Damage and Interventions to Historical Masonry Buildings: Good and Ill Practices

Öz

This paper presents typical damage observed during recent earthquakes in Türkiye and elsewhere, along with their qualitative interpretation revealing the main weaknesses of existing stone masonry buildings. Historical structural systems, having a stone masonry ground storey and upper storeys made of timber framed masonry are also included. Strengthening techniques, frequently applied to alleviate the inherent inadequacies of stone masonry buildings are commented on, while their rationale, their efficiency and the effect of their misuse are presented, based on field observations after recent earthquakes and/or experimental results. The paper focuses on good and ill practices with the purpose of opening the discussion on the selection of adequate intervention techniques that may ensure an improved seismic behaviour, thus protecting human lives and property and contributing to the preservation of the built cultural heritage.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• stone masonry
• timber-framed masonry
• earthquake damage
• strengthening
• grouting
• stiffening of floors

References

1. Yön, B., Onat, O., Öncü, M.E., and Karaşın, A. Failures of masonry dwelling triggered by East Anatolian Fault earthquakes in Turkey, Soil Dynamics & Earthquake Engineering,133/2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2020.106126.
2. Izol, R., Işık, E., Avcil, F., Arslan, M.H., Arkan, E., Büyüksaraç, A. Seismic performance of masonry structures after 06 February 2023 earthquakes; site survey and FE modelling approach, Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Volume 186/2024 108904, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2024.108904.
3. Damcı, E., Temür, R., Kanbir, Z., Şerkeci, Ç., Öztorun Köröğlu, E., Comprehensive investigation of damage due to 2023 Kahraman maraş earthquakes in Türkiye: Causes, consequences and mitigation, Journal of Building Engineering, 99 (2025) 114420, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.114420.
4. Avcil, F., Işık, E., Izol, R., Büyüksaraç, A., Arkan, E., Arslan, M.H., Aksoylu, C., Eyisüren, O., Harirchian, E., Effects of the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquake on structures in Kahramanmaraş city, Natural Hazards, (2024) 120-2953-2991, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06314-1.
5. Miltiadou-Fezans, A., and Tassios, Th.P. Mix-design and Application of Hydraulic Grouts for Masonry Strengthening, 1st Edition, Springer Tracks in Civil Engineering, Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022, 283 pp.
6. Valluzzi, M.R. Comportamento meccanico di murature storiche consolidate con materiali e tecniche a base di calce, Doctor Thesis, University of Trieste, Italy, 2000 (in Italian).
7. Vintzileou E., Miltiadou-Fezans A. Mechanical properties of three-leaf stone masonry grouted with ternary or hydraulic lime-based grouts, Engineering Structures, Volume 30, Issue 8, August 2008, Pages 2265-2276, https://doi.org,10.1016/j.engstruct.2007.11.003.
8. Vintzileou E. Three-leaf masonry in compression, before and after grouting: A review of literature, International Journal of Architectural Heritage, Vol. 5 (4-5), pp. 513-538. DOI: 10.1080/15583058.2011.557137.

9. Bothara, J., and Brzev, S. A. EERI Tutorial: Improving the Seismic Performance of Stone Masonry Buildings, First Edition 2011.
10. EPPO (Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization) (2023) Code for assessment and structural interventions to masonry structures, Athens, Greece. (https://oasp.gr/kanonismoi/kanonismos-gia-apotimisi-kai-domitikes-epembaseis-toihopoiias).
11. Modena C. (2012) Analisi e interventi strutturali su edifici in muratura secondo le Norme Tecniche per le
12. Costruzioni 2008, Ordine degli Ingegneri della Provincia di Pistoia (https://www.ordineingegneri.pistoia.it/wp-content/uploads/Lezione-2012-11-05_Prof-Modena.pdf, last accessed online, April 28th, 2025)
13. Munari, M., da Porto, F., Bartolozzi, A., Mocellini M., Valdesolo, A., Modena, C. Analisi di vulnerabilità sismica e interventi di miglioramento strutturale di un aggregato nel centro storico di L’Aquila. Conference ANIDIS, Bari, Italy.
14. Kocaman, I., Kazaz, I., Collapse mechanism of historical masonry mosques under strong ground motions, Engineering Failure Analysis, 144(2023) 106983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106983
15. Onat, O., Özmen, A., Özdemir, E., Sayın, E., Damage propagation and failure mechanism of single dome historical masonry mosque after February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquake doublets (Mw=7.7 and Mw=7.6), Structures 69 (2024)107288 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2024.107288.
16. Kocaman, I., Eroğlu, E., Yıldız, M.E., Yıldız, M.A., Mercimek, Ö., Çetin, S., Reinforced concrete interventions on the collapse mechanism of historical masonry structures with detailed finite element analyses: Kabasakal Mosque, Engineering Failure Analysis, 174 (2025) 109504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109504.
17. Piazza, M. The Role of In-Plane Floor Stiffness in the Seismic Behaviour of Traditional Buildings, in Proceedings of the 14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 12-17 October 2018, Beijing, China.
18. Valluzzi, M. R., Garbin, Ε., Dalla Benetta, M., and Modena, C. In-plane strengthening of timber floors for the seismic improvement of masonry buildings, in Proceedings of the World Conference on Timber Engineering, 20-24 June 2010, Riva del Garda, Italy.
19. Valluzzi, M.R., di Bella, A., and Garbin, E. Optimization of mechanical and acoustic performance of timber floors, Advanced Materials Research, 690–697, doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.778.690.
20. Vintzileou, E., Mouzakis, C., Adami, C.-E., and Karapitta, L. Seismic behavior of three-leaf stone masonry buildings before and after interventions: Shaking table tests on a two-storey masonry model, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering 13(10), 3107-3133, DOI: 10.1007/s10518-015-9746-x.
21. Vintzileou E. The effect of deep rejointing on the compressive strength of brick masonry, Masonry International, Vol. 15, No 1, 2001, pp. 8-12.
22. Dikmen, N. (with contributions by Randolph Langenbach) An investigation on traditional timber-framed buildings in Çankırı Province of Turkey, http://fbe.trakya.edu.tr/tujs, Trakya Univ J Sci. 11(1):15-27, ISSN 1305-6468 DIC: 282NDIT3041006100610.
23. Vasconcelos, G., Lourenço P.B., Poletti, E. An overview on the seismic behaviour of timber frame structures, Chapter 10 in Historical Earthquake-Resistant Timber Frames in the Mediterranean Area, Ruggieri, N., Tampone, G., Zinno, R., Eds, Springer, ISBN 978-3-319-16186-0 ISBN 978-3-319-16187-7 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-16187-7.
24. Bal, I. E., Vatan, M. Earthquake resistance of traditional houses in Turkey: Timber-frame infilled structures, in Timber Structures: From Antiquity to the Present, Publisher: T.C. HALİÇ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, Istanbul, Turkey, Eds. Chilton, J., Mungan, I., ISBN: 978-975-8574-25-4.
25. Gülhan, D., Güney, I.Ö. The behavior of traditional building systems against earthquake and its comparison to reinforced concrete frame systems: experiences of Marmara earthquake damage assessment studies in Kocaeli and Sakarya. Proceedings of Earthquake-safe: Lessons to be Learned from Traditional Construction, Istanbul, Turkey. http://www.icomos.org/iiwc/seismic/Gulhan.pdf
26. Vintzileou, E., and Touliatos, P. Seismic behaviour of the historical structural system of the island of Lefkada, Greece, in Proceedings of the Conference STREMAH 2005, 22-24 June, 2005, Malta, pp. 291-300.