one-stop' reference for advanced postgraduate courses that focuses on the durability of masonry and historical constructions

The construction of earth buildings has been taking place worldwide for centuries. With the improved energy efficiency, high level of structural integrity and aesthetically pleasing finishes achieved in modern earth construction, it is now one of the leading choices for sustainable, low-energy building. Modern earth buildings provides an essential exploration of the materials and techniques key to the design, development and construction of such buildings.Beginning with an overview of modern earth building, part one provides an introduction to design and construction issues including insulation, occupant comfort and building codes. Part two goes on to investigate materials for earth buildings, before building technologies are explored in part three including construction techniques for earth buildings. Modern earth structural engineering is the focus of part four, including the creation of earth masonry structures, use of structural steel elements and design of natural disaster-resistant earth buildings. Finally, part five of Modern earth buildings explores the application of modern earth construction through international case studies.With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Modern earth buildings is a key reference work for all low-impact building engineers, architects and designers, along with academics in this field. - Provides an essential exploration of the materials and techniques key to the design, development and construction of modern earth buildings - Comprehensively discusses design and construction issues, materials for earth buildings, construction techniques and modern earth structural engineering, among other topics - Examines the application of modern earth construction through international case studies

This present book describes the different construction systems and structural materials and elements within the main buildings typologies, and it analyses the particularities of each of them, including, at the end, general aspects concerning laboratory and in-situ testing, numerical modeling, vulnerability assessment and construction maintenance.

This book assembles, identifies and highlights the most recent developments in Rehabilitation and retrofitting of historical and heritage structures. This is an issue of paramount importance in countries with great built cultural heritage that also suffer from high seismicity, such as the countries of the eastern Mediterranean basin. Heritage structures range from traditional residential constructions to monumental structures, ancient temples, towers, castles, etc. It is generally recognized that these structures present particular difficulties in seismic response calculation through computer simulation due to the complexity of the structural system which is, generally, inhomogeneous, with several contact problems, gaps/joints, nonlinearities and brittleness in material constituents. This book contains selected papers from the ECCOMAS Thematic Conferences on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics & Earthquake Engineering (COMPDYN) that were held in Corfu, Greece in 2011 and Kos, Greece in 2013. The Conferences brought together the scientific communities of Computational Mechanics, Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering in an effort to facilitate the exchange of ideas in topics of mutual interest and to serve as a platform for establishing links between research groups with complementary activities.

Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions contains about 160 papers that were presented at the IV International Seminar on Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions that was held from 10 to 13 November, 2004 in Padova Italy. Following publications of previous seminars that were organized in Barcelona, Spain (1995 and 1998) and Guimarães, Portugal (2001), state-of-the-art information is presented in these two volumes on the preservation, protection, and restoration of historical constructions, both comprising monumental structures and complete city centers. These two proceedings volumes are devoted to the possibilities of numerical and experimental techniques in the maintenance of historical structures. In this respect, the papers, originating from over 30 countries, are subdivided in the following areas: Historical aspects and general methodology, Materials and laboratory testing, Non-destructive testing and inspection techniques, Dynamic behavior and structural monitoring, Analytical and numerical approaches, Consolidation and strengthening techniques, Historical timber and metal structures, Seismic analysis and vulnerability assessment, Seismic strengthening and innovative systems, Case studies. Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions is a valuable source of information for scientists and practitioners working on structure-related issues of historical constructions