Structural performance of the church of São Miguel de Refojos

Abstract

This paper addresses the study of the structural stability of the church of São Miguel de Refojos, in Cabeceiras de Basto (Portugal). The building presents low to moderate structural damage, as well as other non-structural problems mainly related to the high presence of water. The work is divided into three main tasks, namely inspection and diagnosis of the building, preparation and calibration of a numerical model, and finally, structural analysis. The structure nonlinear behavior is evaluated and pushover analyses are used to assess the seismic performance. In addition, the stability of the church for horizontal actions is verified by means of limit analysis. The results are evaluated in terms of capacity curves, deformation, structural damage patterns and collapse mechanisms. The present study allowed to obtain detailed and reliable knowledge of the conservation state and structural safety of the historical church.