Numerical study on the seismic performance of adobe vaulted architecture: A case study from Iran

Abstract

Past earthquakes prove that adobe vaults, as traditional roofing systems for adobe architecture located in hot and dry areas, play a significant role in the seismic behaviour of adobe buildings. This paper reports the results from a geometrical survey carried out on 60 traditional adobe vaulted houses from the city of Yazd, Iran, followed by a simplified seismic assessment. To this end, a reference vault combination is considered as representative of the sample. Limit analysis theory implemented in Block2D software is employed to carry out the numerical analyses. Results indicate that parameters such as vault span, vault rise, supporting wall thickness and mechanical properties of adobe masonry have a significant influence on the safety factor.