Seismic Stabilization of Historic Structures

The first project, the Getty Seismic Adobe Project (GSAP), investigated alternatives to existing retrofitting methods. After studying historic adobe buildings, analyzing recent earthquake damage, and developing and evaluating new retrofitting techniques through numerous tests, GSAP came up with ways to provide seismic protection at a reasonable cost while substantially preserving the authenticity of historic adobe buildings. For the most part, the methods are simple and inexpensive enough to be used in communities with limited resources, around the world, that rely on earth as a basic building material.

The second project—undertaken in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia—focused on the seismic retrofitting of Byzantine churches. An actual church was selected as a prototype, and its dynamic response behavior was determined experimentally using a shaking table. A scale model of the church was subjected to several possible earthquake spectra until damage occurred. After being repaired and retrofitted, the model was shaken again. The retrofitting enabled the model to withstand a severe earthquake without significant structural damage. The methodology developed is generally applicable to similar structures throughout the Balkans, the eastern Mediterranean, and Central Asia.