Numerical evaluation of the seismic behavior of façades of Mexican colonial churches

• Study of the seismic behavior of façades of Mexican colonial churches.
• This study takes into account two typologies of churches of the center of Mexico.
• Façades built near local faults can support high accelerations with moderate damage.
• The belfries were the most vulnerable elements of the façades.
• Belfries have an appendix like behavior that increases the accelerations.

The seismic assessment of façades of churches built during the colonial era in Mexico is presented. This study takes into account two typologies of churches of the center of Mexico, which are far away of the epicenters of the subduction zone, but they both are subjected to frequent earthquakes. The first one corresponds to churches built near to local faults. The second typology corresponds to churches built far away of the local faults. The façades of the first typology are low-rise and have thick walls and some buttresses. The façades of the second typology are taller and slender. Both typologies have only one bell tower attached to the façade. The seismic behavior was studied by means of non-linear dynamic analyses, by using several real earthquake records. These seismic records were registered by stations located near and far of the epicenter zone. According to the numerical results, the façades of the churches built near the local faults can support high accelerations with moderate damage. While the façades of the churches built far away from the local faults present considerable damage for medium accelerations. For both typologies, the belfries are the most vulnerable elements. Besides, the main damage mechanism is a vertical crack on the joint of the tower and the wall of the façade; since the body of the tower tends to separate of the façade wall.