Bridging performance based seismic design with restricted interventions on cultural heritage structures

This work presents a methodology that leads to interventions balancing the demands of security to seismic hazard with respect for the cultural and archaeological characteristics of the structure. Following the proposed methodology rehabilitation measures are designed for a specific performance level that is associated to a certain nominal life, after which the structure should be re-evaluated. Utilizing attenuation equations, it arrives at a simple to apply procedure and diagrams that can be used to evaluate and design interventions to heritage structures. The application of the method is demonstrated with a historic structure in north-eastern Greece. The analysis shows that after the application of all acceptable interventions the strengthened structure could not fulfill the performance level of a new structure. The proposed methodology allows the determination of the nominal life of the applicable interventions after which structural integrity should be re-examined.