Seismic Evaluation of the Santa Catalina's Church of Valencia (Spain) Applying a Scalar Damage Model

Abstract

[EN] The structural system in Gothic architecture of Central Europe is characterized by the vaults supported on pillars and the dematerialization of walls to introduce into the Temple the maximum light possible. However the ¿Mediterranean Gothic¿ structure of the churches is formed by two sets of diaphragm walls breaking with the traditional gothic canons. The study carried out explains the reasons for these differences from an exhaustive structural analysis of Santa Catalina¿s church of Valencia under seismic effects. Two methods for analyzing have been used for simulating the seismic effects: the pushover analysis and the nonlinear dynamic analysis in time-history. The non-linear damage model method with its evolution under static and dynamic loads was applied in both cases. The study has been extended up to five different simulations of the same Finite Element model, depending on the constructive elements that made up the wall structural system and two return periods of 475 and 950 years. The methods used gave a good correspondence in their results which make them two complementary methods according to the proposed objectives. The results show that the Santa Catalina¿s church offers an optimal seismic response as a consequence of its structural system stiffness.