An Investigation of the Seismic Behaviour of an Ancient Masonry Bastion Using Non-Destructive and Numerical Methods

Determining the structural behavior of masonry structures is a challenge due to their lack of homogeneity. The seismic behavior of masonry structures is especially complex. The aim of this study was to examine the structural behavior of Zağanos Bastion using both experimental and numerical methods. The Operational Modal Analysis technique, including the Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition Method, and the Stochastic Subspace Identification Method were used to illustrate experimentally the dynamic characteristic of the bastion. A finite element model was developed using ANSYS software in order that the dynamic characteristics of the bastion, including natural frequencies and mode shapes, could be calculated numerically. Seismic analysis was carried out using the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake ground motion record to determine the linear and nonlinear seismic behavior of the bastion. The Turkish Earthquake Code and its general technical specifications were used to evaluate the seismic results. The results show that the maximum and minimum principal stresses exerted on the masonry components exceeded the code requirements at some points, but in general the requirements for the stresses were satisfied.