Analytical seismic fragility curves for ancient masonry buildings in Portugal

Abstract

The seismic performance of buildings has received special attention due to the interest in the built heritage conservation and protection of human life. The historic urban centers are dominated by old unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, which techniques and construction materials have evolved during centuries. Given the presence of these buildings in areas of significant seismicity, extensive research is needed to assess the seismic risk and define mitigation policies. This kind of studies is often supported by empirical methods and based on expert judgment due to the high variability of the building stock and lack of information. The main purpose of this work is to provide analytical fragility curves for representative masonry buildings in Portugal, built before the introduction of the first design code for building safety against earthquakes (RSSCS) in 1958. Thus, the fragility curves derived can characterize the capacity of the Portuguese building stock considering the randomness in the material properties and the variability in the geometry.