Seismic assessment of Christchurch Catholic Basilica

Abstract

The paper presents a numerical study on the seismic assessment of the Christchurch Catholic Basilica. The Basilica, also known as Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento, is located in Christchurch, New Zealand and is listed as category I heritage – International or National significance. The four strong earthquakes events (September 2010 to June 2011) led to a progressive damage and to local collapses. A seismic analysis was carried to study its structural behavior. The seismic assessment involved the preparation and calibration of a three - dimensional numerical model based on the Finite Element Method. The dynamic behavior of the Cathedral was evaluated through pushover analyses with distribution of forces proportional to its mass in each direction. The capacity curves allowed collecting the damage patterns, the most vulnerable elements and the maximum load capacity. Taking in to account this information, a comparison between the numerical and real behavior was carried out and an acceptable correlation was obtained.